FIRST MINISTER AND DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER (Hansard, 18 November 1998)

§ Mr. Ingram
I beg to move, That this House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment.

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Michael Lord)
With this, it will be convenient to discuss Lords amendments Nos. 28 to 32.

§ Mr. Ingram
I shall deal with the amendments slightly out of order and speak first to amendments Nos. 29 and 30, which deal with concerns raised during earlier stages of the House's consideration of the Bill about the impact of a vacancy in the First Minister and Deputy First Minister posts.
As the Bill stood, the First Minister and Deputy First Minister needed to make decisions jointly. If one ceased to hold office, the other automatically did so too. That would then be followed by a new election for First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
That was considered during the proceedings on the Bill and concerns were raised by a number of Members, including the right hon. Member for Upper Bann (Mr. Trimble), my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay) and my hon. Friend the Member for Greenock and Inverclyde (Dr. Godman), whom I am pleased to see here this evening. He has followed the Bill through its many stages. Those Members suggested that the Bill could give rise to a vacuum at the centre of the devolved Government. The First Minister and Deputy 1021 First Minister play an important role, and it would be awkward if the posts were vacant at a time when joint decisions were needed.
The new provisions prevent such a vacuum from occurring by enabling the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to appoint alternates from among the Northern Ireland Ministers to exercise functions during their absence through illness or incapacity or during a vacancy.
Under the amendments, if either the First Minister or the Deputy First Minister post fell vacant, the other would too, but the alternate and the remaining postholder would continue to exercise the functions of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister acting jointly in a caretaker capacity until a fresh election had been held. In the event of absence or incapacity, the amendments provide that the alternate would not be able to exercise the functions of the First Minister or Deputy First Minister for a period exceeding six weeks. That time would be used to deal with any concerns raised.
Amendments Nos. 27, 28, 31 and 32 clarify the Bill's provisions, making it clear that the Assembly is to elect a new First Minister and Deputy First Minister within six weeks of its first meeting or, in the case of a mid-term election, within six weeks of the vacancy. I commend the amendments to the House.