The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris has confirmed that he will make a determination to cut Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) pay by 27.5%
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has received Parliamentary support to reduce the salaries of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
Since February 2022, Northern Ireland’s devolved government has not been functioning fully and MLAs have subsequently been unable to perform all of the duties they were elected to do.
The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act, which reached Royal Assent yesterday (Tuesday 6 December 2022), enables the Secretary of State to make this 27.5% reduction to MLA pay.
Through this Act, the Government has demonstrated its continued commitment to address the governance gap in Northern Ireland, by enabling the Secretary of State to extend the time period for Executive formation. The Bill also allows for a further six week extension to the period for Executive formation, until 19 January 2023, if needed.
The legislation also considers the pressures put on senior officials in the civil service, and clarifies the limited decision-making powers provided to NI Civil Servants to ensure decisions are made where necessary.
The Secretary of State Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP said:
ENDS
Notes to Editors
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