Kate Beecroft faces a big cut in her earnings.

As a minister, Mrs Beecroft was on a salary of £62,019.75, compared with the basic salary for a backbench MHK of £41,346.50.

Should she, down the line, accept a position as a member of a government department, that would take her salary up to £51,750.45.

It might be an unlikely development, but if she was offered a departmental job with the Treasury, that would increase to a little under £58,000.