The pay of Wales' 60 Members of the Senedd is to rise by 0.4% this year - far less than the rate of inflation which is set to hit more than 8% this year. It is the first rise in MSs pay since it was frozen in April 2020.
An independent board has decided MSs will get a 0.4% rise taking the salary to £67,920. MSs who have additional roles, like being First Minister, a cabinet member or on a committee get extra money on top of the base salary. The First Minister, currently Mark Drakeford, gets paid £148,575. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is entitled to a total salary of £157,372.
Who will get what in 2022-23?
- First Minister: £148,575
- Minister: £106,124
- Counsel General: £106,124
- Deputy Minister: £90,206
- Presiding Officer: £111,431
- Deputy Presiding Officer: £90,206
- Senedd Commissioner: £81,176
- Leader of a political group not in government: Range between £84,899 and £106,124
The Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd has also said members’ staff will see a 3% increase to acknowledge the rise in inflation. The overall cost of this decision is approximately £245,000 per year.
The Board's report says we are in exceptional times" and admitted that several of the proposals, decided in November 2021, were "behind the curve" of the situation currently being faced.
The Board consulted with Members, their support staff, and an outside surveying company who analysed the recent rise in office rents, before making their final decision on pay and allowances after a number of MSs said the cost of renting office space has increased over time to the extent the allowance which covers rent is now insufficient. The board also said it will take evidence during the upcoming year about the impact of the rise in energy bills and the impact that will have.
The report reads: "In the autumn of 2021 the Board developed its proposals for changes to the Determination for2022-23. Those proposals were published for consultation in January this year. Since those proposals were developed, the financial circumstances in Wales have changed considerably due, in part, to the events noted above. Inflation is on the rise. Energy prices are soaring. Fuel prices have reached unprecedented levels. These changes to the cost of everyday living in Wales also directly impact upon members’ business costs to undertake their Senedd duties. One of the challenges faced by the board is setting Members’ pay and allowances without knowing exactly what the future holds for the Welsh economy."
Dr Elizabeth Haywood, Chair of the Independent Remuneration Board of the Senedd, said: "Members’ staff are crucial to enabling Members to represent their constituents and hold the Government to account and over the last few years they have done so through an extraordinarily challenging period.
"The board has taken into account the significant rise in living costs facing staff and believes it is right to recognise this through a modest increase in pay."
