Standing Order 110

Committee Business – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 4:30 pm on 29 September 2020.

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Photo of Linda Dillon Linda Dillon Sinn Féin 4:30, 29 September 2020

I beg to move

Leave out Standing Order 110(1) and insert "(1) Unless the Assembly previously resolves, Standing Orders 110-116 (‘the temporary provisions’) apply in the period from 31st March 2020 – 31st January 2021."

Photo of Patsy McGlone Patsy McGlone Social Democratic and Labour Party

The Business Committee has agreed to allow up to 30 minutes for this debate. The proposer of the motion will have 10 minutes to propose and 10 minutes to make a winding-up speech. All other Members who wish to speak will have five minutes.

Photo of Linda Dillon Linda Dillon Sinn Féin

On behalf of the Committee on Procedures, I am pleased to bring this motion to the House today, which proposes amending Standing Order 110 relating to the temporary provisions of Standing Orders 110 to 116. I will briefly provide some background to the motion.

On 25 March 2020, the Committee on Procedures considered and agreed a motion to amend Standing Orders and make urgent changes to usual Assembly procedures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That came as a result of the Business Committee and the Chairpersons' Liaison Group identifying several solutions to both Assembly business and Committee operations to allow the Assembly to continue to carry out its functions whilst adhering to public health advice and keeping Members and staff here as safe as possible.

On 27 March 2020, the Assembly agreed the Committee motion by way of cross-community support. The agreed motion introduced the temporary provisions of Standing Orders 110 to 116.

Standing Orders 110 to 116 provide for a number of changes to Assembly business. They include provisions for a reduction of Members required in the Chamber in light of current circumstances and the need to socially distance. They also make a new provision for voting by proxy. In particular, they make provision for the number of proxy votes carried out by a Member to be taken into account in the collection of voices that precedes a division.

Importantly, for Committee operations, the temporary provisions provide for enhanced remote working practices. Any member of a Committee, including the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, may attend remotely. They also provide for Committee members to delegate their vote to another member of the Committee, including the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, they provide for a Statutory Committee to make decisions without meeting.

Similar provision is made for Standing Committees, with particular provision made for the Audit Committee, and to maintain, so far as is possible, the existing structures of the Business Committee.

That is a brief overview of the temporary provisions, and that is why the motion has been brought to the House today. These provisions are temporary and cease to have effect from 30 September, which is tomorrow.

At its first meeting of the session on 17 September 2020, the Committee considered a number of available options. Those were: do nothing and let the provisions cease to have effect, which would be from tomorrow; agree a motion to extend the provisions for a set period and consider any amendments at a later date; or agree to extend the provisions for a set period with amendments.

Given the little time that we had left before the provisions ceased to have effect, the Committee agreed to extend the provisions to 31 January 2021 and to use that time to consider any amendments. I would like to point out that, since these temporary provisions have been in effect, the Committee has kept them under review and has not been made aware of any necessary changes. The Committee will continue to review the provisions if an extension is agreed today.

I am sure that Members will agree that the Assembly and Assembly Committees have been able to continue their very important roles in what has been, and still is, a very challenging period.

Finally, following a request by the Speaker's Office to consider the instances in which proxy voting would be retained on a more permanent basis and how that might be reflected in Standing Orders, the Committee has made a number of initial inquiries. The Committee wrote to all Members and independent Members to seek their views on proxy voting. The Committee also made enquiries of other local legislatures to seek their views and practices. A number of Members have responded, as have other legislatures, and I am pleased to inform the House that the Committee has agreed to include proxy voting in its forward work programme. I hope that that brings the House up to date with the motion.

On behalf of the Committee, I will end my comments by reminding Members that the current temporary provisions cease to have effect after tomorrow. We are still in a very precarious situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is imperative that we as an Assembly do what we can to protect not only ourselves and the staff in the Building but our families when we return home. On behalf of the Committee, I commend the motion to the House.

