The assembly Legislation

Question 1

How can legislation be introduced

Answer 1

Private members bills
Executive Bills
Bills initiated by the committee

Question 2

How can MLAs influence legislation

Answer 2

1. They can debate and vote on legislation in full plenary session on mondays and tuesdays at stormont
2. They can revise and scrutinise through the committee system
3. They can request that certain legislative proposals are designated as key decisions and therefore, require cross-community support
4. They can suggest legislative proposals or Private members bills technically known as non-executive bills.

Question 3

What is cross community support

Answer 3

this is a way to ensure each community feels part of the political system and preventing discrimination within legislation being passed.

Certain decisions known as key decisions require cross community support for example, budget allocations are key decisions.

Question 4

What voting arrangements are needed to pass key decisions.

Answer 4

1. Weighted majority- This requires 60% of members present and voting with 40% of nationalists and 40% of unionist designations present voting in favour.
2. Parallel consent- This requires a majority of members being present and voting with a majority from both main communities supporting the bills. this is easier to achieve.

Question 5

What are petitions of concern

Answer 5

A petition of concern are an important feature of MLAs that MPs dont have.

Petitions of concern need the support of 30 MLAS to be designated as a key decision and the voting mechanism is to be initiated.

in the 2011-2016 mandate there were 115 petitions of concern covering issues such as marriage equality (used 4 times), welfare reform (48 times), education bill (9 times)

Question 6

Whats the disadvantages of a petition of concern

Answer 6

• Its said its been over used and favours bigger parties as it only takes 30 MLas to launch one as the DUP have 25 MLAs and SF have 27 MLAs they have an advantage
  Smaller parties have less of a chance to use these.
• They can be seen to not be concerned with discriminatory legislation and more on pushing one parties agenda

for example, the DUPs petition of concern to prevent the passing of the marriage bill was accepted on its fifth attempt. The DUP argued it attacked christianity and used a petition of concern to stop this bill being passed

Question 7

Executive bills 1.

Answer 7

• 60 out of 67 bills passed in the assembly were executive bills
• It should be considered a failure of the assembly as they can command more resources than individual MLAs and can call on entire departs of the civil service to draft and redraft bills.

Question 8

What are the three types of executive bills

Answer 8

1. party legislation bringing NI into line with the rest of the UK
2. EU directives keeping them in line with european legislation
3. NI specific bills relating purely to NI for example, strategic investment and regeneration bill

Question 9

Private members bills 1.

Answer 9

• only 5 passed outve 67 eg the passage of steven agnews children services cooperation bill in 2005.

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