Daily Mail, By TIM SHIPMAN, 6th March 2011
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| Abuse: Tory MP Philip Davies said: 'It is grotesquely outrageous' |
Nearly £3 million of taxpayers’ money will be frittered away on Viagra sex pills and other ‘cosmetic’ treatments to MEPs and their families.
Leaked documents have revealed that the Brussels gravy train allows Eurocrats to claim for breast reductions, anti-ageing products and slimming treatments.
Taxpayers are also expected to fund at least two-thirds of the cost of trips to health spas under the lax medical expenses regime. In some cases MEPs can claim back the entire costs of treatment.
The details were revealed in a leaked copy of the Practical Guide to the Reimbursement of Medical Expenses.
The £2.9m budget for Euro MPs’ medical expenses also covers alternative therapies and new age treatments, including lymphatic drainage - a form of massage that advocates claim helps the body eliminate toxins.
The husbands and sons of female MEPs can also claim for private treatment to resolve problems with impotence. Viagra is available if the condition is the result of a serious illness.
Critics condemned the cost of the scheme at a time of financial austerity, which have risen by a staggering 36 per cent since last year, when the programme cost £2.2m.
The lavish system of perks available for MEPs is even more generous than the controversial system of payments for MPs in Westminster.
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While British MPs have successfully claimed the cost of some medical procedures under their expenses regime, they do not have a dedicated private health scheme.
It is also better than that available to most ordinary voters. While most NHS Trusts in the UK will only fund three cycles of IVF treatment MEPs are entitled to five.
Tory MP Philip Davies said: ‘You couldn’t make it up. It is grotesquely outrageous. How on earth they think this can be justified just beggars belief.
‘It sums up the grotesque waste of money that is the European Union. It is a prime example of how Brussels wastes our money on a daily basis. It’s about time we drew it to an end.’
Tory MP Douglas Carswell said: ‘Until we have an in-out referendum Europe is going to keep on costing us more in ever higher perks for MEPs and Eurocrats.
‘We managed to end the extreme nonsense of the expenses system in Westminster because we were able to sack the MPs concerned. Until we get the chance to sack the Eucroracts, Brussels is going to keep taking us to the cleaners.’
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| Brussels: The lavish system of perks available for MEPs is even more generous than the controversial system of payments for MPs in Westminster |
Nikki Sinclaire, independent MEP for the West Midlands, said: ‘This is a huge amount of money and every penny comes from the taxpayer.
‘Most families are tightening their belts, and many people are concerned for their financial futures. But the allowances in Brussels keep going up and up. It’s yet more taxpayers’ money you don’t hear about.
‘The system in Europe remains ripe for abuse and that needs to go.’
The European Parliament has defended the rise in costs by arguing that MEPs spend most of their week working outside their home country and therefore cannot benefit from their domestic health services.
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