§ Mr. Molyneauxasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish, as a Command Paper or otherwise, the Government's comments on the criticisms and proposals in the Fifth Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules together with an indication of the steps to be taken in consequence.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesNo. The Office of Examiner of Statutory Rules was established by resolution of the Northern Ireland Assembly. With the dissolution of the Assembly the functions of the Examiner lapsed, but he was asked to continue to compile reports as before. His reports—copies of which are placed in the Library—guide Northern Ireland Departments in preparing and making statutory rules and are not the sort of document that calls for formal comments from the Government.