Executive Committee Business – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 4:30 pm on 16 September 2024.
Caoimhe Archibald
Sinn Féin
4:30,
16 September 2024
I beg to move
That Standing Order 39(2) be suspended in respect of the passage of the Budget (No. 2) Bill.
Carál Ní Chuilín
Sinn Féin
Thank you, Minister. In accordance with convention, the Business Committee has not allocated any time limits to the debate. I call the Minister of Finance to open the debate.
Caoimhe Archibald
Sinn Féin
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
[Translation: Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker.]
Standing Order 39(2) requires that, in accordance with the 1998 Act:
"No date may be determined for the Final Stage of a Bill until ... the Speaker has considered the Bill in accordance with section 10 of the ... Act and signified to the Minister ... in charge of the Bill that", in their opinion, it may proceed to its Final Stage. That Standing Order ensures that the Assembly, rightly, has time to consider and debate legislation fully. I ask that the Assembly agree to the suspension of that Standing Order in order to allow the Bill to complete its passage in a shorter time frame and for the Final Stage debate to occur in a week's time on 23 September.
As Members may recall, the Assembly agreed a 65% Vote on Account for 2024-25 on 9 April. That Vote on Account provided finance to allow Departments to continue to provide services in 2024-25, pending the passage of a Budget (No. 2) Bill. When the Budget (No. 2) Bill completes its passage through the Assembly, there are further steps to be completed before Royal Assent is secured. That does not happen immediately. There is a risk, therefore, that Departments reach the Vote on Account limit before Royal Assent is achieved. I am seeking to mitigate that risk. Should Departments reach their cash limits, there is a real risk to the delivery of public services, as it would be illegal for a Department to exceed the voted limits.
There will be an opportunity for the Assembly to discuss in full the issues that relate to the Budget (No. 2) Bill at the upcoming Final Stage debate. I thank Members for their continued support for the Budget and their understanding on the matter.
Steve Aiken
UUP
Minister, I would not normally have indicated to speak, but one of the issues that we have had recently is with DAERA, which was looking for an advance, particularly on the cash limit. Do you have any indication of whether any other Departments are approaching those limits? That might be germane to the debate, and, for the sake of clarity, it might be appropriate if we were informed of that.
Caoimhe Archibald
Sinn Féin
I thank the Member for his contribution. The urgency of the Bill's needing to proceed to Final Stage is driven by the critical need to secure cash to Departments so that they can continue to deliver vital public services. As the Member mentioned, we recently had to advance funding from the Consolidated Fund to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to ensure the delivery of farm payments. I am not aware of each Department's specific accounting position in relation to its Vote on Account at this stage, but the risk is that, if we do not move to Final Stage next week, it will take much longer to get Royal Assent for the Budget Bill, and Departments will then meet their cash limits. I therefore point out that not agreeing the motion to suspend the Standing Order would jeopardise the delivery of public services. I urge Members to agree to the suspension of Standing Order 39(2).
Carál Ní Chuilín
Sinn Féin
As no other Member has asked to speak, that concludes the debate on the motion. 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):
That Standing Order 39(2) be suspended in respect of the passage of the Budget (No.2) Bill.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
The Deputy speaker is in charge of proceedings of the House of Commons in the absence of the Speaker.
The deputy speaker's formal title is Chairman of Ways and Means, one of whose functions is to preside over the House of Commons when it is in a Committee of the Whole House.
The deputy speaker also presides over the Budget.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
