Assembly members 'paid relatives'

A BBC investigation into MLA expenses has found further evidence of claims in which MLAs paid family members for work.

The practice is not against previous assembly rules, which were recently changed.

The details are revealed by the BBC in previously unseen claims stretching back to 2004.

They show the DUP's Robin Newton made payments to his daughter who worked in his office and Simon Hamilton in Strangford paid over £3,500 to his wife.

Both were for secretarial work.

The DUP said they are fully qualified and Simon Hamilton's wife is no longer in receipt of any payments from Office Costs Allowance.

The Rev William McCrea originally had a £4,000 claim listed for secretarial services carried out by his son Ian. When his son later became an MLA himself some of the money was subtracted.

Other claims involving family members include one from Strangford MLA Iris Robinson who made regular payments to a family member and listed them as volunteer expenses.

These amounts were the same every month. The guidelines say that regular volunteer payments should be dealt with through the assembly payroll.

Maintenance work

Nevertheless, they were accepted by the accounts office, and totalled £3,500 over one year.

Some MLAs also paid companies owned by family members for maintenance work on their constituency offices.

Thomas Buchanan, a DUP MLA in West Tyrone, paid £3,700 for redecoration of his premises to a company called JIB Construction

The DUP said that JIB Construction is owned by Mr Buchanan's brother. They said the work included re-plastering of walls and represented a very competitive rate.

They also said he had received other quotes for the work.

Adrian McQuillan DUP MLA for East Londonderry claimed for a payment made to Rain Drain, R McQuillan.

The BBC asked if this company was owned by a relative and were told that Mr McQuillan's uncle did the work. The DUP said a sum of less than £500 was paid to the company for work including the re-location of electrics

In 2004/05 Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy was listed as having paid rent to his brother Declan Murphy.

Sinn Fein was asked about this and they were able to clarify that he had been a trustee of the building Mr Murphy was renting at the time.

Phone installation

Other claims of interest include a phone bill in 2007/08 from Sinn Fein's Micky Brady in Newry and Armagh.

His phones cost the taxpayer £12,000 - three times more than his bill for the following year.

Sinn Fein said that the figure included a bill of over £5,000 to install a telephone system.

The East Antrim DUP MLA Alister Ross spent £6,500 for Royal Mail envelopes.

His party said he had bought pre-paid envelopes directly from Royal Mail which were used for communication with constituents. They said the envelopes were purchased after consultation with the Assembly's Finance Office.

Maurice Morrow and the Paisleys paid for a boiler to be serviced and claimed it back. The Paisleys had the largest rental bill of all MLAs.

Two other DUP politicians claimed money for sponsoring football teams which is not against the rules. Edwin Poots sponsored Derriaghy football club, and David Hilditch sponsored Carrick Rangers.