MSPs set for below-inflation pay rise

MSPs are set to receive a 0.6 per cent pay rise next year, putting their basic salary at £62,149.

The pay increase was confirmed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) on 6 December which stated “parliament is busier than ever.”

The 0.6 per cent increase is below the current inflation rate of 3 per cent. For the past two years MSP salaries have been linked to pay rises in the public sector and not to MP salaries, unlike previous years.

Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw, a member of the SPCB, also stated that the Scottish Parliament’s total budget would be increasing from £97.6m to £102.3m.

Carlaw said: “Our parliament is busier than ever, it’s facing significant change and this is combined with the impact of its new powers means that it’s no longer sustainable to continue to fund these recurring costs from our contingency.”

Carlaw went on to state that parliament has faced a 45 per cent increase in overall business in the first year of parliament, compared to the first year of the last. This is due to more committee meetings and longer meetings, which is having an effect on resources, he said.

Sir Paul Grice, clerk and chief executive of the Scottish Parliament said there are three components to the Scottish Parliament budget increase, the biggest by far is extra investigatory work, which adds up to roughly 600 hours each year.

There is also a new IT case management system to support investigatory work and the last component is the potential for additional functioning around the lobbying register for the ethical standards commissioner.

It is thought public sector workers can also expect a pay rise in the forthcoming budget after the Scottish Government pledged to lift the decade-long cap of one per cent.