Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2016

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Contents

• Part 1 Salary and Pension
  • Salary
  • Double jobbing
  • Salary: inflationary increases
  • Salary if member in prison
  • Pension
• Part 2 [omitted]
• Part 3 [omitted]
• Part 4 [omitted]
• Part 5 [omitted]
• Schedule- Staff Employment Contract [omitted]

Section 2 of the Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 confers on the Independent Financial Review Panel the function of making determinations as to -

(a) the salaries and allowances payable to members of the Assembly under section 47 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, and

(b) the pensions, gratuities and allowances payable under section 48 of that Act.

The Panel is to exercise those functions with a view to -

(a) ensuring probity, accountability and value for money with respect to the expenditure of public funds,

(b) securing for members of the Assembly a level of remuneration which -

(i) fairly reflects the complexity and importance of their functions as members of the Assembly; and

(ii) does not, on financial grounds, deter people with the necessary commitment and ability from seeking election to the Assembly; and

(c) securing for members of the Assembly adequate resources to enable them to exercise their functions as members of the Assembly.

The Panel has had regard to the Ten Principles for Claiming Financial Support, as set out in the Financial Support for Members Handbook, published by the Commission in December 2012, together with the Nolan Principles of Public life.

In exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 2 of the Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, the Panel makes the following Determination.

Part 1 Salary and Pension

Salary

1. (1) A member is entitled to the annual salary as set out in Table 1 (this is subject to inflationary increases set out in paragraph 3).

(2) Salaries are to be paid into an account in a financial institution (such as a bank or building society) -

(a) for which the member is the sole signatory, or

(b) for which the member and the member's spouse, civil partner or cohabitant are sole signatories.

(3) Where a member is in a role listed in Table 1 for only part of a year, the salary is to be reduced accordingly.

(4) Where a member falls within more than one role listed in Table 1, the member is only to be paid the salary of the highest paid category.

(5) In this paragraph [1]-

(a) 'civil partner' has the same meaning as in section 1 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004,

(b) 'cohabitant' means either member of a couple consisting of -

(i) a man and woman who are living together as if they were husband and wife, or

(ii) two persons of the same sex who are living together as if they were civil partners.

Table 1 - Member's Annual Salary

Double jobbing

2. (1) This paragraph applies if a member receives a salary as -

(a) a member of the European Parliament [2], or

(b) a member of the House of Lords.

(2) If the member's only role (as set out in Table 1) is member, the member is not entitled to any salary in respect of the Assembly.

(3) If the member has another role, the member's salary in respect of the Assembly is reduced by the amount a member is entitled to by virtue of being a member only.

(4) Where a member falls within this paragraph for only part of a year, the salary is to be reduced accordingly.

Salary: inflationary increases

3. (1) The figures for annual salary in Table 1 are increased by £500 on 1 April each year, starting on 1 April 2017, if the inflation criteria is satisfied for that year.

(2) The inflation criteria for a year is satisfied if the consumer prices index for the September of the previous year was 1% or greater.

(3) The consumer prices index means the consumer prices index of inflation published by the Office of National Statistics.

Salary if member in prison

4. For any period during which a member is imprisoned, the member's salary is to be reduced by 90%.

Pension

5. A member continues to be entitled to a pension in accordance with the Assembly Members Pension Scheme (as that scheme is from time to time amended).

6. [3] Paragraph 39 of the Assembly Members (Office and Staffing Costs and Allowances) Determination 2025 (recoupment of payments made by Commission) applies to payments made under this Determination.

Parts 2, 3, 4 and 5 [4]

Schedule - Staff Employment Contract [5]

Footnotes

[1] Paragraph 1(5) inserted 7 February 2025 by Assembly Members (Office and Staffing Costs and Allowances) Determination 2025 paragraph 47(2)

[2] There are no UK elected representatives of the European Parliament following the UK's departure from the EU, however the Assembly Commission does not have powers to amend Part 1 of the Determination to remove this reference. This will be a matter for a newly appointed Panel

[3] Paragraph 6 inserted 7 February 2025 by Assembly Members (Office and Staffing Costs and Allowances) Determination 2025 paragraph 47(3)

[4] Parts 2, 3, 4, and 5 are omitted 7 February 2025 by Assembly Members (Office and Staffing Costs and Allowances) Determination 2025 paragraph 47(4)

[5] Schedule - Contract of Employment is omitted 7 February 2025 by Assembly Members (Office and Staffing Costs and Allowances) Determination 2025 paragraph 47(5)