I will now speak as an MLA and will keep my comments brief. This provision is for a set period until 31 January 2021. That is appropriate, and it should not last indefinitely. We have learned much about what can be done and what is possible. For many years in this place, we were told what was not possible. Finally, we see that, when something affects everybody, suddenly it is all possible. In particular — I am going to say this — it was the men in this place, because I suggested that we could have proxy voting in order to get more young women into the Chamber and to deal with maternity leave and with those who were off on long-term sick leave, which has impacted a number of people in the House. However, that did not affect enough people for serious consideration to be given to the changes that could be made. We now see what can be done and what is possible. I certainly hope that, into the future, we have open minds about how this place can be run.

Photo of Sinéad Bradley Sinéad Bradley Social Democratic and Labour Party

I take this opportunity to thank the Clerks and the Committee, who very speedily put together these proposed changes to Standing Orders, which, thankfully, were adopted. I also echo the sentiments shared here today by the Committee Chair, Linda Dillon, that there is much in those changes that is definitely worthy of consideration as we finally — sooner rather than later, hopefully — enter a post-COVID-19 world. It is worth noting that there are not only family-friendly outcomes to the changes to Standing Orders but environmental outcomes. I certainly had to put a lot less diesel or petrol in the car for a significant period. That should not be taken lightly when you multiply that up by the number of Members. We need to set standards for other places.

I welcome the changes and the fact that we will have the opportunity to work through them in Committee via the forward work programme.

Photo of Rosemary Barton Rosemary Barton UUP

My comments will be very brief. Mr Deputy Speaker, as you know, we are in unprecedented times. Coronavirus knows no bounds and, unfortunately, appears to be here in a second wave, which is why Standing Order 110 now needs to be amended to allow Committee business to proceed over the coming months.

Initially, the temporary provisions under Standing Order 110 were agreed by the Assembly for a period up to 30 September. Being mindful of the continuing pandemic, it is essential that Standing Order 110 be amended and extended to 31 January 2021. The Ulster Unionist Party supports the motion.

Photo of Thomas Buchanan Thomas Buchanan DUP

I welcome the opportunity to conclude the debate on the motion to amend Standing Orders. I thank everyone who took part in the debate. As outlined, the amendment comes to the House as the current temporary provisions cease from tomorrow, 30 September. The provisions were originally agreed by the Assembly on 27 March. They were introduced not only to keep Assembly business and Committee operations running but to keep everyone safe during the pandemic.

I acknowledge that it has already been placed on record, but I would again like to commend the Business Committee, the Chairpersons' Liaison Group, Legal Services and the officials for reacting so quickly and bringing forward the solutions back in March this year.

Over the last few weeks, we have seen a rise in the number of people being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospital admissions are on the increase and further restrictions have been made to our everyday lives. Therefore, it is important that we make decisions, especially in this Chamber, that will protect life and protect the people.

The motion amends Standing Order 110 to allow the provisions in Standing Orders 110 to 116 to be temporarily extended until January 2021. We all hope, trust and pray that this virus is also only temporary. and that, one day, we will get back to the position where we no longer need to have these temporary provisions in place. It is essential, therefore, that we, as an Assembly, do all that we can to protect one another, to protect the staff and to protect the Building users.

A few people spoke during the debate, and I want to thank them for their support. The Chair of the Committee set out the overview, outlined the reasons for this being brought forward and talked about the things that can be learned. If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it is this: things can be done in a different way over a very short period. It did not take months to put in place some of the provisions that we are now using for our meetings, for voting arrangements and for all other things in the House. It shows that, where there is a will, there is always a way. Maybe that could apply in a lot of other areas in the House. Where there is a will, there is always a way forward, and we have seen that during this pandemic.

I thank everyone who took part in the debate for their contribution, and I look forward to their support. I trust that the House will support the motion.

Photo of Patsy McGlone Patsy McGlone Social Democratic and Labour Party

Before we proceed to the Question, I remind Members that the motion requires cross-community support.

Question put and agreed to. Resolved (with cross-community support):

Leave out Standing Order 110(1) and insert "(1) Unless the Assembly previously resolves, Standing Orders 110-116 (‘the temporary provisions’) apply in the period from 31st March 2020 – 31st January 2021."

Photo of Patsy McGlone Patsy McGlone Social Democratic and Labour Party

Members can take their ease before we move to the next item of business, which is the Adjournment debate.

Motion made: That the Assembly do now adjourn. — [Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr McGlone).]