Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1161926
5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 SEPTEMBER 2019 United Kingdom The Code of Conduct for MPs together with the Guide to Rules relating to the Con- duct of Members requires any financial interests, fall- ing under ten categories to be declared. The categories are: Employment and earnings; Donations and other support for activities as an MP; Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources; Visits outside the UK; Gifts and benefits from sources outside the UK; Land and Property; Shareholdings; Miscellaneous; Family mem- bers employed; Family mem- bers engaged in lobbying. When it comes to employment and earnings, MPs and peers in the House of Lords must register: • Salaries, fees and payments in kind; gifts received in recognition of services performed • Taxable expenses, allowances and benefits such as company cars; • Redundancy and ex gratia payments; • Income as a member of Lloyd's • Payments for opinion surveys•• • Whether they are a director of the organisation; • The name and address of the payer and a brief description of their business; • The name and address of any client to whom the member has personally provided services, if different from the payer, and a brief description of their business; • The size of the payment received and the nature and value of any taxable benefits and any payments in kind – payments must be given in gross. • Nature of the work involved, and the number of hours' work to which each payment relates; • Date the payment was received • Confirmation that the member has not engaged in paid advocacy European Parliament According to the Code of Conduct for Members of the European Parliament, declarations of financial interests shall contain: • MEPs' occupation during the three years before their election, including membership of any company boards or committees, NGOs or bodies established at law • Any salary received from another parliament • Any regular paid activity undertaken alongside the exercise of their office • Any relevant outside activity undertaken irrespective of whether or not it is paid•• • Any occasional activity which is paid if the total of all occasional activities exceeds €5,000 in one calendar year • Any holding in a company or partnership where there are potential public policy implications or where that holding gives them significant influence over the affairs of the body in question. • Any form of support, additional to that provided by Parliament by third parties and granted in connection with the MEP's political activities by third parties. • Any other financial interests which might influence the performance of the member's duties • Additionally, MEPs must also refrain from accepting any gifts or similar benefits other than those with an approximate value lower than €150. Any gifts received in their official capacity must be handed over to the president of the parliament and dealt with according to established procedures. All gifts received are kept in a register which can be viewed online. United States According to the Ethics in Government Act, lawmakers and other government officials must declare: • The source, type and amount or value of income from any source, and the source, date, and amount of honoraria from any source, received during the preceding calendar year, aggregating $200 or more in value and, the source, date and amount of payments made to charitable organisations in lieu of honoraria, and the reporting individual shall simultaneously file with the applicable supervising ethics office, on a confidential basis, a corresponding list of recipients of all such payments together with the dates and amounts of such payments. • The source and type of income which consists of dividends, rents, interest and capital gains, received during the preceding calendar year which exceed $200 in amount of value. • The identity of the source, a brief description, and the value of all gifts aggregating more than the minimal value up until a maximum of $250 received from any source. NEWS How does Malta compare with other countries? Man found dead in car in Mosta A man was found deceased yesterday morning in a car which was parked close to the Mosta health centre. His lifeless body was dis- covered in the vehicle at around 9.45am. The police told MaltaTo- day that the man was likely a foreigner, but that this would be confirmed fol- lowing the outcome of an investigation which had been started on the case. The Mosta health centre is located in the same area as the town's police station. Investigations are ongo- ing. Three passengers injured in Coast Road bus accident THREE passengers were slightly hurt after the bus they were on crashed on the Coast Road yesterday morning. The accident happened just before 10am, with the bus having crashed into a metal barrier on the side of the road and scraped alongside it, as it was head- ing in the direction of Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq. A medical team was sent on site to administer first aid treatment, but it re- sulted that any injuries suffered by those on board were minor. The vehicle's windscreen and one of its sides were significantly damaged, with the windows having been shattered, photos show. In a statement, Malta Public Transport said that, following the accident, an emergency procedure was immediately activated and the company's response team were dispatched on site to offer all possible as- sistance to the relevant au- thorities. "While the company is investigating the cause of the incident, our priority at the moment is to ensure the well-being and safety of our employees and passen- gers," MPT said.