Guide to Submitting Evidence

1. All organisations and individuals are welcome to submit evidence.

2. Written evidence should give a brief introduction to the persons or organisations submitting it (perhaps stating their area of expertise, etc). It should also set out any factual information they have to offer from which the Committee might be able to draw conclusions (or which could be put to witnesses for their reactions). It is also helpful to include any recommendations for action by the Government or others that the witnesses would like the Committee to consider for inclusion in its Report.

3. Written evidence should be in the form of a brief, self-contained memorandum prefaced with a 2-4-page summary. Paragraphs should be numbered. If possible, colour printing should be avoided.

4. If at all possible written evidence should be forwarded to the address below by E-mail. However, if this is not viable please send fifteen copies of the material submitted, but if this would cause delay or difficulty, a single copy will suffice. Memoranda should be stapled rather than bound so that further copies can easily be made.

5. All communications should be sent to Lucia Wilson (Committee Clerk) Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Room 344, Parliament Buildings, Ballymiscaw, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX. Our E-mail address is: committee.cal@niassembly.gov.uk . Our fax number is 028 9052 1355.

6. Once written evidence has been submitted it is for the committee to decide the manner and timing of its publications and those submitting written evidence should consult the Clerk if they wish to seek the Committee’s agreement to make their evidence public themselves. There is no objection to witnesses simply outlining the views expressed in it.

7. Unless indicated otherwise it will be assumed that those submitting written evidence have no objections to it being made public by the Committee. If witnesses give oral evidence, copies of their written evidence will usually be made available to the press and public at the hearing and treated as being in the public domain thereafter. Written evidence submitted by those not giving oral evidence will usually be made public by the Committee at the end of the inquiry, by publication or other means.

8. Those submitting written evidence may like to give an indication of any wish to be invited to give oral evidence.

9. Witnesses should be aware that if they decide to publish the evidence that they provide to the Committee, the publication will not be covered by privilege in relation to the law of defamation. Witnesses who nevertheless decide to publish their evidence should provide the Committee with advance notice of their intentions.