Scandal of EU medical perks
GRASPING Euro MPs squander millions of pounds of British taxpayers’ money every year on cosmetic perks including anti- ageing therapy and facial hair removal, it emerged last night.
In yet another scandalous example of the European gravy train, MEPs can also have IVF treatments.
They can stay at thermal health spas, have breast reductions and buy slimming products and Viagra pills.
All are funded by the public as part of their controversial medical cover. This year’s £3million budget for Euro MPs’ medical expenses also covers alternative therapies like lymphatic drainage, a delicate massage that helps the body eliminate toxins.
The taxpayer funds at least two-thirds of the cost of all treatments, and many are 100 per cent covered.
Details of the appalling waste on personal vanity indicates the juggernaut of EU excess shows no signs of slowing and comes as Britons brace themselves for a year of soaring food and fuel bills, wage freezes and cuts in council services. And it is certain to add to the momentum behind the Daily Express’s crusade for the UK to withdraw from the European Union.
Personal perks like these should not be state-funded and barmy EU spending has to stop hitting UK taxpayers in the pocket
Critics reacted with fury last night at the waste of public money. Charlotte Linacre, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Spa treatments and expensive medical procedures are out of reach for many British taxpayers, so it’s an insult to hear MEPs get these generous freebies.
“Personal perks like these should not be state-funded and barmy EU spending has to stop hitting UK taxpayers in the pocket.”
An MEP and staff cost an average of £370,000, made up of salaries, gold-plated pensions and expenses. Stephen Booth, of the think tank Open Europe, said: “MEPs are paid very generously by anyone’s standards so there’s absolutely no justification for all the extra perks.” Details of the expenses are revealed in a leaked copy of the Practical Guide to the Reimbursement of Medical Expenses.
It shows MEPs are reimbursed not only for conventional treatments for conditions like cancer, diabetes and emergencies such as fractures, but also elective treatments. The generosity for “cosmetic” treatments has led to claims it is a perk rather than essential. Other courses on offer to MEPs include extended IVF treatments and drug rehabilitation. Male MEPs and the husbands of female MEPs can also claim for private treatment to resolve problems with impotence. Viagra is available if the condition stems from serious illness.
The budget this year for MEPs’ sickness and accident insurance represents a 36 per cent increase on the £2.2million in 2009.
Nikki Sinclaire, independent MEP for the West Midlands, said: “The system in Europe remains ripe for abuse and that needs to go.”
The guide also reveals MEPs and their families can stay up to 21 days at thermal health spas.
