Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010

39 Resettlement grants for MEPs

(1) The European Parliament (Pay and Pensions) Act 1979 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 3 (resettlement grants for persons ceasing to be MEPs) for subsections (1) to (3) substitute—

“(1) The IPSA may make a scheme providing for allowances to be payable to persons to whom this section applies, in connection with their ceasing to be Representatives.

(2) It may do so only if a scheme under section 5 of the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 (MPs’ allowances scheme) makes provision for allowances to be payable in connection with persons ceasing to be Members on a dissolution of Parliament.

(3) A scheme under this section must make provision which is as nearly equivalent to the provision made by the scheme under section 5 of that Act as the IPSA considers practicable.

(3A) The IPSA must send to the Speaker of the House of Commons for laying before both Houses of Parliament—

(a) any scheme made by it under this section, and

(b) a statement of the reasons for making the scheme.

(3B) When the scheme and the statement of reasons have been laid, the IPSA must publish them in a way it considers appropriate.

(3C) This section applies to a person who is a Representative immediately before the end of a five-year period, and either—

(a) does not stand for election to the European Parliament at the general election of representatives to the European Parliament held in that period, or

(b) does so stand at that election (whether for the same or a different electoral region) and is not elected.

(3D) A scheme made by the IPSA under this section may amend or revoke any previous scheme made by the IPSA under this section.”

(3) Omit section 3A (power to amend section 3).

(4) In section 7(1)(b) (expenses and receipts) for “grant” substitute “allowance”.