FOI 38-25: Information in regards to "Arm’s Length Bodies / Companies controlled by the Northern Ireland Assembly"

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

30 June 2025

Our Ref: FoI 38-25

Freedom of Information Act 2000

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 the following-

'1. Please provide a list of all Arm's Length Bodies / Companies controlled by the NIA. Please list their name, their head office address, their last annual budget?

2. Please list all committees / panels / quangos where the Assembly appoints all or some of its members (paid or unpaid)? Please list their names, their purpose, the salary of the chair and its members, the expense allowance for its chair or members, who they report to and any policy or governance they have control over?'

Our response

Question 1

This information is not held by the Assembly Commission, which does not control any arm's length bodies or companies.

Question 2

The Assembly Commission appoints or nominates for appointment the following office-holders.

Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Act 1998 provides for the appointment of the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland (C&AG) by His Majesty on the nomination of the Northern Ireland Assembly (the Assembly). Renumeration for the role is £154,527 per annum. The Assembly Commission does not hold information on expenses arrangements for the C&AG.

The C&AG is the head of the Northern Ireland Audit Office and is responsible for authorising the issue of money from the Consolidated Fund to enable Northern Ireland departments to meet their necessary expenditure, and for ensuring that there are adequate arrangements for the collection of revenue.

The C&AG is also responsible for the external audit of central government bodies in Northern Ireland, including Northern Ireland departments and their executive agencies and a wide range of other public sector bodies, including executive non-departmental public bodies and health and social care bodies. The Comptroller and Auditor General undertakes financial audit and value for money audits and reports the results of their work to the Assembly.

Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman

The Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 provides for the appointment of a Public Services Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (the Ombudsman). The Ombudsman is appointed by His Majesty on nomination of the Assembly. Remuneration for the role is £115,252 per annum. The Assembly Commission does not hold information on expenses arrangements for the Ombudsman.

The role of the Ombudsman is to investigate complaints of possible maladministration in the delivery of public services by public bodies within its remit and a power of own initiative where the Ombudsman has a reasonable suspicion of maladministration, or in the case of health and social care, a reasonable suspicion of systemic injustice. The Ombudsman also discharges the role of the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Ombudsman and Local Government Commissioner for Standards.

Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards

The Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 ("the 2011 Act") provides for the appointment by the Assembly of the Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards (the Commissioner). Remuneration for the Commissioner will be £595.57 per day. Travel and subsistence is paid in accordance with Assembly Commission rates.

The role of the Commissioner is to investigate complaints of breaches of the Assembly Members' Code of Conduct and some provisions of the Ministerial Code of Conduct. The Commissioner reports the outcome of those investigations to the Assembly.

Independent Financial Review Panel

There was an Independent Financial Review Panel (IFRP) until July 2016, established under the Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (NI) 2011 (the 2011 Act).

The recent Assembly Members (Independent Renumeration Board) Bill, which amends the 2011 Act, is awaiting Royal Assent. Therefore, a new Independent Renumeration Board will be established, consisting of a Chair and two other Members. Panel Members will be remunerated per diem.

ACARC

The Assembly Commission appoints members of the Assembly Commission Audit and Risk Committee (ACARC). The Terms of Reference for ACARC are published on the Northern Ireland Assembly website and contains information on who it reports to and governance: Assembly Commission Audit and Risk Committee - Terms of Reference. Remuneration is £426 per day for the position of Chairperson and £358 per day for the Member. Travel and subsistence is paid in accordance with Assembly Commission rates.

Other Office Holders

Information on Members of the Assembly who receive salaries as office-holders (for example as Ministers and chairpersons of statutory committees) are exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA as this information is reasonably available to an applicant by other means. This is also the case for expenses paid to Members. This is because this information is already published on the website operated by the Assembly Commission. Please click here to view.

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 faithfully

INFORMATION STANDARDS