Part of Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 12:00 pm on 5 February 2002.
Crispin Blunt
Shadow Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)
12:00,
5 February 2002
I do not have many issues to raise, but I want to follow up the question of payment. The Secretary of State will presumably appoint the chief inspector both before and after justice is devolved. Paragraph 2 of schedule 8 places a duty on the Secretary of State to pay the chief inspector's salary, allowances and pensions. Under paragraph 3 the chief inspector employs staff subject to the Secretary of State's approval.
After justice is devolved, I assume the responsibility for paying the chief inspector will remain with the Secretary of State and not be given to the Legislative Assembly. Will the Minister confirm that, and explain how to differentiate the provisions under paragraph 2 and others where the responsibility for payment devolves? Does the responsibility for food and rations, payment of the chief inspector and so forth remain with the Secretary of State? If it is devolved, why is that, given that the Secretary of State makes the appointment and is responsible to this place rather than to the Legislative Assembly? If the devolved Administration assumes responsibility for budget provisions and payments, the Secretary of State will be taking decisions about the size of the chief inspector's salary for which he is not accountable to the Legislative Assembly. An apparent contradiction in accountability arises. Will the Minister make the position clear?
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
The House of Commons.
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.
