FOI 58-24: Information regarding the number of sitting MLAs gave their advice on the Traffic Management (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

19 December 2024

Our Ref: FoI 58-24

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 13 December 2024 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). In your request, you asked that the Assembly Commission provide-

  1. 'Information that would confirm how many of the 90 sitting MLAs in the Northern Ireland Assembly from 2005 gave their advice and who ultimately then agreed on the Traffic Management (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 ('the 2005 Order') going into the public domain.
  2. Information that would confirm the names, of the public representatives present and recorded as providing advice to Her Majesty in Council on 19 July 2005.
  3. Information that would confirm the names of every public representative on Her Majesty's Privy Council on the 19 July 2005.
  4. Information of any record being made which is connected to the impact assessment for the 2005 Order

 

Our response

Section 1(1) of the FOIA entitles a person to make a request for information to a public authority and to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds information of the description specified in the request and if that is the case, to have that information communicated to the person, subject to any applicable exemptions.

The Assembly Commission does not hold the information specified in your request and in accordance with section 16 of the FOIA advises as follows-

 

Question 1

Between October 2002 and May 2007, the Northern Assembly was suspended by the Secretary of State using powers set out in the Northern Ireland Act 2000 ('the 2000 Act'). The 2000 Act may be accessed here.

Between October 2002 and May 2007, the Assembly did not meet and did not pass legislation. The 2005 Order was made using a procedure set out in the 2000 Act, which enabled laws to be made for Northern Ireland by Orders in Council. Further information on Orders in Council is available here.

 

Questions 2 and 3

Information on meetings of the Privy Council may be available from the Privy Council Office, which can be contacted at enquiries@pco.gov.uk.

A current list of Privy Council members is available here. Information on membership of the Privy Council in July 2005 may be available from the Privy Council Office.

 

Question 4

Information on any impact assessment carried out regarding the 2005 Order may be available from the Northern Ireland Office, which can be contacted at correspondence@nio.gov.uk.

 

Further Information

You have the right to request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission. If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address. If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised.

Yours faithfully

Data Protection and Governance Officer