FIRST REPORT OF THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS AND PRIVILEGES

The fifth meeting of the Committee on Standards and Privileges was held on the 5 th September at Parliament Buildings under the Chairmanship of Carmel HannaMLA. Mr Tom Frawley, the Interim Assembly Commissioner for Standards, and his deputy Mr John MacQuarrie, attended the meeting. The meeting focussed on a report by the Interim Commissioner on a complaint received by the Committee, alleging a breach of the Members’ Code of Conduct by Mr Ian Paisley Junior MLA.

The Committee could not reach a consensus on the report’s conclusion at this meeting. It was therefore proposed that the Committee endorse the conclusion of the Interim Commissioner’s report. This proposal was carried by six Members to four.

At the Committee’s meeting on the 12 th September the Committee agreed its report on the conclusion reached by the Interim Assembly Commissioner for Standards in his report. The Chairperson, Mrs Carmel Hanna, spoke of the complex issues that the complaint presented to the Committee

“The Interim Commissioner’s report identifies the difficulty in exercising the right of freedom of expression in relation to personal beliefs and opinion when one is also a public representative. As the Interim Commissioner states, that right must be balanced with not only the responsibility of holding public office and showing leadership to the community as a whole, but also to the manner in which Members express their personal beliefs and views.

The Committee considered this complaint solely in the context of its remit; that is, did the comments by Mr Ian Paisley Junior breach the Members’ Code of Conduct? More specifically, the Committee considered the Interim Commissioner’s conclusion that the comments did not breach the Code. As evidenced by the necessity to vote to resolve this issue, opinions in the Committee were divided. However, this outcome should not be interpreted as indicating in any way the Committee’s position on the moral or social issues that set the context for this complaint.

At the first meeting of the Committee on Standard and Privileges it was agreed that the Committee would review the Members’ Code of Conduct as part of its forward work programme. The Committee will take this review forward as a matter of priority”.

Notes for Editor:
The Committee on Standards and Privileges is a Standing Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Committee’s areas of responsibility include the consideration of matters relating to the conduct of members; the examination of arrangements for the compilation, maintenance and accessibility of the Register of Members’ Interests; and the consideration of matters relating to privilege.

The membership of the Committee on Standards and Privileges are as follows:
Mrs Carmel Hanna (Chairperson)
Mr Gerry McHugh (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Allan Bresland
Mr Francie Brolly
Mr Willie Clarke
Rev Robert Coulter
Mr Alex Easton
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Alastair Ross
Mr George Savage
Mr Brian Wilson

All enquiries regarding the work of the Committee should be directed to the Clerk of Standards, Dr Kevin Pelan, Room 407, Parliament Buildings, Belfast, BT4 3XX (028 905 20333).
Media enquiries should be addressed to:

Northern Ireland Assembly Information Office,
Room B2, Parliament Buildings,
Belfast BT4 3XX.
Telephone 028 90521137/521396.
Fax 028 90521961.
Website Address: archive.niassembly.gov.uk
E-mail: info.office@niassembly.gov.uk