AQW 53526/11-16

Mr Jim Allister KC
Traditional Unionist Voice
North Antrim

Tabled Date: 28/01/2016
Answered On Date: 11/02/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Assembly Commission how much of the £700,000 claimed by Sinn Fein MLAs and paid to Research Services Ireland, as reported in the BBC Spotlight documentary broadcast in November 2014, has been recovered by the Assembly.

Answer:

The Commission reviewed the content of the two BBC Spotlight programmes. That review confirmed that payments for research services, as reported in the programme, were made for admissible expenditure up to and including the 2012/13 financial year. As such, no recovery has been sought. No payments to Research Services Ireland for work undertaken after 31 December 2012 have been made as a result of changes to the system of financial support for Members that were introduced by the Independent Financial Review Panel from 1 January 2013.