Independent Financial Review Panel and council pay

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our Ref: FoI 08-20

19^th February 2020

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission does not hold the information, which you requested on 27^th January 2020.  In your request you asked for the following information:

“Under FOI I am looking for all correspondence either emails or letters between the Independent Financial Review Panel and the Finance Department in relationship to advice or recommendations or general correspondence on MLAs having to give up council pay. Also if there is any correspondence or legal advice that was given to the Independent Financial review panel on this issue. Also any emails or correspondence or minutes of meetings that the Independent Financial review panel discussed the issue.”

The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission does not hold this information as the Independent Financial Review Panel made no provision in the Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2016, which required members ‘to give up council pay’.  Members of the Assembly cannot be councillors by reason of section 3 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014, which is an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly.  The provision came into force on 1^st April 2015. 

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