- The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Bill provides
a short extension to the period for Executive formation.
- The Bill also enables the Secretary of State to amend MLA
salaries while the Assembly is unable to conduct business.
- The legislation will also take limited but necessary steps to
maintain the delivery of Northern Ireland’s public services.
Following the Secretary of State’s recent announcement in
Parliament describing his intention to legislate to extend the
period for Executive formation and cut MLA pay, the Northern
Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Bill will be introduced in
Parliament today (Monday 21 November).
The legislation will extend the period for Executive formation by
six weeks to 8 December with the possibility of a further six
week extension to 19 January, to allow the Northern Ireland
Parties to come together and deliver for the people of Northern
Ireland.
Further, the Bill will clarify the limited decision-making powers
to be provided to NI Civil Servants in the absence of Ministers,
enable the Secretary of State to amend MLA salaries while the
Assembly is unable to conduct business, and maintain public
service delivery. The Bill will also enable a small number of
vital public service appointments to be made and enable the
regional rate for 2023/24 to be set should an Executive not be in
place to do so.
Following discussions with the party leaders, community and
business representatives across NI, the Secretary of State made
the decision to introduce this legislation to allow for more time
and space for Executive formation, avoiding an unwanted election.
Recognising public frustration that MLAs continue to draw a full
salary while not performing the duties they were elected to do,
this legislation will also enable the Secretary of State to amend
the salaries and expenses payable to MLAs while the Assembly is
not sitting. This measure is one of several in the Bill that will
address the realities of the governance gap in NI during the
present impasse.
Speaking ahead of the Bill’s introduction, the Secretary of State
for Northern Ireland said:
I urge the Northern Ireland Parties to use this extended time to
come together and deliver for the interests of all people in
Northern Ireland, particularly in this time of rising costs.
At present, MLAs are not in a position to fulfil the full range
of their duties, so it is right that we take steps to reduce
their salaries, especially in the current economic climate and in
view of the £660 million black hole in the public finances
created by poor decisions made by outgoing Ministers.
Furthermore, Northern Ireland’s people are being denied full
democratic representation. The government’s priority is to see
politicians elected to return to fulfil their roles in a strong,
devolved and locally accountable government, as laid out by the
Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.
Notes to editors:
-
The 28 October deadline for Executive formation introduced
through the Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and
Petitions of Concern) Act 2022 has passed. This legislation
allowed 24 weeks for parties to form an Executive following
the last Assembly election in May 2022. The new legislation
introduced in today’s Bill will extend this time period for
Executive formation.
-
Independent analysis provided during a previous political
impasse recommended a 27.5% reduction in MLA salaries.
