Opposition Days

In accordance with the Fresh Start Agreement, the Speaker, in consultation with the Business Committee, has agreed to schedule a minimum of 10 opposition days per session. The first of these is scheduled for:

Monday 26 September 2016

The following criteria will be applied to the scheduling and allocation of business on opposition days:

a.Within every block of eight sitting days, there will be a least one day on which opposition business will be taken as a priority and this will be called an opposition day.

b. There will be at least 10 opposition days per session (i.e. from September to June).

c. An opposition day can be on either a Monday or a Tuesday.

d. The Business Committee can schedule more than 10 opposition days if it wishes.

e. The Business Committee will agree an indicative schedule of opposition days for the following term shortly before each recess.

f. Informed by the Executive’s notification of forthcoming Assembly business (and its preference for when Executive business must be scheduled and need not be scheduled), the Business Committee will confirm which days will be taken as opposition days four weeks in advance.

g. There will be no opposition days scheduled for the last four sittings before the Christmas, Easter and summer recess periods.

h. An opposition day will consist of four hours of business selected by the Official Opposition.

i. Question Time will continue to be scheduled between 2.00pm and 3.30pm on opposition days, as required by Standing Order 20.

j. Oral Ministerial Statements will continue to proceed in accordance with Standing Order 18A.

k. Questions for urgent oral answer and matters of the day will continue to be taken on oppositions days at the discretion of the Speaker in accordance with Standing Orders 20B and 24 respectively.

l. The Business Committee will not schedule any other business on an opposition day unless, exceptionally, it is satisfied that a matter is so urgent it cannot be scheduled on any other day, in which case it will be scheduled after Opposition Business.

m. In the event of urgent business being taken on behalf of the Executive on a Monday opposition day, a member of the Executive should table a motion to suspend Standing Order 10(2) to 10(4). For all other business this motion will be scheduled by the Business Committee.

n. The Business Committee will retain its discretion to schedule adjournment debates on an opposition day.

o. The allocation of plenary days to opposition business should not result in longer sittings or additional sitting days.

Further opposition days have provisionally been scheduled for 18 October and 21 November 2016. Order papers will be prepared and issued in the usual way.

For further information please contact the Alex McGarel, Business Office, on 028 90 521534 or email: alex.mcgarel@niassembly.gov.uk.