Order Paper

Reference: OP 334/11-16

Date: 14 March 2016

The Assembly to sit at noon.

Indicative Timings for the Order of Business

1. Prayers

2. Assembly Business

Motion: Suspension of Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4)

Proposed:

That Standing Orders 10(2) to 10(4) be suspended for 14 March 2016.

Mr P Weir
Ms C Ruane
Mrs K McKevitt
Mr R Swann
Mr S Dickson

3. Executive Committee Business

Further Consideration Stage: Land Acquisition and Compensation (Amendment) Bill (NIA Bill 78/11-16)

Minister for Regional Development

Final Stage: Justice (No. 2) Bill (NIA Bill 57/11-16)*

Minister of Justice

Motion: Draft Welfare (Supplementary Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Proposed:

That the draft Welfare (Supplementary Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 be approved.

Minister for Social Development

Motion: Draft Driver and Vehicle Agency Trading Fund Order (Northern Ireland) 2016

Proposed:

That the draft Driver and Vehicle Agency Trading Fund Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 be approved.

Minister of the Environment

Motion: Draft Local Government (Community Planning Partners) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016

Proposed:

That the draft Local Government (Community Planning Partners) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 be approved.

Minister of the Environment

Motion: Draft Local Government (Standing Orders) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Proposed:

That the draft Local Government (Standing Orders) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 be approved.

Minister of the Environment

Motion: Local Government Auditor’s Draft Code of Audit Practice 2016

Proposed:

That the Local Government Auditor’s Draft Code of Practice 2016 be approved.

Minister of the Environment

Motion: Draft Public Service Pensions Revaluation (Prices) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016

Proposed:

That the draft Public Service Pensions Revaluation (Prices) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 be approved.

Minister of Finance and Personnel

Motion: Draft Health Service Workers (Consequential Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Proposed:

That the draft Health Service Workers (Consequential Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 be approved.

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Motion: Draft Tobacco Retailer (Fixed Penalty) (Amount) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Proposed:

That the draft Tobacco Retailer (Fixed Penalty) (Amount) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 be approved.

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Motion: Draft Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Consequential Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Proposed:

That the draft Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Consequential Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 be approved.

Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

4. Question Time

4.1 Enterprise, Trade and Investment

4.1.1 Topical Questions

4.2 Justice

4.2.1 Topical Questions

5. Committee Business

Motion: Amend Standing Order 10(1)

Proposed:

In Standing Order 10(1) leave out sub-paragraphs (a) to (i) and insert – 

'(a) Assembly Business;

(b) Executive Committee Business;

(c) Committee Business;

(d) Questions;

(e) Opposition Business;

(f) Private Members' Business;

(g) Private Business;

(h) Adjournment Debates;

(i) Party Business; and

(j) Matters of the Day.’

Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

Motion: Amend Standing Order 20A

Proposed:

Leave out Standing Order 20A and insert – 

‘20A. Topical Questions

(1) Topical questions for a Minister shall be taken during the last 15 minutes of the time allocated for questions for oral answer by that Minister.

(2) No topical questions shall be asked of the Assembly Commission.

(3) A member who wishes to ask a topical question of a Minister at a particular sitting shall submit his or her name in advance to the Speaker.

(4) The Speaker shall allow up to 10 members to ask a topical question.

(5) Except where paragraphs 6-8 apply, the Speaker shall determine, by means of a random selection, the order in which members may ask a topical question.

(6) Where—

(a) there is an official opposition; and

(b) at least one member of the official opposition has submitted his or her name to the Speaker under paragraph (3),

the first topical question must be asked by a member of the official opposition.

(7) Where more than one member of the official opposition has submitted his or her name to the Speaker under paragraph (3), the Speaker shall determine by which member of the official opposition the first topical question is to be asked.

(8) Where the first topical question is to be asked by a member of the official opposition, the Speaker shall determine, by means of a random selection, the order in which subsequent questions are taken.

(9) The first topical question may not be from a member of the same party as the Minister to whom it is addressed, unless all the topical questions are from members of that party.

(10) The Speaker shall inform –

(a) members; and

(b) the Ministers to whom the questions will be addressed at the sitting;

in advance, of the names and order in which questions are to be taken.

(11) Answers may not be debated, but the member asking the question may ask a supplementary question. A supplementary question may contain no more than one enquiry.

(12) Where a member is not present to ask a topical question, the Speaker shall move to the next member in accordance with the order determined under paragraph (5).

