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Today in Parliament, the Queen laid out the legislative agenda of the government which included the Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of Concern) Bill. Here’s the rundown on what it covers.
The purpose of the Bill is to:
Implement those aspects of the New Decade, New Approach deal relating to the operation and governance of the Northern Ireland institutions, including:
Reforms to the sustainability of the institutions.
Updating the Ministerial Code of Conduct.
Reform of the Petition of Concern mechanism.
The main benefits of the Bill would be:
Delivering greater transparency and improved governance arrangements to maintain public confidence in the Northern Ireland institutions.
Ensuring that the institutions in Northern Ireland are more sustainable, resilient and able to continue to function throughout periods of political difficulty.
The main elements of the Bill are:
Extending the time allowed for the appointment of Ministers to the Northern Ireland Executive, following an Assembly election or the resignation of the First or Deputy First Ministers, before an election must take place and to allow Ministers to remain in post longer to allow for greater continuity of decision making in the Executive.
Reforming the Petition of Concern mechanism used in the Northern Ireland Assembly so that its use is returned to its intended purpose, ensuring that all sections of the community are protected when the Northern Ireland Assembly legislates and preventing one party from blocking measures or business.
Updating the Ministerial Code of Conduct with regard to the expectations of the behaviour of Ministers, including provisions around the treatment of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, public appointments and the use of official resources and information management.