To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made regarding the increase of the salaries of Members of the European Parliament by £16,000 to £86,000 and the increase in expenses by £22,000, in the light of their proposals for wage restraint for United Kingdom citizens. [HL1081]

The salaries and expenses for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have not increased since the June 2009 European elections. MEPs’ salaries and expenses have remained at: €7,665 salary a month before tax; a per diem allowance of €298 to cover costs of accommodation, meals and local transport while in Brussels or Strasbourg; and a flat-rate allowance of €4,200 a month to cover office running costs and travel expenses reimbursed on the basis of receipts.

In December 2009 the Council refused to grant a proposed 3.7 per cent pay increase for the staff of EU institutions, in view of the current economic and financial situation, replacing it instead with a proposed increase of 1.85 per cent.