(13) Paragraphs (1)(a) and (2) of Standing Order 19 and paragraphs (2), (8A), (10) and (11) of Standing Order 20 shall apply to topical questions as they apply to questions for oral answer.’


Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

Motion: Amend Standing Order 44(2)

Proposed:

Leave out Standing Order 44(2) and insert – 

‘(2) Where section 18(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 applies, Ministerial offices must be filled by applying the procedures set out in section 18(2) to (6) within a period of seven days beginning with the day on which -

(a) the determination mentioned in section 18(1)(b) takes effect;

(b) the resolution mentioned in section 18(1)(c) is passed;

(c) the direction mentioned in section 18(1)(d) is given; or

(d) the period of exclusion mentioned in section 18(1)(da) comes to an end.’

Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

Motion: Amend Standing Order 44A(1)

Proposed:

Leave out Standing Order 44A(1) and insert – 

‘(1) Where paragraph 3D(1) and (2)(a) of Schedule 4A of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 applies, the office of Minister of Justice must be filled by applying the procedures set out in paragraph 3D(4) to (8) in Part 1A of Schedule 4A within a period of seven days beginning with the day on which –

(a) the determination mentioned in paragraph 3D(2)(a) takes effect;

(b) the resolution mentioned in paragraph 3D(2)(b) is passed;

(c) the direction mentioned in paragraph 3D(2)(c) is given;

(d) the period of exclusion mentioned in paragraph 3D(2)(d) comes to an end as so mentioned; or

(e) the Minister of Justice ceases to hold office as mentioned in paragraph 3D(14), otherwise than by virtue of an Assembly election.’

Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

Motion: New Standing Order

Proposed:

After Standing Order 45 insert – 

‘45A. The Official Opposition

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), where a party is entitled to nominate a person to hold Ministerial office under section 18(2) to (6) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; and declines to do so, that party may choose to be recognised as part of the official opposition.

(2) A party is not to be recognised as part of the official opposition if any member of that party holds a Ministerial office, or held a Ministerial office and ceased to hold that office otherwise than at a time when all Northern Ireland Ministers ceased to hold office.

(3) Where only one party chooses to be recognised in accordance with paragraph (1) that party is to be regarded as the official opposition.’

Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

Motion: Amend Standing Order 58(1)

Proposed:

Leave out Standing Order 58(1) and insert – 

(1) There shall be a standing committee of the Assembly to be known as the Audit Committee to exercise the functions mentioned in section 66(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, and sub-paragraphs 18(2) to (4) of Schedule 1 to the Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016. In accordance with section 66(2) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, no more than one member of the committee shall at the same time be a member of the Public Accounts Committee.’

Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

Motion: Amend Standing Order 69

Proposed:

Leave out Standing Order 69 and insert – 

‘69. Members’ Interests

(1) There is to be a register of interests of members of the Assembly (‘the Register of Interests’).

(2) The Register of Interests must set out the registrable interests of members.

(3) The Clerk of Standards—

(a) must compile, and may from time to time revise, the Register of Interests; and

(b) must publish, and make available for public inspection, the Register of Interests.

(4) A member must—              

(a) within 28 days of taking his or her seat, inform the Clerk of Standards of his or her registrable interests; and

(b) within 28 days of any change to those registrable interests, inform the Clerk of Standards of that change.

(5)  A member who has

(a) a financial interest in any matter; or

(b) a relevant interest in any matter,

must declare that interest before taking part in any proceedings of the Assembly relating to that matter.

(6) A member must not, in consideration of any payment or benefit in kind specified in Chapter 3 of the Guide to the Rules, advocate or initiate any cause or matter on behalf of any person in any proceedings of the Assembly, or urge any other member to do so.

(7) In this order –

“financial interest” means an interest specified in Chapter 1 of the Guide to the Rules, other than an interest specified in category 8 or category 9 of Chapter 1;

“registrable interest” means an interest specified in Chapter 1 of the Guide to the Rules;
“relevant interest”
means an interest to which Chapter 2 of the Guide to the Rules applies.’

Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

Motion: Amend Standing Order 81

Proposed:

In Standing Order 81, leave out ‘“Code of Conduct” means any code of conduct for members together with any guide to the rules relating to the conduct of members agreed to by the Assembly;

“day” means calendar day;’

and insert –             

“Code of Conduct” means any code of conduct for members and the Guide to the Rules agreed to by the Assembly;

“day” means calendar day;

“Guide to the Rules” means any guide to the rules relating to the conduct of members agreed to by the Assembly.’

Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

6. Adjournment

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