Body downgrades MLA levels of pay

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The independent body charged with recommending pay levels for MLAs has downgraded their status.

Previously the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) had taken the view that MLAs should get 82% of an MP's salary.

That placed them on the same level as Scottish MSPs and a higher level than Welsh assembly members.

However, experts advising the body argue that MLAs' current law making powers are "relatively restricted and not being used to the full".

They note that Northern Ireland's 108 MLAs represent just over 16,000 constituents each, compared to 40,000 in Scotland, 50,000 in Wales and 74,000 at Westminster.

Although at their current salary of £43,381 they are the lowest paid legislators in the UK, the experts point out that they earn £2.66 per constituent, compared to only 62 pence per constituent for an MP.

For these reasons the review body has decided that MLAs should only get 75% of an MP's salary.

This year that will mean a cash increment of £500. This will be added to a 2.38% increase linked to the same percentage MPs get.

In total, this boils down to a 3.5% pay rise which will bring MLA salaries to £44,913.

Over the four years to 2011 MLAs will get a series of payments adding up to around £3,000 which, together with their annual percentage rise, should bring them to the 75% figure.

Another review is proposed in 2010 to decide whether this settlement remains appropriate.

MLAs will have to vote themselves on whether to accept the pay rise.

But the SSRB suggests that in future years they might commit themselves to accepting its recommendations without any modification.

'Responsibilities'

The SSRB report also contains recommendations for "catch up increments" for the Stormont speaker, the first, deputy first and other executive ministers and committee chairs.

They also suggest that party whips could be paid a new £11,000 allowance.

The review body deals with the question of MLAs who also hold jobs as councillors or MPs.

Although they say it's not their role to determine the political acceptability of individuals holding two or more jobs, they "believe that as responsibilities of MLAs grow, it will become increasingly difficult for MLAs to fulfil the responsibilities of more than one role".

They recommend that the assembly should conduct a review of dual mandates.

Besides their pay, MLAs get a series of allowances. The review body wants these referred to as expenditure and suggests that a random sample of 25% of MLAs' expenses claims should be audited on an annual basis.

After a year which has seen controversy over some MLA office claims, the review body is suggesting that there should be an independent assessment of the space required for MLAs' constituency offices and the rents they pay.

Currently MLAs get more than £72,000 in Office Costs Allowance in order to rent offices and pay staff.

The review body thinks that MPs who are also MLAs should be able to claim only half of that, £35,000, if they already claim expenses as an MP.

They propose that this system should be introduced in the next assembly.

Mileage

The review body is recommending a reduction in the mileage paid to MLAs to standard Revenue and Customs rates.

Currently MLAs get 40 pence per mile for the first 20,000 miles they drive.

The SSRB says this threshold should be lowered to 10,000 miles and after that a rate of 25 pence per mile should be applied.

One assembly source said the decrease in mileage and other allowances made the review body's recommendations almost "cost neutral".

At the start of the year, an internal assembly document obtained by the BBC predicted that, on the basis of an 82% weighting against an MP's salary, MLAs would be in line for a massive 16% pay rise.

However the politicians won't be too disappointed as most of them had already resolved, against the background of the credit crunch and the 150 day executive stand-off, not to accept any major increases.