Ad Hoc Committee on the AssemblyMembers (Remuneration Board) Bill
Minutes of proceedings 4 March 2025
Ad Hoc Committee on the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill minutes of proceedings 4 March 2025.pdf (148.53 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 29, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Phillip Brett MLA, Chairperson
Cathy Mason MLA, Deputy Chairperson
Pádraig Delargy MLA
Gary Middleton MLA
Daniel McCrossan MLA
John Stewart MLA
Present by video or telephone conference:
Paula Bradshaw MLA
In Attendance:
Jim McManus, Committee Clerk
Roisin Donnelly, Assistant Assembly Clerk
Carla Campbell, Clerical Supervisor
The meeting commenced at 1:06 pm in public session.
1. Apologies
There were no apologies.
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
The Chairperson advised members that, pending an extension, the end of Committee Stage for the Bill is 1 April. It will, therefore, be necessary to seek an extension to Committee Stage to allow the Committee to complete its scrutiny of the Bill and prepare its report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider a motion seeking to extend the Committee Stage of the Bill at its next meeting.
4. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2025.
5. Matters Arising
The Chairperson referred to the RaISe briefing at the meeting on 25 February and the discussion about the differences in devolved powers across the legislatures.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request that RaISe provide analysis and comparison of the devolved powers across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Committee agreed to move to closed session at 1.09 pm.
6. Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill – legal advice from the Examiner of Statutory Rules
Angela Kelly, Examiner of Statutory Rules, NI Assembly, joined the meeting at 1:09 pm.
The Examiner provided advice on the delegated powers in the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill.
This was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson thanked the Examiner for her attendance.
The Committee agreed to move to public session at 1.15 pm.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee on Standards and Privileges relating to the provisions for the appointment of temporary members to the Remuneration Board.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the correspondence from the Committee on Standards and Privileges to the Assembly Commission for a response to the issue raised.
7. Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill – consideration of written evidence
The Committee noted that 56 responses had been received to the call for evidence on the Bill to date.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the 56 responses on the Committee’s webpage.
8. Correspondence
The Committee noted three items of correspondence.
9. Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered its Forward Work Programme and noted an update on its requests for evidence from the other legislatures.
Agreed: The Committee agreed its Forward Work Programme.
10. Any Other Business
The Chairperson advised that a summary table of evidence had been prepared and would continue to be updated as evidence is received on the Bill and that the summary table would be included in members’ Bill folders which will issue to members this week.
11. Date, Time and Place of the next meeting
The next meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee was scheduled to take place at 10:00 am on Tuesday, 11 March 2025 in Room 30.
The meeting was adjourned at 1.19 pm.
Phillip Brett MLA
Chairperson, Ad Hoc Committee on the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill
11 March 2025
