Assembly (Ministerial Appearances) (Hansard, 8 December 1982)

§ Mr. Prior

The text is as follows:

"Dear Speaker, Shortly before I went to the United States we had a word about Ministerial participation in the work of the Assembly, and you sought, in particular, my views on Ministerial appearances at a weekly Question Time and a weekly Adjournment Debate. As the Assembly is now drawing up its Standing Orders, it might be helpful if I set out in general terms the part which I envisage that I and other Northern Ireland Office Ministers will play in the Assembly so that the Government's views can be taken into account when the Assembly comes to consider the Standing Orders. During the passage of the Northern Ireland Bill in Parliament this summer, my colleagues and I made it clear that we wished to be as helpful as possible to the Assembly and its Committees. This is the spirit in which we shall approach the task. I believe that in general it will be in the six Statutory Committees that Ministers will be able to make their most effective contribution. Ministers, or officials acting on their behalf, will be ready to accept invitations to meetings of these committees in order to set out Government policy and to deal with questions under discussion. They will also provide these Committees with papers relating to their responsibilities. I hope that a close liason will develop between the Statutory Committees and their respective Ministers and Departments, on an informal as well as a formal basis, which will enable them to inject the views of locally elected representatives into the Department's work. I also envisage that NIO Ministers will be ready to make themselves available to explain major new Government policy proposals concerning Northern Ireland in plenary session. I would not expect to be involved in Assembly business to the same extent as my Ministerial colleagues but I am ready to consider invitations to address the Assembly from time to time in plenary session on specific topics; and I shall of course be meeting the Assembly on 30 November to discuss security. Against this background I have thought carefully about your proposals for Ministerial appearances at a Question Time and Adjournment Debates. As to the former, you may recall that this was a point Peter Robinson put to me during Committee Stage of the Northern Ireland Bill, and I replied that I did not think Ministers would wish to get involved in a Question Time.—[Official Report, 15 June 1982, c. 917.] This remains my view. Question Time at Westminster is a practical result of the facts that Ministers are directly accountable to Parliament. That will remain the case. Following devolution of powers to the Assembly, political heads of Northern Ireland Departments become answerable to the Assembly, as in 1974, but until then accountability for all aspects of Northern Ireland 532W affairs will lie to Parliament. This is in accordance with paragraph 36 of the White Paper, which indeed reflects the constitutional position. Similar arguments apply to Adjournment Debates to which Ministers would respond. The character of an adjournment debate is similar to that of a Question Time in that it reflects the fact that Ministers must expect to render account to Parliament for all their actions. The closer the Assembly seeks to model itself on Westminster as regards Parliamentary questions, adjournment debates and so forth, the more difficult it will be for me and my Ministerial colleagues in the Northern Ireland Office to reconcile the constitutional obligation to Westminster with our wish to co-operate with the Assembly. I therefore hope that more flexible arrangements can be devised which, while recognising that the Assembly will seek to hear Ministers regularly, will also take account of our prior and overriding responsibilities to Parliament. These arrangements should be specially tailored to the Assembly's own needs and possibilities. Rigid arrangements will not work in practice and will simply lead to the kind of misunderstanding between the Assembly and the Government which I am anxious to avoid. What I have in mind is in line with what I said in Parliament on 15 June during Committee Stage of the Northern Ireland Bill: 'There will be occasions, in the early stages at any rate, before devolved government has taken place, when it will be appropriate for Ministers, if they are requested to do so, to attend debates, make statements and answer debates. That will be a matter that is best left to the Assembly and Ministers to work out nearer the time, at the time, or after the Assembly has been set up.'—[Official Report, 15 June 1982, c. 917.] It will inevitable take time for the new arrangements to settle down but let me make it clear that my colleagues and I are keen to establish a good, but realistic, relationship with the Assembly. I suggest that, subject to Parliamentary constraints, we might begin with arrangements under which a Northern Ireland Office Minister would meet the Assembly approximately once a week, either to lead a discussion, answer a debate or make a statement on a particular topic, followed by questions on that statement. I should also say that while I do not believe it would be proper for Ministers to answer oral and written 'Parliamentary Questions' as such, any representations from Assembly Members will of course be dealt with by Ministers personally, whether in correspondence, meetings with Assembly Committees, or, from time to time, during discussions between Ministers and the Assembly in plenary session. I recognise that this is a sensitive and difficult area and would therefore be glad to discuss the issues involved in the next day or so if you wish. Yours sincerely James Prior".