Clause 82 - European travel expenses of MPs and other representatives
Finance Bill
10:15 am
Mr Howard Flight (Shadow Chief Secretary To the Treasury, Economic Affairs; Arundel and South Downs, Conservative)
I welcome you to the Chair, Mr. McWilliam. If I understand it correctly, we cannot do anything about the clause, as we are simply implementing a resolution of the House.
The provision updates and modernises the existing arrangements giving tax exemption for EU travel expenses paid to MPs. It covers travel
''between the UK and a relevant European location''
and defines ''European location'' as an EU ''institution or agency''. It is effective from 6 April 2004.
I have great reservations about the arrangements. I think that they bring MPs into disrepute. There is no logical argument for paying expenses to potter across to Europe rather than paying expenses to go to see a politician in America. Both are equally important or non-important. I think that it is widely open to abuse and to swans. I am pleased to say that, as a deliberate matter of principle, I have never used it, although I
have visited European politicians on many occasions. It is the sort of arrangement that I think we would be better off without, but here we are with it.