Fiona Hall MEP

Fiona's Expenses & Accounts

MEP Salary

MEPs are paid a salary fixed at the rate of 38.5% of the basic salary of a judge serving on the European Court of Justice. In 2010, this amounted to a gross salary of €7,665.31 per month or €91,980 per year. The salary is paid out of the European Parliament's budget and is subject to an EU tax and accident insurance contribution, after which the net salary in 2010 was €5,973.31 per month. However, the amount MEPs receive in pounds depends on the exchange rate, and varies from month to month. British MEPs also pay additional tax and National Insurance contributions in the UK to bring the total deductions into line with those paid by other UK residents.

General Expenditure

MEPs are entitled to a flat-rate general expenditure allowance (GEA) to cover expenses which arise in the course of their parliamentary activities and which are not covered by other allowances. In 2010 this was €4202 per month. According to the rules of the European Parliament, the general expenditure allowance is intended to cover the following expenses:

• costs relating to office space: rent and related charges (heating, lighting, insurance, water, electricity and cleaning), mainenance and repair of rented premises
• working costs: postal charges, phone bills, internet subscription, subscription to databases and costs relating to hosting MEPs' websites
• office supplies and documentation: supplies, stationery and materials; books, newspapers, electronic newsletters; materials relating to graphic design, formatting, printing, publication or distribution of publishable material; cost of foodstuffs and beverages for staff
• office equipment costs: including furniture, IT equipment, telephones, mobile phones, fax machines and standard software
• representational activities: hotel and restaurant bills within a MEP's country of election; costs relating to the logistical organisation of events, conferences, seminars exhibitions or public meeting organised by the MEP; volunteers' travel expenses
• Administrative costs: accounting and office bookkeeping not relating to the Parliamentary Assistance Allowance

Scanned invoices and receipts documenting all expenditure paid from this allowance from the start of this parliamentary term in July 2009 will be uploaded to the website on a quarterly basis.

July - Sep 2009
Oct - Dec 2009

Jan - Mar 2010
Apr - Jun 2010
Jul - Sep 2010
Oct - Dec 2010

Jan - Mar 2011
Apr - Jun 2011
Jul - Sep 2011
Oct - Dec 2011

The general expenditure allowance for 2010 totalled €50424 (£43270). 100% of expenditure is supported by documentation and yearly accounts are prepared by an external accountant (Tait Walker of Gosforth, Newcastle). A summary of the accounts is displayed in the table below.

Starting in 2010 Liberal Democrat MEPs agreed upon standard expenditure categories comparable to those used by other parties, in order to aid comparison between them. Liberal Democrat MEPs pay back unspent GEA funds either at the end of the year or at the end of their mandate (with unspent money collected meanwhile in a "dilapidation fund" to be used for bigger maintenance or repair jobs).

Travel

Since July 2009, MEP travel both within and outside the UK has been reimbursed at cost, plus a small distance and time allowance for one return journey per Parliament working week from home to an EU place of work or meeting venue. All other travel outside the UK is reimbursed simply at cost.

Since July 2009, travel within the UK is no longer be paid for out of the general expenditure allowance but is reimbursed directly by the Parliament.

In total Fiona received €61590.39 for travel in 2010.

Subsistence

MEPs receive a daily subsistence allowance for official attendance on Parliamentary duties in the EU but outside the UK. For official attendance on Parliamentary duties outside the EU, MEPs receive half the daily subsistence allowance plus the cost of bed and breakfast. In total Fiona received €44514.56 for subsistence in 2010.

Staff

Fiona currently employs four full-time and two part-time staff on a permanent basis, paid between £15 000 and £30 000 pa FTE (or euro equivalent at Jan 2010 exchange rate). Fiona also employs a trainee assistant on a temporary basis, paid between £10 000 and £15 000 pa. The total wage bill and staff costs for 2010 amounted to €207122.75. This figure also covers items such as staff travel expenses, and fees for services provided by the accountant and paying agent.

Fiona employs Tait Walker chartered accountants as a service provider to prepare the office accounts and also as her paying agent. The role of a paying agent is to administer an MEP's staff payroll. Fiona is not a member of the additional voluntary pension scheme and does not employ any members of her family.