MPs PAY RISE WHOLLY UNFOUNDED SPECULATION

4.28.00pm GMT Wed 3rd Feb 2010

Responding to today's Western Morning News report that 'MPs hope for £15,000 pay rise,' Nick Harvey says, "It is all complete nonsense and wholly unfounded speculation. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority will get control of MPs' pay in 2012. For the foreseeable future it just goes up in line with public sector pay settlements, which will be very low in the current economic climate.

"The whole point of taking it out of MPs' hands is that it will become entirely independent. MPs will never have any say over it again.

"Sir Ian Kennedy, Chairman of IPSA, told a meeting I attended yesterday that he hasn't even begun to think about it. For the next couple of years he is focused on getting a credible and successful expenses regime up and running."