No ban on MLAs employing family in new expenses rules

New Assembly expenses rules place no restrictions on MLAs employing family members, the Belfast Telegraph has learned — a move that will put Stormont out of step with its counterparts in Westminster and Edinburgh.

Under new rules being introduced at the House of Commons, MPs will be limited to one relative on their payrolls.

The Scottish Parliament is moving towards barring any employment of family members by its members by 2015.

But an updated expenses rulebook being prepared at Stormont is expected to have nothing to say on the subject.

Assembly sources have made clear that the issue is not on the agenda.

Stormont figures show that 36 MLAs employ relatives on their staff teams, paying them from taxpayer-funded expenses they receive to run their offices.

A total of nine Northern Ireland MPs in the now dissolved Westminster Parliament had family members working for them.

Last year a review on MP expenses recommended a ban on this practice. But a limit of one related employee per MP has been decided on. A Scottish Parliament spokesman said a complete ban on its politicians will take effect in five years.

A review of expenses in the Welsh Assembly backed off from prohibition. But it said members recruiting relatives in future would have to demonstrate “by a fair and transparent process” that they are the “best candidate for the job”.

A number of Stormont politicians would be affected if the limit of one relative was extended here.

The current Assembly register of interests lists eight MLAs with more than one family member on their staff teams.

These MLAs record the following information in their register declarations:

Rev Robert Coulter (UUP, North Antrim) — employs his wife as a part- time secretary and diary secretary and his son as researcher and Press secretary.

William Irwin (DUP, Newry and Armagh) — employs two daughters, one as a part-time office assistant and one as a full-time office assistant.

Ian McCrea (DUP, Mid-Ulster) — employs his wife as a part-time secretary and his brother-in-law as a researcher and personal secretary.

Adrian McQuillan (DUP, East Londonderry) — employs his sister-in-law as a researcher/office manager and his aunt as a part-time secretary.

Robin Newton (DUP, East Belfast) — employs his son as a researcher/constituency worker and his wife as a secretary/office manager.

George Robinson (DUP, East Londonderry) — employs his son as a personal assistant, secretary and office manager and, jointly with two other MLAs, employs his nephew as a researcher.

Ken Robinson (UUP, East Antrim) — employs his wife as a secretary/admin assistant and his son as a research assistant/constituency advisor.

George Savage (UUP, Upper Bann) — employs wife as an office manager and daughter-in-law as an office assistant.

Almost 30 other MLAs employ a relative. Three DUP MPs in the last Parliament — Peter Robinson, Iris Robinson and Ian Paisley snr — had more than one relative on their Commons payrolls.

Meanwhile, DUP colleague Rev Willie McCrea has employed a daughter within his Assembly staff and his son Stephen from his MP staffing expenses.

Mr Paisley’s MP staff team included daughters Cherith and Rhonda and son Ian jnr, who worked part-time for his father on top of his own job as MLA.

Mr Robinson’s MP support staff included son and daughter Gareth and Rebekah, while Mrs Robinson’s team included their other son Jonathan plus his wife Ellen in a part-time capacity.

After Mrs Robinson quit as MP, Ellen and Jonathan found work with new DUP Strangford MLA Jonathan Bell.

Belfast Telegraph