Monitoring & Subscriptions

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The Northern Ireland Assembly - Legislation and Monitoring

Bills - TSO publish Bills and associated documents - Explanatory and Financial Memoranda, Notices and Marshalled Lists of Amendments and any amended version of the Bill - as it passes through the legislative stages.

  • First Stage - Introduction of Bill

  • Second Stage - General debate with an opportunity for Members to vote on its general principles

  • Committee Stage - Detailed investigation by a Committee followed by report to the Assembly

  • Consideration Stage - Consideration of amendments and an opportunity vote on details of the Bill

  • Further Consideration Stage

  • Final Stage - Passing or rejecting of Bill, without further amendment

  • Royal Assent

Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly - Since devolution the Assembly has the power to create Acts. Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly are proposed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, for Royal Assent, Acts of Parliament require approval from Westminster.

Orders in Council - The Northern Ireland Office, independent from the Assembly, has retained certain powers since devolution and still issues Orders in Council. Orders in Council are treated as the equivalent to a Westminster Act, being primary legislation they require approval at Westminster.

Explanatory & Financial Memoranda - Explanatory memoranda are available to aid understanding of all Northern Ireland Assembly Bills. They are particularly useful for those not legally qualified or without specialist knowledge of the subject matter, allowing the reader an insight into what the Bill sets out to achieve.

Marshalled List of Amendments - This publication gives details of amendments proposed to be made to the legislation until the date stated on the publication.

Statutory Rules - Statutory Rules (known as secondary or subordinate legislation) allow Government ministers or other authorities to regulate administrative details within the bounds established by an Act or Order in Council. Such Instruments have equal force of law to the original Act itself.

Statutory Instruments - Statutory Instruments affecting Northern Ireland are still being issued from Westminster. They are issued by TSO and are given both an SI number and a Northern Ireland number, the documents are hole-punched to fit into a special binder.

Monitoring

Northern Ireland Official Report (Hansard) - A verbatim record of speeches, debates, questions and answers, the report provides a fascinating record of the day's proceedings. Hansard contains a list of Assembly members and contains details on the committees and discussed legislation. The Report for each sitting day of the Assembly will be available from 8.30am on the following day. Hansard is available on subscription. There are several versions of Hansard:

The Daily Part - a verbatim record of debates held, Written Answers to questions and Division Lists

Hansard Northern Ireland Assembly Official Report

 

Bound Volumes - an archive set incorporating corrections from the daily part

The Weekly Information Bulletin (WIB) - An invaluable guide containing past and forthcoming Plenary and Committee business, with detailed information on Ministers, Departments and Committee Membership, the Weekly Information Bulletin (WIB) is a convenient and cost effective way of keeping up with events in the Assembly.

WIB contains general information about the Assembly, in particular summarising the previous week's business and the proposed agenda for the forthcoming week. WIB details the progress of legislation and Committees and Papers presented to the Assembly in the preceding week. WIB is available on subscription.

Northern Ireland Assembly - Weekly Information Bulletin