Calls for Evidence - getting your views
Northern Ireland Assembly Committees examine Bills put forward by government Departments and hold inquiries on issues that are important to everyone in Northern Ireland. The Committees want to hear your views to help them make their decisions about laws for Northern Ireland. They do this through a 'Call for Evidence' – a formal gathering of views.
An Assembly Committee might decide to hold an inquiry on a particular topic. The Committee will gather views on the issue and write a report on its findings. The Committee will gather views on the issue and write a report on their findings. The report is discussed by MLAs at the Assembly and is sent to the relevant Department. Committees also gather views on Bills developed by government Departments or individual MLAs. They are specifically interested in the wording of the Bill and whether anything is missing from it.
Current Calls for Evidence
Northern Ireland Assembly Committees are currently gathering views on the following:
The Committee for Justice is currently undertaking a "Review of Judicial Appointments in Northern Ireland".
Ongoing Inquiries
The Committee for Justice is holding an inquiry to learn about the experiences of people who have either been a victim of, or witness to crime – from dealings with the police, to the quality of information and support provided, and the handling of cases by the Courts Service. The Committee wants to make sure the system responds to the needs of victims and treats them with sensitivity and respect.
The Committee for Education is currently gathering evidence from schools about the role of School Councils. It will examine the experience, operation and contribution of School Councils in Northern Ireland, with a view to identifying ways to support and enhance their work.
The Committee for the Environment is holding an Inquiry into Used Tyre Disposal.
The aim of the Inquiry is to examine the current approach to the management of used tyres in Northern Ireland. The Committee wishes to examine the current audit trail for managing tyres from purchase through to disposal, compare with approaches used elsewhere (GB/ROI) and make recommendations to enhance the transparency and robustness of the processes in NI.
Previous Calls for Evidence
The Pensions Bill was formally introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 23 January 2012 and received its Second Reading on 31 January 2012. The Bill has now been referred to the Committee for Social Development which has responsibility for the Committee Stage of the Bill.
The Committee therefore wishes to hear views from all interested parties in order to assist it with the scrutiny of the Bill.
The Committee for Regional Development is holding an inquiry into Unadopted Roads in Northern Ireland and would like to hear from you.
The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure has launched an Inquiry into how to maximise the potential of the creative industries to benefit the local economy and job market.
The Committee wants to look at the support that the industries receive and what needs to be done to advance Northern Ireland as a region of creative excellence.
Northern Ireland has one of the lowest spends on research and development compared to other regions in the UK. The Committee wants to look at how the Northern Ireland economy can be developed by improving our performance in relation to innovation, research and development.
Calls for Evidence Explained
How to find out about Calls for Evidence
When a Committee wants to hear your views on an issue or a Bill it will place a notice in the daily papers (Belfast Telegraph, Irish News and Newsletter). We will also add it to this page on our website, the relevant Committee page, send a tweet and post a message on Facebook.
How to respond to a Call for Evidence
You must respond to a Call for Evidence by a specific date – the date will always be included in the notice in the paper and on our website. We will also tell you who to send your evidence to, and where.
Government Bills are often very long so it is important to tell us which part of a Bill you are writing about. You should also refer to an inquiry's Terms of Reference when drafting your reply. To help you we have included an example of a written submission for a Committee Inquiry (PDF) and a written submission on a Bill (PDF).
What happens to your evidence
All views and evidence received is collated by the Clerk to the Committee and given to each Member of the Committee. It is reviewed and discussed at a Committee meeting. If the Committee decides it wants to get more information it may write to you and ask you to come to a Committee meeting and talk to them (giving oral evidence). Once the Committee is satisfied it has all the information it needs it will write a report. This will include all written and oral evidence received by the Committee. The report will set out what the Committee thinks the relevant government Department needs to do. In most instances the report will be discussed by MLAs in the Assembly Chamber (Plenary). The Government Department often decides to accept the Committee’s recommendations.