§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what extent there is power sharing on local authorities.
§ Mr. ConcannonParagraph 7 of Schedule 2 to the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 provides that all acts of a district council and all questions coming or arising before a council shall be done and decided by a majority of the councillors present and voting thereon at a meeting of the council. At least 12 separate political parties are represented amongst the membership of the 26 district councils and there is a sizeable number of non-party and independent members. In those councils in which the representation of the major parties is fairly equally divided the tendency is to share offices and appointments to committees and other public bodies, but the pattern is not quite the same in every council.