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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Brendan Hughes

Westminster bill to cut MLA pay to be fast-tracked

Westminster legislation giving the Northern Ireland secretary the power to cut MLA pay is to be fast-tracked through the House of Commons.

The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Bill, which also pushes back the deadline for an Executive to be formed, will be pushed through Parliament with just one day of scrutiny.

The bill also seeks to clarify the limited decision-making powers that civil servants will have in the absence of ministers.

Read more: Stormont caretaker ministers spent £435m which accounting officials refused to endorse

Northern Ireland MPs have tabled amendments to the bill, but it will be up to the Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle whether any are selected for a vote.

MLAs have continued to receive their £51,500 salary since Stormont power-sharing collapsed in February after the DUP withdrew in protest against Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol.

The Westminster legislation could see their wages cut by 27%, or just over £14,000.

Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris has previously said he should be able to use the power from mid-December, but it remains unclear when he will act.

The legislation was introduced last week after an Executive was not formed by a deadline of October 28, placing a legal responsibility on the UK government to call a fresh Assembly election by January 19.

But in a U-turn, Mr Heaton-Harris ruled out a December election and has instead brought forward the legislation to extend the deadline.

It will extend the period for Executive formation by six weeks to December 8, with the possibility of a further six-week extension to January 19.

An Assembly election was held in May but several attempts in the subsequent months to elect a Speaker and nominate Executive ministers were blocked by the DUP.

An amendment to the Westminster bill by the SDLP seeks to reduce to zero the wages of any MLAs who vote against all candidates for the office of Speaker.

The party also wants to introduce new requirements for consultation with the Irish government and the proposed first and deputy first ministers ahead of decisions made in the absence of an Executive.

A DUP amendment seeks to enable the Secretary of State to change the date of May's forthcoming council elections to avoid the vote count clashing with the coronation of King Charles III.

Another amendment by Alliance MP Stephen Farry aims to ensure senior officials can implement public sector pay awards in the absence of Executive ministers.

Simon Hoare, chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, tweeted: "It's a disgrace that we have to have this bill.

"MLAs should be working to help their constituents in these difficult economic times. It's an abandonment of duty."

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