Clause 82 - European travel expenses of MPs and other representatives
Finance Bill
10:15 am
Mr Michael Jack (Fylde, Conservative)
I rise to disagree fundamentally with my hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr. Flight). It is not often that I express publicly what I think privately, but it is important to put on the record the common sense of what is in the clause. My hon. Friend says that it is an open sesame to freebies and general ill use of public funds. I would remind him that MPs are exempt from taxation on expenses for travel within the United Kingdom, including travel to places such as Belfast. For some years, the House of Commons has increasingly and correctly attempted to gain greater control over the use of moneys for MPs' travel, just as it is getting greater and more detailed control over the use of MPs' expenses in general. There is always an interesting friction on such matters between the Revenue and MPs, but I am pleased to say that harmony usually results.