WELCOME AND CONTEXT - NI Machinery of Government March 2021

01/04/2021

NI Machinery of Government
            March 2021

            Wendy Patterson
       Departmental Assembly Liaison Officer

   WELCOME AND CONTEXT

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01/04/2021

                Role of DALO
• Departmental Assembly Liaison Officer
• Link between DoH/HSC and Institutions of
  Government
• Attends Health Committee meetings as observer
  and co-ordinates input from DoH and wider HSC
  system
• Co-ordinates DoH input to Executive decisions

                    Minister

• Robin Swann
• UUP MLA
• Appointed in 11.1.20

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• We operate under the direction and control of
  the Minister
• Minister is accountable to the Assembly

     Sets the strategic context in policies and
  legislation and determines the standards and
  targets by which outcomes in terms of access,
    quality and value for money are measured

                Special Adviser
• DoH SpAd-
    Mark Ovens

• Civil Servant but....

• Political appointment made by
     incoming Minister

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                     PRIVATE OFFICE

             DoH Private Office
•   Civil Servants

•   Liaison between Minister
    and Department

•   Co-ordinate activities
    of the Minister

•   Provide Ministerial
    secretariat

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         Private Office Structure
     Departmental Private Secretary
     Assistant Private Secretary/Office manager
     2 sections:
       - Diary
       - Correspondence
    Separate Machinery of Government section-
       Assembly Business/Executive Business/ Health
       Committee

         DOH Ministerial Cases
Numbers of Correspondence received
since April 2020
Correspondence        3,951
Treat Official        4,288
Invitations           727

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INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT

       Executive

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               Executive Papers
Duty to bring to the attention of the Executive
Committee any matter which:
 - Cuts across the responsibility of two or more Ministers
 - Requires agreement or prioritization
 - Requires the adoption of a common position
 - Has implications for the Programme for Govt
 - Is significant or controversial (issues outside scope of
   para 20 of strand one of the Belfast Agreement)
 - Is significant or controversial and has been determined
   by FM&dFM that it be considered by Executive

                      Assembly

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   Assembly Daily Plenary Business
Monday                          Tuesday
• 12 noon start                 • 10.30 start (lunch 12.30-2)
• Prayers                       •   Prayers
• Statement(s)                  •   Statements
• Legislation                   •   Legislation
• Question Time (2-3.30)        •   Question Time (2-3.30)
• Debates                       •   Debates
                                •   Adjournment debate

               Assembly Questions
Ordinary Written Questions
MLAs allowed to ask up to 5 a day
Answers required in 10 working days (officials have 5 working days)
Sep 2015 – March 2016 DOH received 1,384
Sep 2020- March 2021- 2,508
Priority Written Questions
MLA decides if it is a “priority”
Answers required in 2-5 working days (officials have 1 or 2
working days)
Sep 2015 – March 2016 DOH received 86
Sep 2020- Feb 24 2021- 386

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              Assembly Questions
Oral Questions

• 15 questions every 2/3 weeks
• Short answer – no more than A4- supplementary topics
• SpAd will issue changes required to First drafts-fast turnaround
• Possible personal briefing of Minister
• Turnaround usually 10 days
• 10 MLAs selected to ask a Topical Question-ballot takes place
  on previous Wednesday – search for possible topics- fast
  turnaround
• Further SpAd queries – need for fast turnaround (may be the
  morning of Question Time)

              Assembly Questions
    Urgent Oral questions
    • Must apply to Speaker morning of question
    • Speaker decides “urgency”
    • Dept will be made aware of application ASAP
    • Typically 4 hour turnaround!
    • Answered immediately after normal question
      time
    • Supplementaries allowed – up to 45 mins

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                            Number of AQWs- Sept- Dec 2020
1800

1600

1400

1200

1000

 800

 600

 400

 200

   0
       DAERA   DFC    DFE         DE        DOF        DOH   DFI   DOJ   TEO
                                    On time     Late

                     Assembly Debates
Normal debates
- Issues can be raised by individual MLAs or Assembly
  Committees
- Debated at any time during Assembly business
- Tend to be around 90 minutes
- Minister is penultimate speaker

Adjournment Debates
- Local (constituency) issues
- Debated at the end of business
- Tend to be 1 hour or less – rarely more than 6 speakers
- Minister is last to speak

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                Assembly Statements
Written Statements
- Can be made anytime (including during recess)
- Recent example: Update on IHRD
- Hard copy of statement must be put in members’ pigeon
  holes 24 hours beforehand (embargoed)

Oral Statements
- Recent example: Covid updates
- Copies of statements in pigeon holes 30 mins beforehand
- Minister makes the statement personally in the Chamber
- May be asked questions by Chair of the Health
  Committee and a rep of each political party

                           Legislation
 • The Assembly has the power to make laws for
   Northern Ireland.
 • A proposal for legislation is referred to as a “Bill”
   until it is passed by the Assembly and given Royal
   Assent. At this stage it becomes an Act of the
   Assembly.
 • Ministers, Committees and individual Members can
   propose to introduce a Bill to the Assembly.

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              Legislative Process
• First stage – introduction of the Bill in the Assembly;
• Second stage – debate on general principles of the Bill;
• Committee stage – detailed consideration of the Bill by the
  relevant Committee;
• Consideration stage – first opportunity for MLAs to debate
  and vote on clauses and amendments to the Bill;
• Further Consideration stage – final opportunity to amend
  the Bill;
• Final Stage – a final debate on whether to pass the Bill;
• Royal Assent – a Bill must receive Royal Assent before it
  becomes an Act

          Bills from mandate
• The Health and Social Care Bill
   Introduced 8 March 2021
   At committee stage
• The Severe Fetal Impairment Abortion
  (Amendment) Bill
   Introduced by Paul Givan MLA 16 February
    2021

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Assembly Health Committee

       Assembly Health Committee
• “…..advise and assist each NI Minister in the formulation of
  policy with respect to matters within his/her responsibilities
  as a Minister.”

• The Committee undertakes a scrutiny, policy development
  and consultation role with respect to DOH and plays a
  key role in the consideration and development of
  legislation.

• Part of checks and balances of our local democracy

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     Assembly Health Committee
• Meet weekly (Thursday am)

• Generally meet in Parl Blgs (occasionally at outside
venues –
  eg Magee College; Conway Mill; NI Hospice)

• Open to public

• ‘In politics, there is no use in looking beyond
  the next fortnight.’ – Joseph Chamberlain
  (Liberal) 1886

• ‘A week is a long time in politics’ – Harold
  Wilson (Labour) 1964

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01/04/2021

 THANK YOU

Any Questions?

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