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:

 

Appendix A - Extract from an email from the Independent Financial Review Panel the Panel) with a list of action points which was circulated to attendees of a of the Panel on 2 August 2011. The action points refer to this issue and show a request from the Panel to RaISe for further information on the councillor's basic allowance.

Appendix B - Letter from the Panel to Richard Stewart, Director of Corporate Services, on the interpretation and implementation of the 2012 Determination with regard to the abatement for councillors basic allowance.

Appendix C - Extract from a spreadsheet of potential costings following the implementation of the Determination, detailing the impact of the abatement of the councillor's basic allowance. This was provided in hard copy to the Panel.

Appendix D - Copies of two letters that were issued to Members regarding the implementation of the 2012 Determination and the practical application of the abatement of salaries in relation to the councillor's basic allowance. These letters were provided as hard copies to the Panel for information purposes.

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 DATEACTIONRESPONSIBILITYDUE DATEPROGRESS

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

 

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 PaymentAction/ Determination2011/12 Current2012/132013/142014/15Estimated 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£000Saving£000Total

MLA Salaries

£1,029

 

£1,029

Salary abatement for Councillors

 

-£628

-£628

 

CONFIDENTIAL

TABLE X: FINANCIAL IMPACT OF DETERMINATION

 Cost£000Saving£000Total

Salary abatement for Councillors

 

-£628

-£628

 

Appendix D

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