Independent Financial Review Panel and council pay
Information Standards Freedom of Information Response
Our Ref: FoI 17-20
24th April 2020
Freedom of Information Act 2000
I can confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission holds information relevant to your request of 25 February 2020. In your request you asked for the following information:
“Under FOI I am looking for all correspondence either by email or letters between the independent financial Review panel and the Finance department (MLAs section, including Paula McClintock) in relationship to advice or recommendations or any general correspondence on MLAs having to give up council pay in the 2012 IFRP Determination. In addition, if there is any correspondence or legal advice that was given to the Independent Financial review panel on this issue including and any advice by the Attorney General in email or correspondence? In addition, any emails, correspondence, or minutes of meetings that the Independent review panel discussed such issues”
With response to the request in which the requestor has asked for “all correspondence either by email or letters between the independent financial Review panel and the Finance department (MLAs section, including Paula McClintock) in relationship to advice or recommendations or any general correspondence on MLAs having to give up council pay in the 2012 IFRP Determination”. Please find information attached at Appendices A(i) -D(ii) as follows:
No other information is held by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission relation to this matter.
Please note, signatures and contact details, have been redacted from the information provided as this information is personal data, as defined section 3(2) of the Data Protection Act 2018. The reason the information is personal data is that it relates to individuals who are living and can be identified from the information, as defined by section 3 (3) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This information is therefore exempt from disclosure under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. No other information has been redacted.
If you feel that the information we have provided does not meet your request fully, please contact this office as soon as possible. You have the right to request a formal review by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission and if you wish to do so, please write to me at the above address.
If after such an internal review you are still unhappy with the response, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF who will undertake an independent review.
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
INFORMATION STANDARDS
Appendix A
Email from Georgie Campbell to Richard Stewart, Tony Logue, Jack Peel, Louise Anderson, Dr Robert Barry, John Power, Paula McClintock (5 August 2011):
Richard, Tony, Paula, John
I am attaching the Action Points from Tuesday's meeting of the Independent Financial Review Panel. The next meeting will be on 30 August and the Panel will require their papers (in hard copy) one week in advance of that. Perhaps you would let me know if you are unable to meet the deadlines specified.
Georgie
INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL REVIEW PANEL ACTION POINTS
No. | MEETING DATE | ACTION | RESPONSIBILITY | DUE DATE | PROGRESS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 |
2 August 2011 |
Income earned for Council duties by MLAs who are also councillors to be provided for Panel members |
John Power |
19 August 2011 |
|
Appendix B
- 28 May 2014 - Letter from Patrick McCartan, Chairperson of the Independent Financial Review Panel, to Richard Stewart, Director of Corporate Services (PDF, 2 pages, 272KB)
- 12 June 2014 - Email from Richard Stewart, Director of Corporate Services (PDF, 1 page, 89.5KB)
Appendix C
CONFIDENTIAL
POSSIBLE SALARY COSTS / (SAVINGS) BASED ON MLA INCREASE FROM 1 APRIL 2013
IFRP ACTIONS, COSTS AND/OR (SAVINGS) Salary & Office Holder Allowances | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Types of Payment | Action/ Determination | 2011/12 Current | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | Estimated Cost / (Savings) over the current mandate |
MLAs/ Councillors (36) (33) - Double-jobbing abate Councillor allowance by 1/2 and full by 2013/14 |
Abate Councillor Allowance |
43101 |
£38,232 |
£43,131 |
£38,262 |
-£628,101 |
GROSS COST / (SAVING) FROM THIS DETERMINATION |
-£628,101 |
|||||
NET COST / (SAVING) FROM THIS DETERMINATION |
-£628,101 |
CONFIDENTIAL
CALCULATIONS FOR SALARY IMPACT OF DETERMINATION
SALARY SAVING RE COUNCILLORS 1/2, 1/2 - MLA INCREASE FROM 2013/14 |
|||||
|
2011/12 |
2012/13 |
2013/14 |
2014/15 |
|
|
|
0.50 |
0.50 |
1.00 |
|
MLA |
£43,101 |
£38,232 |
£43,131 |
£38,262 |
|
|
|
£43,101 |
£48,000 |
£48,000 |
|
|
|
-£4,869 |
-£4,869 |
-£9,738 |
|
|
2011/12 |
2012/13 |
2013/14 |
2014/15 |
|
|
|
|
0.50 |
1.00 |
|
|
|
|
£38,262 |
|
|
|
|
|
£48,000 |
|
|
|
|
£0 |
-£9,738 |
£0 |
|
No of MLAs 1 |
30 |
-£73,035 |
-£219,105 |
-£321,354 |
-£613,494 |
No of MLAs 2 |
33 |
|
-£14,607 |
|
-£14,607 |
No of MLAs 3 |
33 |
|
|
|
-£628,101 |
CONFIDENTIAL
TABLE X: FINANCIAL IMPACT OF DETERMINATION
Cost£000 | Saving£000 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
MLA Salaries |
£1,029 |
|
£1,029 |
Salary abatement for Councillors |
|
-£628 |
-£628 |
CONFIDENTIAL
TABLE X: FINANCIAL IMPACT OF DETERMINATION
Cost£000 | Saving£000 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
Salary abatement for Councillors |
-£628 |
-£628 |
Appendix D
- 31 May 2012 - Letter from Paula McClintock to all MLAs RE: Independent Financial Review Panel and Determination (PDF, 3 pages, 203KB)
- 28 March 2012 - Letter from Paula McClintock to all MLAs RE: Report of the Independent Financial Review Panel and Determination (PDF, 4 pages, 52.8KB)