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A spokesperson recently said:

“The Speaker, with the support of all Members of the Assembly Commission, has tasked officials to bring forward proposals to the Assembly Commission’s next meeting, later this month.

“Those proposals will include options on the introduction of usage fees for the six EV charging points at Parliament Buildings and ensuring that all EV charging points within the responsibility of the Assembly Commission are managed on a consistent basis going forward.

“There are six electric vehicle (EV) charging points* in the upper car park at Parliament Buildings and two further EV charging points in the Lower East car park.

“The installation of both the first charging points in 2015 and subsequent additional points, and the management of them, were operational decisions that did not require approval by Members of the Assembly Commission.

“In 2015, EV technology was still emerging and charging facilities were not widely available.  This type of provision was typically offered free of charge through many public sector bodies and incentive schemes to promote the uptake of electric vehicles and support the transition towards cleaner, more sustainable transport. 

“This approach is changing as the use of EVs is now much more frequent and more charging points have a cost for use. 

“The Assembly Commission will receive advice to agree an appropriate system, ensuring that the arrangements for EV charging at both the upper and lower car parks at Parliament Buildings follow that wider trend.”

For further information please contact Felicity Templeton, NI Assembly communications office felicity.templeton@niassembly.gov.uk

Notes to Editors:

*The first two charging points in the upper car park at Parliament Buildings were installed in 2015, with a further two fitted in 2018 and two more in 2024.

• We retain records of the EV charging bookings (in the upper car park at Parliament Buildings) on a short-term basis, but not metered data from these EV charging points.
• The two EV charging points in the Lower East car park are the responsibility of the Assembly Commission and have a tariff applied of 32 pence per kilowatt hour (kWh), administered via the Monta app.
• The Independent Financial Review Panel introduced the current model of Assembly Members being entitled to claim travel allowances and the Assembly Commission has continued this arrangement since then.
• For MLAs, the Assembly Travel Allowance (ATA) is designed to cover the general costs of travel – this includes wear and tear of the vehicle, motor tax, insurance, maintenance and depreciation.  This applies whether the vehicle is petrol, diesel or electric.
• Assembly Members remain entitled to claim travel allowances under the Assembly Members (Office and Staffing Costs and Allowances) Determination (Northern Ireland) 2025 when the relevant criteria are met, this includes if they charge their electric vehicles at the EV charging points.
• In line with HMRC guidance, the provision of workplace EV charging is treated as a separate, tax‑exempt benefit and does not affect entitlement to travel allowances.
• In claiming recovery of expenses, Members are expected to adhere to the seven principles of public life as set out by the Nolan Committee and the 10 principles agreed by the political parties in 2009. Principle seven requires that MLAs should not profit from public funds. See more here.
• Assembly Commission staff do not receive travel allowances. They may, however, claim mileage where a privately-owned vehicle is used for official Assembly business away from Parliament Buildings. Claims are assessed in line with HMRC guidance on business travel and reimbursed at HMRC approved Mileage Allowance Payment (MAP) rates. 
• Member support staff may claim reimbursement for business travel costs, subject to the rules set out in theAdministration Guide - Financial Support for Members. Travel and subsistence for party staff is a matter for the relevant political party.