AQW 30680/17-22

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 08/03/2022
Answered On Date: 22/03/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Assembly Commission (i) whether the amount permitted for Members' constituency office rent will be reviewed to take account of the increased local market rates being charged by landlords; and (ii) whether the reviewed amounts will be backdated to the start of the new mandate.

Answer:

As noted in the reply to AQW 22266/17-22, at its meeting on 8 July 2021, the Assembly Commission agreed that any new Determination on Members’ allowances would only be published alongside progress of the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill in the next mandate.

Therefore, a review of allowances payable to Members, including the amount of rent payable for a Member’s constituency office will be undertaken once progress has been made on the Assembly Members (Remuneration Board) Bill in the next Assembly mandate.

The review will consider a number of different aspects including market rates for rental payments and also the timing of the implementation of any changes that might be made.