THE salary paid to an MEP is €91,980 per annum. In addition to this, they receive a flat-rate Subsistence Allowance of €298 per day towards accommodation and other expenses when working in Brussels or Strasbourg. 

A Travel Allowance is available for travel to Brussels and Strasbourg: expenses are reimbursed on the production of travel receipts. In the main, Nick travels by car (for which he can claim €0.49 per kilometre) as this means his staff can travel with him. A Personal Travel Allowance of up to €4,148 annually is provided for other travel, but Nick claimed less than a quarter of this. 

MEPs also receive a Parliamentary Assistance Allowance of €210,480 per year. In accordance with European Parliament best practice, none of the staff Nick employs as local assistants are family members and their contracts of employment are deposited with the parliamentary authorities. No part of this allowance, moreover, goes to him by way of additional personal income. 

In addition to his local assistants, Nick has a parliamentary assistant in Brussels who is employed directly by the Parliament, as well as a Paying Agent in the UK who administrates staff contracts and salaries. He also commissions services from a number of service providers and advisors. 

To cover expenses that are directly linked to the exercise of their parliamentary mandate, MEPs are also provided with a General Expenditure Allowance (GEA) of €50,424 per year. This allowance covers office costs, including rent, rates, office equipment, stationery, postage, telephone and other IT equipment. Any unspent surplus on this budget over the course of his five-year term of office will be returned to the relevant office. 

Finally, MEPs receive a Communications Allowance of €43,697 for communications with constituents. Nick has utilised this allowance to distribute newsletters to his constituents, outlining his endeavours to safeguard their interests within the European Parliament as well as his work within the constituency.

Cessation Accounts Due to Staff Changes:

Constituency Office Manager Tina Wingfield, prepared a set of accounts from January 1st 2011 to the 21st April 2011 which are accessible through the cessation accounts link. The accounts cover office expenditure and the MEP's English Fair Fund.  The Cessation Accounts mark the end of Tina Wingfield's 21 months over-seeing these duties.

Jackie Griffin is now handling Nick's European Office Accounts on a voluntary basis.  Mrs Wingfield will be devoting more time to her constituency work.

Below find links to each set of accounts:

2009 Budget 4000 - Budget Item 400 - Non Attached Members Statement of Revenue and Expenditure

2010 Budget 4000 - Budget Item 400 - Non Attached Members Statement of Revenue and Expenditure

2011 Budget 400  -  Budget Item 400 - Non Attached Members Statement of Revenue and Expenditure

General Expenditure Allowance January 2010 to December 2010

Cessation Accounts

General Expenditure Allowance up to end of December 2011