Northern Ireland Assembly Members Bill [HL]

My Lords, the Bill currently gives the Assembly discretion as to whether or not it should introduce independent control of salaries and allowances. This group of amendments would remove the Assembly’s discretion and force it to introduce independent control. Noble Lords will no doubt wish to note that the Speaker of the Assembly has informed the Government that the political parties in the Assembly are unanimously in favour of moving to independent control, as the noble Lord himself said. We are, of course, bringing this Bill forward at the request of the Assembly, so I see no reason to doubt that the Assembly will make the decision to introduce independent control. The Speaker has arranged a meeting of Assembly party leaders for 18 January to advance discussions on the make-up and establishment of the body. Therefore, I believe that we will have even more tangible information before the Report stage of the Bill. Therefore, while in practice it may seem attractive for us at Westminster to impose independent control, there is an important issue of principle at stake here. At present, decisions on the level of salaries and allowances are taken in the Assembly, not here at Westminster. The function of decision-making on salaries and allowances is already devolved to Northern Ireland. Therefore, it is right that the decision on whether those salaries and allowances are set by the Assembly or by an independent body should also be a matter for the Assembly. It is, in the Government’s view, correct that devolved legislatures should retain responsibility for managing salaries and allowances for their elected representatives. These amendments would claw back some of that responsibility to Westminster by imposing independent control. The representatives in Northern Ireland are accountable to the electorate there and it is appropriate that they should have the discretion as to whether or not they introduce independent control. It is important to note that independent control has not been imposed by Westminster on either the Welsh Assembly or the Scottish Parliament. I believe it is more appropriate for this legislation to enable the Assembly to make the decision about independent control. Taking the decision out of its hands would, in the Government’s view, be a retrograde step, and therefore I cannot support this group of amendments.