GWENT Assembly Members are divided over whether they will take a recommended 2.3 per cent pay rise.
An Independent Review Panel carried out an annual salary review of MP’s salaries last month and recommended a 2.3 per cent increase for AMs and MPs.
MPs are currently paid £64,766 a year.
AMs’ pay is set at 82 per cent of this making their annual salary £53,108.
Liberal Democrat Mike German, Plaid Cymru's Jocelyn Davies and Mohammad Asghar, all Assembly Members for South Wales East, and Labour's Irene James for Islwyn are all taking the pay rise.
William Graham, Conservative Assembly Member for South Wales East, said he will also be accepting the pay increase. But in his role as Assembly Commissioner for Resources, he said he, like all of the Assembly Commissioners, has decided not to take the pay increase which is recommended for their special responsibly post.
Several Gwent AMs have decided to take the increase but to donate it to charity.
Rosemary Butler, Labour Assembly Member for Newport West, will donate her pay increase to the Sparkle Appeal.
Trish Law, Independent Assembly Member for Blaenau Gwent, will be giving some or all of it to charity.
She said: "My view is that nobody benefits by declining this salary award.”
Labour's Lynne Neagle AM for Torfaen said she has always abided by the Independent Panel's decision on Assembly Member pay.
She added: "With regards to charitable giving I regard that as a private matter and not a publicity opportunity."
Monmouth Conservative AM Nick Ramsay will donate the money to St David’s Foundation Hospice Care.
The shadow minister for finance and public services said: “As the recession bites, many families in Monmouthshire and across Wales are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet, whilst public services are being placed under enormous pressure by cutbacks in the Assembly Government's budget.”
Newport East AM John Griffiths could not be contacted for comment.
The Argus reported last year on how Nick Ramsay, Mike German, Jocelyn Davies and Lynne Neagle all claimed money for second homes.
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I am a mole and I live in a hole.
