evidence: It followed public outcry when it emerged Assembly members were due to receive a £1,000 pay uplift just days after devolution returned from a three-year hiatus. In a joint statement at the time, the parties said any salary increases "should not be retained by MLAs" until a review of the independent financial panel's work had been completed "or until the end of the mandate". [...] "As CPI for September 2021 was 3.1%, the salary for all MLAs and office holders in the Assembly will increase by £500 with effect from 1 April 2022."