To ask the Assembly Commission for an update on the consultation on the Independent Financial Review Panel.

The Independent Financial Review Panel (“IFRP”) was established pursuant to the Assembly Members (Independent Financial Review and Standards) Act (NI) 2011 (“the 2011 Act”). Under the 2011 Act, the IFRP is required to be independent and is not, in the exercise of its functions, subject to the direction or control of the Assembly or the Assembly Commission.

The Chair and two other Panel members are appointed by the Assembly Commission for a term of five years. The terms of office of persons appointed to the IFRP expired in July 2016. The Assembly Commission considered a range of options for the reform of the IFRP during 2015 and early 2016, but agreed that the incoming Assembly Commission that would be appointed following the May 2016 Assembly elections, should itself consider the options.

Following initial consultation with Assembly Commission Members during the summer of 2016, a comprehensive consultation document entitled “Independent Financial Review Panel: Reform” was issued to Assembly Commission Members on 28 October 2016, requesting an outline of their Party’s views on the matters by 13 January 2017.

This work was overtaken by political events, namely that the Assembly did not resume normal business after the March 2017 election until 11 January 2020. The Assembly Commission was mindful that it was inappropriate for it to prioritise issues related to Members’ salaries and allowances when the Assembly was not meeting.

It was anticipated that this work would recommence once normal Assembly business resumed and a new Assembly Commission could be appointed. In order to enable officials to undertake some preparatory work in advance of a potential return to normal Assembly business, at its meeting on 5 September 2019, the Assembly Commission asked officials to issue a fresh consultation document in order to seek the views of the Parties represented on the Assembly Commission and identify areas of agreement for possible reform of the IFRP. It was also agreed that following this, a wider consultation with all Members could take place.

A further consultation document was issued to Assembly Commission Members on 21 November 2019, requiring written responses from their Parties on the key issues outlined, by 17 January 2020. This deadline was extended to 7 February 2020 following appointment of the new Assembly Commission. There have been two responses to the consultation to date.

Discussions have taken place at the first meeting of the new Assembly Commission on 19 February 2020 and options for the potential reform of the system for determination of Members’ salaries, expenses/allowances and pensions was considered by an Assembly Commission working meeting on 18 March 2020.

Following those discussions, officials are now working to develop the detail of a potential way forward for the Assembly Commission to consider.