IFRP

Within a constituency, are each MLA’s mileage claims of a similar size? No …

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Annex B of the Independent Financial Review Panel’s most recent consultation document [the content of which I blogged about earlier] contains a table showing each MLA’s mileage expense claims for 2013/14 and 2014/15, along with the distance of their constituency office from Parliament Buildings. I’ve charted the 2014/15 mileage claims of the MLAs to help visualise the patterns and outliers. Note: MLAs receive a standard rate of Motor Mileage Allowance for business travel by car. The rates that may be …

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And, here, what about a rent cap for MLA constituency offices (in case you missed it)?

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For yesterday morning’s #SluggerReport I decided to return to a matter which seemed to have been sidelined by the flag/political signage controversy, the IFRP report on MLA expenses, which represents a bold attempt to tighten rules. listen to ‘What about the IFRP's rent cap proposal for MLAs?’ on audioBoom For example, it targets the controversial arrangements surrounding the DUP Ballymena office – long covered by Slugger and also featured in the recent Spotlight payroll expose. In short, DUP MLAs and …

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Is the Independent Financial Review Panel right to interfere with political process as well as pay?

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The three-person Independent Financial Review Panel was established in July 2011. It sets the pay, allowances and pensions of members and office holders of the NI Assembly. A series of consultation papers has steered the panel’s policies on topics including MLAs’ Pension Scheme, Employment of MLAs’ Staff, Prior disclosure of Interests and MLAs’ Salaries and Office Holders Allowances. Elements of the panel’s final consultation in this series are proving particularly newsworthy as they examine travel allowances, expenses around office costs …

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