Research on another matter unearthed some interesting figures on the increases in AMs’ pay since the Welsh Assembly was created in 1999.
The basic AM’s salary - which all 60 receive - increased from £34,438 in 1999 to £46,496 this year, a rise of £12,058 or 35%.
For ministers the rise since 1999 was from £67,798 to £86,435, some £18,637 more, or 27%.
The First Minister’s salary has increased from £98,746 to £123,492, some £24,746, or about 25%.
Now deputy ministers have joined the pay roll in Cardiff on £71,617, a £19,000 or so increase compared to the rate paid to the deputy presiding officer in 1999.
There is more information to be found here.
The Presiding Officer and Leader of the Opposition receives the same salary as a minister in the government.
The chairs of committees receive an extra pay allowance, brought in in 2001, which has inceased from £5,150 to £5,819 since.
AMs and ministers don’t set their own salaries.
These are calculated by the Senior Salaries Review Body, often comparing the jobs to that of an MP (£60,675) or Westminster cabinet minister (£137,579) or Prime Minister (£188,849).
The body will be studying the weight of responsibilities on AMs again, and as it has done in the past.
Expect to see these pay bands uprated when the SSRB sees fit.
Citizen wrote...
Your right to say watch this space. I gather that MPs are due to recieve a massive increase and as AMs get a percentage of what MPs get they will soon have their noses in a bigger trough. We should also question why Welsh MPs get paid what they do, as the Assembly must have relieved them of much of their constituency work. Gordon keeps telling the rest of us to keep within the inflation figures but not them. A case of 'do as I say not as I do' why does that not suprise any of us!! It explains why politicians are held in such low esteem.
Posted by: Citizen | September 10, 2007 12:33 PM