Research Papers 2012
Here you will find a list of Assembly and Executive Review Committee research papers.
Opposition, community designation and D’Hondt
- Date: 11/12/2012 - Author: Ray McCaffrey & Tim Moore
The paper provides information on the following topics with regard to the Northern Ireland Assembly and, where appropriate, other legislatures: •Opposition •Community designation •D’Hondt The paper explores the issues in question and highlights areas that the Committee may find useful in its deliberations.
Estimating the cost of machinery of government changes
- Date: 24/10/2012 - Author: Ray McCaffrey
This briefing note has been prepared for the Assembly & Executive Review Committee following its meeting on 9th October 2012. At the meeting the Committee requested information on costs of machinery of government changes. The briefing highlights two examples of costing machinery of government changes, including reorganisation of government departments and arms-lengths bodies. It outlines the methodology used by the National Audit Office and Institute for Government in their reports on this issue. Costing machinery of government (MoG) changes is a complex task using cost models and, potentially, externally commissioned specialist advice.
Machinery of Government - Departmental Arrangements
- Date: 12/09/2012
The term ‘machinery of government’ describes a variety of organisational or structural aspects of government, most commonly the number and names of government departments and ministerial portfolios. This research paper outlines the principles upon which machinery of government arrangements are made and addresses the arrangements existing in the UK, Ireland and elsewhere. In particular, the paper examines the move towards a more thematic approach to arrangements in Scotland and Wales and explores the potential for change in Northern Ireland.
Electoral Constituencies - Further Information on Decoupling in Scotland
- Date: 21/05/2012
This paper provides information relating to coterminosity of electoral boundaries in Scotland, where the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 decoupled Scottish Parliament constituencies from Westminster constituencies.
Further information on plenary and committee business in the Northern Ireland Assembly and other legislatures
- Date: 11/05/2012
The paper provides information on the following issues: - analysis of plenary and committee business in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Scottish Parliament; - Confirmation on whether plenary attendance in the Northern Ireland Assembly is recorded and the practice in other UK and Ireland parliaments; - How the plenary/committee meetings scheduling works in practice in the House of Commons and Dail Eireann
Electoral Constituencies
- Date: 11/05/2012
This briefing paper provides information relevant to consideration of the following issues: the impact of the Northern Ireland Assembly constituencies remaining linked to UK Parliamentary boundaries Possibility of using the new local Council/RPA boundaries for the MLA boundaries – how this might work (e.g. by varying the number of MLAs for some constituencies) and if there is any precedent on that model; and Possibility of creating MLA constituencies (and number of MLAs per constituency) using a ‘bottom up’ approach – that is firstly looking at the population of an area and then determining the number of MLAs needed to represent this population and if this, in turn, would significantly affect the proportionality of MLAs/number of voters in an area.
Scheduling Parliamentary Time
- Date: 18/04/2012
This briefing paper has been prepared for the Assembly and Executive Committee. It provides information in relation to the scheduling of Parliamentary business in the House of Commons, the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Oireachtas. It also references international examples where appropriate.
Electoral boundaries in Scotland and Wales
- Date: 18/04/2012
This briefing note has been prepared for the Assembly and Executive Review Committee. It provides information on issues arising from a presentation on Briefing Paper 08/12 including further detail on electoral boundaries in Scotland and Wales.
Further information relating to the structure of the Northern Ireland Assembly
- Date: 19/01/2012
This briefing paper provides supplementary information on issues relating to the size of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Assembly and Executive Review Committee requested this information following a presentation on paper 768-11.
Electoral systems for the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales
- Date: 19/01/2012
This briefing paper provides information on issues relating to the electoral systems used to elect the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales. The Assembly and Executive Review Committee requested this information following a presentation on NIAR paper 768-11.
