FOI 31-23: Heating, electric and staff costs at Parliament Buildings

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our Ref: FOI 31-23

16 November 2023

Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”)

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 19 October 2023 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In your request, you asked:

“1) The amount spent on gas/oil for Parliament Buildings in each of the past two financial years (2021-2022 & 2022-23) and the first two quarters of financial year 2023-24;

Please note the response outlined at Appendix A.

2) The amount spent on electricity for Parliament Buildings in each of the past two financial years (2021-2022 & 2022-23) and the first two quarters of financial year 2023-24;

Please note the response outlined at Appendix A.

3) The amount paid on staff costs for Parliament Buildings in each of the past two financial years (2021-2022 & 2022-23) and the first two quarters of financial year 2023-24;

Please note the response outlined at Appendix A.

4) The number of NI Assembly staff whose salary is greater than £50,000 PA with corresponding roles they fulfil;

The Assembly Commission has 90 full-time equivalent staff whose salary is greater than £50,000 but less than £100,000 per annum. Please note the pay award for the financial year 2023/24 has yet to be agreed.

These roles have been outlined in Appendix B.

5) The number of NI Assembly staff whose salary is greater than £100,000 PA with corresponding roles they fulfil.”

The Assembly Commission has three staff with a salary greater than £100,000 per annum and hold the roles of Clerk/Chief Executive, Director of Legal, Governance and Research Services and Director of Parliamentary Services.   

You have the right to request a formal review by the 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 may appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF which will undertake an independent review.

The Assembly Commission may publish details of your FOI request and its official response within the organisational disclosure log. The request will be completely anonymised and you will not be identified in any way. This is to meet the requirements as laid out by in the agreed publication scheme with the Information Commissioners’ Office.

Yours sincerely

Data Protection and Governance Officer

Appendix A: Heating, Electric and Staff Costs

Appendix B: Staff Roles whose salary is greater than £50,000 but less than £100,000