FOI 37-25: Information in regards to how many days each MLA was present at Parliament Buildings

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

19 June 2025

Our ref: FoI 37-25

Freedom of Information Act 2000 ("FOIA")

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 6 June 2025 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). In your request, you asked:

"1. Can the NI Assembly provide data for each of the last five full financial years (April to March) on how many days (out of a total 365) that each MLA was physically present at Stormont buildings? (Question 1)

2. Can the NI Assembly confirm what the annual Assembly travel allowance was for each constituency in each of the last five financial years, and what was the minimum amount of days which an MLA needed to physically attend Stormont buildings to claim the full allowance?" (Question 2)

Our response

Question 1

The Assembly Commission does not hold the information on how many days (out of a total 365) that each Member attend Parliament Buildings.

Annually Members are asked to submit an attendance record demonstrating that they have met the minimum number of qualifying days for the purposes of validating their entitlement to Assembly Travel Allowance (ATA).

The data held by the Assembly Commission is each Member's record of their qualifying days at Parliament Buildings and not a complete list of a Member's attendance at Parliament Buildings over a full calendar year.

Any Member who uses an official car for travelling to Parliament Buildings (e.g. a Minister) is not entitled to ATA, so those Members are not required to submit an attendance record.

This is in line with the eligibility criteria set out in paragraph 26 of the Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2016 as amended by the Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) (Amendment) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2020 ('the 2016 Determination'). The same eligibility criteria are set out at paragraph 18 of the Assembly Members (Office and Staffing Costs and Allowances) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2025 ('the 2025 Determination'), which superseded the 2016 Determination in 2025.

Question 2

This information is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA as it is reasonably available to an applicant by other means. This is because this information is already published on the website operated by the Assembly Commission.

Member's entitlement to Constituency Travel Allowance (CTA) and ATA, including minimum attendance for ATA and rates payable, is set out in the 2016 and 2025 Determinations, to which links are provided above.

Further Information

You have the right to request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission. If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address. If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised.

Yours sincerely

INFORMATION STANDARDS