MPs face row over free Europe trips

MPs face charges of junketing today after voting themselves a deal that will allow them three free trips a year to European capitals at a cost to the taxpayer of hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

Politicians from all parties quietly agreed the move which will permit them to visit any of 28 European destinations - ostensibly to study national parliaments and political systems. The trips include club- class airfares, "class A" hotel accommodation and meals.

MPs used to be entitled to just one free trip a year, and it had to be to one of three cities hosting major European Union institutions - Brussels, Luxembourg or Strasbourg.

Their new rules state they can visit any three of the 15 EU capitals, including Paris, Rome, Madrid and Dublin, as well any of the capital cities of the 13 countries applying to join the union. This brings Prague, Budapest and even Nicosia in Cyprus into play.

They can claim their free trips by submitting a brief statement giving the purpose of their visit, the proposed destination and details of groups they will meet.

The deal was quietly stitched up by representatives of the three main parties and "buried" by being staged on the same day when former transport secretary Stephen Byers made his "I did not lie" Commons statement.

Robert Olds, a member of the Eurosceptic Bruges Group, hit out: "This is another example of MPs joining wasteful EU extravagance."

Four months ago MPs voted themselves a second pay rise in a year, taking their salaries to £55,118.