Ad Hoc Committee on the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill
Minutes of proceedings 18 March 2025
Ad Hoc Committee on the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill minutes of proceedings 18 March 2025.pdf (151.58 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 29, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Phillip Brett MLA, Chairperson
Cathy Mason MLA, Deputy Chairperson
Paula Bradshaw MLA
Gary Middleton MLA
Daniel McCrossan MLA
John Stewart MLA
Apologies:
Pádraig Delargy MLA
In Attendance:
Jim McManus, Committee Clerk
Roisin Donnelly, Assistant Assembly Clerk
Carla Campbell, Clerical Supervisor
The meeting commenced at 1:02 pm in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are noted above.
The Chairperson gave notice that he would not be available to attend the next committee meeting on 25 March 2025.
2. Declaration of Interests
The Chairperson advised members of their requirement to register their interests under Standing Order 69(5).
Agreed: The Committee agreed that as the Ad Hoc Committee has been established to scrutinise a Bill that relates to MLA salaries, allowances and pensions, the minutes should reflect that all members of the Committee have a financial interest in the work of the Committee.
3. Chairperson’s Business
There was no Chairperson’s business.
4. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2025.
5. Matters Arising
The Committee considered correspondence from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority providing clarification regarding its Board Member appointments.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the IPSA’s correspondence on the Committee’s webpage.
The Committee noted that the plenary debate on the motion to extend the Committee Stage of the Bill has been provisionally scheduled for 25 March 2025.
6. Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill – oral evidence from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
Ray McCaffrey, Research Officer, NI Assembly Research and Information Service, joined the meeting at 1:04 pm.
The Research Officer briefed the Committee on the differences in devolved powers across legislatures.
The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson thanked the Research Officer for his attendance.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the RaISe Briefing Paper is published on the Committee’s webpage.
7. Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill – consideration of written evidence from the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd
The Committee considered written evidence from the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the written evidence on the Committee’s webpage.
8. Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill – consideration of written evidence
The Committee considered two additional responses that had been received to the Call for Evidence on the Bill.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the two responses to the call for evidence on the Committee’s webpage.
The Committee agreed to move to closed session at 1.13 pm.
Daniel McCrossan joined the meeting at 1.13 pm.
9. Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill – Committee Deliberations
Aoibheann Baker, Senior Assistant Bill Clerk joined the meeting at 1.13 pm.
The Committee considered the evidence it had received to date on each clause of the Bill and potential amendments based on that evidence.
The Chairperson thanked the Senior Assistant Bill Clerk for her attendance.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to ask the Bill Clerk to prepare a draft amendment to Clause 1 for the Committee’s consideration.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to include the views expressed by Members relating to salary determinations in the Committee’s report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to ask the Assembly Commission to respond to the evidence the Committee has received to date and to provide detail of any proposed amendments it wishes to make in advance of the Commission’s attendance at the meeting on 25 March.
Cathy Mason left the meeting at 1.28 pm.
The Committee agreed to move to public session at 1.32 pm.
10. Correspondence
There was no correspondence.
11. Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered a draft Forward Work Programme.
Agreed: The Committee agreed its Forward Work Programme.
12. Any Other Business
Committee members considered whether oral evidence should be invited from those who provided written responses to the call for evidence.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was not necessary to seek oral evidence further to the written responses received to the Call for Evidence.
13. Date, Time and Place of the next meeting
The next meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee was scheduled to take place at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, 25 March 2025 in Room 29.
The meeting was adjourned at 1.35 pm.
Phillip Brett MLA
Chairperson, Ad Hoc Committee on the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill
26 March 2025
