§ Lords amendment: No. 46, in page 9, line 20, leave out ("the") and insert ("each").
§ Mr. Paul MurphyI beg to move, That this House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment.
Mr. Deputy SpeakerWith this, it will be convenient to discuss Lords amendments Nos. 66 to 71, 73, 74 and 377.
§ Mr. MurphyThe amendments parallel amendments already made to the clauses on Northern Ireland Ministers. 1037 They include adjusting the d'Hondt formula in the way already done for Ministers, to provide that the formula should be run on the basis of the party's strength at the first meeting of the Assembly, thus fully reflecting its electoral mandate.
Other changes are more technical, including tidying up the provisions on how Committee Chairmen are to be replaced, and giving parties' nominating officers the power to dismiss their appointees. Perhaps amendment No. 67 is the most significant. It sets out on the face of the Bill the requirement for Standing Orders to ensure that Committees have the powers set out in paragraph 9 of strand 1 of the Belfast agreement. The Bill always gave Committees of the Assembly a key role, but amendment No. 67 addresses the concerns expressed by some parties during the consultation exercise.
There is also one entirely drafting amendment to the provisions on the Executive Committee of the Assembly. That is amendment No. 377, which is transitional and provides that any Committees established, and Chairmen appointed, during the shadow phase will carry forward after devolution.
§ Lords amendment agreed to.