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25 APRIL 2002 APN 24/01

NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY

ALL PARTY NOTICES

OFFICE-BASED COMPUTER TRAINING

The Information Systems (IS) Office can arrange for someone to come to your office and help you or your colleagues with some of the basic functions of your PC and the computer packages supplied with it - Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint etc. Please contact Tracey Wilson, Room 401, Parliament Buildings on extension 21836, or the IS Office Helpdesk on extension 21000. Tracey will arrange a convenient time for an informal coaching session, and will also discuss your ongoing training needs if required.

ASSEMBLY MEMBERS PENSION SCHEME

NEW GROUP AVC ARRANGEMENT

The Trustees of the Assembly Members' Pension Scheme wish to announce the appointment of Clerical Medical as the providers of a group AVC arrangement to all members of the scheme. The AVC arrangement has now been established and application forms will shortly be distributed to all Members. Individuals can then decide if they wish to contribute to this scheme and at what level.

The AVC arrangement provides Members with an additional income for retirement to those provided by the main scheme. Contributions can be made on a monthly or one-off basis and provide a tax efficient method of saving as all contributions are paid from gross salary. The money will be invested in a fund or funds of the Member's choice and the accumulated fund will then be used to purchase a pension which will be paid in addition to the benefits received from the main scheme.

Members are limited to contributing 9% of their remuneration to the scheme due to the tax advantages offered. An individual may only contribute a maximum of 15% of remuneration to pension provision; this includes Added Years and any Free Standing AVC plan, and currently Members already contribute 6% to the main scheme.

Contributions can commence as soon as the application is received by Clerical Medical and can be backdated to 1 April 2002. (For those Members who availed of the AVC facility prior to 1 April 2002, the total amount paid can be credited as having been paid towards AVC in the 2001/2002 tax year with the ensuing tax advantages for that year being applicable.)

An information pack will be issued with the application forms which provides full details of the AVC arrangement, including the various investment funds available. PricewaterhouseCoopers are also organising a consultation clinic for Members to discuss in person any issues that they have with regards to the AVC arrangement. This will be held on Monday 13 May in Room 135, Parliament Buildings. Any Members wishing to attend the clinic should complete the appointment form sent to them with the information pack.

Items for inclusion in future All Party Notices should be forwarded to the Clerk of Business, Room 32, Parliament Buildings, Stormont (Fax: 90 (5)21962).