The Northern Ireland Assembly PDF Download

This review on the potential benefit of streamlining governing institutions, focusses on the number of 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 (see http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Assembly-Business/Committees/Assembly-and-Executive-Review/Reviews): 1. Whether the statutory link between Westminster and Northern Ireland constituencies should be removed and the implications of removing or retaining this link; 2. 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; 3. 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; 4. 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 5. The reduction in the number of NI departments and associated re-allocation of functions which will ensure 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 therefore sets out in some detail the particular position of the Political Parties represented on the Committee