Expenses stand off
You could be forgiven for feeling puzzled listening to the DUP's Peter Weir and Sinn Fein's Carál Nà ChuilÃn debating Assembly expenses on Good Morning Ulster. Sinn Fein criticised the DUP for blocking an Assembly Bill which Ms Nà ChuilÃn argued would pave the way towards creating an independent body to oversee MLAs' allowances and pay. But the DUP said they had blocked the bill precisely because it would have meant that in an interim period the politicians would have to vote on a new allowances regime. The DUP, argued Peter Weir, also wants an independent body set up as soon as possible. So both parties appear to want the same thing, and yet are rowing about how they get there.
The truly surprising aspect of this row is that the which had been due to get accelerated passage through the Assembly last night was the product of many months' consideration by the Stormont commission (the cross party committee which runs the Assembly). The Commission backed a two stage process, first abolishing the current regime (with effect from September), then putting in place a new allowances scheme to be superintended by a new Independent Statutory Body.
It may be that the DUP has a point in arguing that this two stage process puts the cart before the horse, and the Independent Body should be set up immediately. But whey then did their representative on the Commission, Stephen Moutray, not make that argument at a much earlier stage in the proceedings? The make it clear that the Commission "has given extensive consideration to a number of issues relating to the pay, pensions and expenditure of Members". Its recommendations followed on from previous reports from the Senior Salaries Review Body and the courses of actions already taken by the Welsh assembly and the Scottish parliament.
What were the kind of changes in prospect? I'm told they would have included ensuring MLAs' constituency offices were subjected to independent valuations with a determination to ensure any rents being paid reflected the market level, restrictions on renting from family members or connected parties, a limit on the employment of family members to just one per MLA and a reduction in the level of mileage claims so that MLAs would get 40p per mile for their first 10,000 miles, then 25p thereafter ( currently the tipping point is 20,000 miles).
As these clarify there are also changes envisaged to the Stormont resettlement, ill health retirement and winding up allowances.
These changes had been due to be made by a "determination" of the Assembly which, it was planned, would have been put before members in the week starting June 28th. Now, however, the Commission's carefully constructed scheme is in tatters. So, the public may ask, is the important point at issue the principle that an Independent Body should rule on all these matters, or the inevitable delay that there will now be to implementing the changes to the expenses regime?
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