Allowances to Members of the Assembly and Office Holders

[AS INTRODUCED]

Arrangement of Clauses

1. Resettlement allowance for members

2. Ill-health retirement allowance for members

3. Allowances to persons ceasing to hold certain offices

4. Winding up allowance

5. Payment of allowance

6. Short title

Schedule Percentage of Salary as a Member

A

B I L L

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Make provision for the payment of allowances to or in respect of persons who have been members of the Northern Ireland Assembly or holders of offices mentioned in section 47(3)(a) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998

BE IT ENACTED by being passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly and assented to by Her Majesty as follows:

Resettlement allowance for members

1. (1) Any person who

(a) is a member of the Assembly immediately before its dissolution; and

(b) at the general election consequent upon the dissolution either

(i) does not stand for election to the Assembly, or

(ii) if he does, is not returned as a member, shall be entitled to receive payment of an allowance under this section.

(2) The amount of the allowance shall be equal to the relevant percentage of that person's salary as a member immediately before the dissolution.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)

"salary as a member" has the same meaning as in the Assembly Members' Pension Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2000 (set out in the Schedule to the Assembly Members' Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2000);

"the relevant percentage", in relation to a person, is that shown in the Schedule in relation to

(a) the person's age at the dissolution; and

(b) the number of complete years of his service as a member of the Assembly at the dissolution.

(4) In determining a person's length of service as a member of the Assembly

(a) any period of service on or after 25th June 1998 shall be taken into account; but

(b) any period which was taken into account (or disregarded) in calculating the amount of allowance previously payable to him under this section or section 2 shall be disregarded.

Ill-health retirement allowance for members

2. (1) Any person who, on or after 2nd December 1999, ceases to be a member of the Assembly by resigning his seat on grounds of ill-health before attaining the age of 65 may apply to the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (in this Act referred to as "the Commission") for payment of an allowance under this section.

(2) If on an application under subsection (1) the Commission is satisfied that

(a) the applicant does not intend to seek re-election to the Assembly;

(b) his ceasing to be a member was a direct consequence of his ill-health;

(c) his ill-health is such as would prevent him from performing adequately the duties of a member of the Assembly; and

(d) he is not entitled to receive an allowance under section 1,

the applicant shall be entitled to receive payment of an allowance under this section equal to the amount which would have been payable under section 1 had that section been applicable to him on his ceasing to be a member of the Assembly.

(3) Every application under subsection (1) shall be accompanied by evidence from a medical practitioner of the applicant's state of health.

(4) In the case of any such application the Commission may require the applicant to undergo a medical examination by a medical practitioner nominated by it for the purpose; and the fees for any such examination shall be borne by the Commission or the applicant, as the Commission may determine.

Allowances to persons ceasing to hold certain offices

3. (1) Where a person who has not attained the age of 65

(a) ceases to hold a qualifying office at any time on or after 2nd December 1999; and

(b) does not again become the holder of a qualifying office within the period of three weeks thereafter,

he shall be entitled to receive payment of an allowance under this section.

(2) The allowance shall be an amount equal to one quarter of the annual office holder's salary that was being paid to that person immediately before he ceased to hold the qualifying office.

(3) No allowance shall be payable under this section where a person has ceased to hold a qualifying office on his death.

(4) In this section

"qualifying office" means any of the offices mentioned in section 47(3)(a) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998;

"office holder's salary" has the same meaning as in the Assembly Members' Pension Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2000 (set out in the Schedule to the Assembly Members' Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2000).

Winding up allowance

4. (1) An allowance shall be payable under this section to, or in respect of, a person who, on or after 2nd December 1999, ceases (whether on death or otherwise) to be a member of the Assembly.

(2) Subject to subsection (3), the allowance payable under this section to, or in respect of, a person shall be an amount equal to the expenses necessarily incurred

(a) after the date on which he ceased to be a member; but

(b) in connection with the performance of his Assembly duties.

(3) The allowance payable under this section to, or in respect of, a person shall not exceed £11,617 or such other amount as the Commission may by order specify.

(4) An order under this section shall not be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before and approved by resolution of the Assembly.

(5) An allowance under this section in respect of a person who has died shall be payable to such person as the Commission may determine.

Payment of allowance

5. Any allowance payable under this Act shall be paid by the Commission.

Short title

6. This Act may be cited as the Allowances to Members of the Assembly and Office Holders Act (Northern Ireland) 2000.

SCHEDULE

Percentages of salary as a member

	Number of complete years of service
Age	Under 10	10	11	12	13	14	15 or over
Under 50	50	50	50	50	50	50	50
50	50	50	52	54	56	58	60
51	50	52	55	58	62	65	68
52	50	54	58	63	67	72	76
53	50	56	62	67	73	78	84
54	50	58	65	72	78	85	92
55 to 64	50	60	68	76	84	92	100
65	50	58	65	72	78	85	92
66	50	56	62	67	73	78	84
67	50	54	58	63	67	72	76
68	50	52	55	58	62	65	68
69	50	50	52	54	56	58	60
70 or over	50	50	50	50	50	50	50