MSPs' Salaries, Expenses and Allowances

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) are entitled to a salary, and where applicable, expenses and allowances.

The Scotland Act 1998 provides for pay and allowances to MSPs, officeholders of the Scottish Parliament and Ministers. The Parliament is required to make provision (by Act of the Scottish Parliament or by resolution of the Parliament) for the payment of:

MSPs are not entitled to any salary or allowance until they have taken the oath of allegiance required by the Act. Once they have done so, they are entitled to relevant payments for the whole period as a member of the Parliament.

In July 1997, the UK Government invited the Review Body on Senior Salaries (SSRB) to set the initial salaries of MSPs, but said that it would be for the Scottish Parliament to determine the allowances to be paid to MSPs. In March 1999, the SSRB published two reports (Review Body on Senior Salaries 1999a and Review Body on Senior Salaries 1999b) and, on 31 March, the Prime Minister accepted all the SSRB’s recommendations as to pay levels for MSPs, officeholders of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Ministers. He also accepted the arguments for an early review, in 2001, of the levels of pay and allowances.

Initial salaries of £40,092, subject to annual up-rating according to the senior civil service formula, were set established. The Presiding Officer received an additional £33,360 and deputy Presiding Officer an additional £17,305 a year. This remained in force until the Parliament made alternative arrangements (in the 2001 review) for the current salary scheme. Under this scheme, salaries were up-rated annually from 1 April each year using a formula relating to senior civil service salary increases, which in turn remained in force until 1 April 2002 when the Scottish Parliament’s own arrangements, conferring the function of setting salaries on the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), came into effect.

In 2001, on the invitation of the then First Minister and the then Presiding Officer, the SSRB again reviewed parliamentary pay of MSPs, officers of the Parliament and Ministers, as well as allowances. The SSRB reported in December 2001 and its recommendations, which were broadly accepted by the four main political parties were as follows:

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