Review of the Number of Members of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly and of the Reduction in the Number of Northern Ireland Departments: Part 2

NIA 34/11-15, Third Report of Session 2011-15 - Together with the Minutes of Proceedings, Minutes of Evidence

Author:

Northern Ireland Assembly - Assembly and Executive Review Committee

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

'Review of the Number of Members of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly and of the Reduction in the Number of Northern Ireland Departments: Part 2 (NIA 34/11-15)' looks at the potential benefit of streamlining governing institutions, focusing on the number of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

It is based on views on the five Key Issues set out in the Committee's 'Call for Evidence' paper:

(i) Whether the statutory link between Westminster and Northern Ireland constituencies should be removed and the implications of removing or retaining this link;

(ii) The implications of the forthcoming reduction (on the implementation of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011) and any further reduction in the number of MLAs;

(iii) The reduced number of MLAs required to ensure that the effectiveness of the Assembly in delivering its key functions is maintained, consistent with the safeguards on inclusivity;

(iv) Proposals to mitigate the impact of reducing the number of MLAs on the effectiveness of the Assembly in delivering its key functions, including in particular, proposals to ensure a robust and effective committee system; and

(v) The reduction in the number of Northern Ireland departments and associated re-allocation of functions which will ensure that the effectiveness of the Executive functions are maintained.

The Committee concluded that members consider that the issues are very much interlinked and that a holistic approach to reaching a view on the size of the Assembly in terms of the number of MLAs should be taken. It could not reach consensus on the size of the Assembly.

This Report sets out in some detail the position of the Political Parties represented on the Committee.

Extent	380 pages	ISBN	9780339604513
Size	A4	Price	£26.75
Format	Paperback	Published	11 Dec 2012
Availability	Out of Print: but may be available to order	Delivery	Delivery options and charges