Home What's New Speeches & Articles Newsletter - Jul 2008 Biography Diary Contact Information Photo Album Parliamentary Highlights Publications Links MEPs' Transparency   Conservative Party Latest News from Conservatives.com Conservative Party Website
		MEPs' Allowances and Transparency There has been much publicity in recent weeks about parliamentary allowances, and in particular about staff budgets and the employment of MEPs' relatives. As an MEP, I receive a salary identical to a Westminster MP: currently around £62,000 a year. For the record, I do not currently employ any relative. During my first term 1999/2004 I employed my wife as part-time UK diary secretary. I also employed my son for three months as a stagière in Brussels. In each case they were remunerated on an arm's length basis, not on preferential terms. In 2007 I received around £125,000 in staff allowances. During that time, I employed two full-time research assistants. I also had a half-share in a UK-based Press Officer, and I paid for administrative services in the UK (from West Northamptonshire Conservative Group). On an on-going monthly fee basis I use external suppliers to maintain my blog (http://rogerhelmermep.worpress.com), and my web-site (www.rogerhelmer.com). I also retain the services of a professional accounting firm in the region. On an ad-hoc basis I have also bought advertising and marketing services, and external advice on international trade issues. My staff funds are administered on a fee basis by my wife, who works as a self-employed contractor. She pays staff salaries, income tax and NI payments, and fees for external service provisers, and she maintains their contracts. She prepares reports on expenditure which are submitted, in line with parliamentary rules, to the parliament's administration. Her work is overseen and checked by a qualified firm of local accounts, Simpsons of Lutterworth. Why use a family member for this work? There are clear benefits in doing so. She is contactable at all hours. She knows the region and the people, and has a commitment to the work which could not be expected of an external contractor. And in addition to her administrative and payroll work, she exercises a pastoral care and personnel function (as the contractual employer of my staff) which would not be available from an external source. The British Conservative delegation in the European parliament has decided, as a matter of policy, that where family members are employed, or act as a paying agent, their salary or other remuneration should be published within bands of £10,000. In line with this policy I can state that my wife's annual fees for her work as a paying agent fall between £10,000 and £20,000. In addition to my staff allowances, I am entitled to a range of other expenses to support my work as a parliamentarian. These allowances are drawn, and disbursed, precisely in line with parliamentary rules.