Committee Stage - Civil Service (Special Advisers) Bill
The Civil Service (Special Advisers) Bill was formally introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 2 July 2012 and received its Second Reading on 25 September 2012. The Bill has been referred to the Committee for Finance and Personnel for Committee Stage.
In broad terms, the Bill:
- provides that no person shall hold the post of special adviser if they have a “serious criminal conviction”, which is defined as any custodial sentence of five years or more;
- places statutory duties on the Department of Finance and Personnel to publish: a code for appointment of special advisers; a code of conduct for special advisers; and an annual report about the number and cost of special advisers;
- amends the Civil Service Commissioners (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 to remove the Presiding Officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly (the Speaker) from the list of office holders who are entitled to appoint a special adviser to the Civil Service.
The Civil Service (Special Advisers) Bill was formally introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 2 July 2012 and received its Second Reading on 25 September 2012. The Bill was then referred to the Committee for Finance and Personnel for Committee Stage scrutiny. The Committee issued a call for evidence which provided interested parties with an opportunity to offer their views on the clauses of the Bill. The closing date for written submissions was Friday 26 October 2012.
Further information on the Committee Stage of the Bill can be found below:
- Committee’s Call for Evidence
- Department of Finance and Personnel Papers
- Written submissions received on the Bill
- Oral evidence received to date on the Bill
- Assembly Research papers relating to the Bill
- Other Papers
