21 June 2002

PN 4/2002

CONSULTATION ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY "CODE OF CONDUCT AND THE GUIDE TO THE RULES RELATING TO THE CONDUCT OF MEMBERS"

Mr Donovan McClelland, the Chairman of the Assembly's Committee on Standards and Privileges, today announced that the Committee had published its Second Report, Consultation on Proposed Amendments to the Northern Ireland Assembly "Code of Conduct and The Guide to the Rules Relating to the Conduct of Members". Speaking after a meeting of the Committee, Mr McClelland said:

"In March this year, the Committee announced its intention to undertake a fundamental and searching review of the two key Assembly documents which inform the behaviour of Members and ensure that they are accountable for the conduct of their public duties. These two documents are the Assembly "Code of Conduct" and "The Guide to the Rules Relating to the Conduct of Members".

In reviewing these, the Committee examined the scope for introducing a greater ethical dimension to the Code and the Guide. The Committee is convinced that Assembly Members will wish to demonstrate fully and openly their commitment to the highest levels of probity in the conduct of their duties inside and outside the Assembly".

The Assembly "Code of Conduct" details the seven general principles of conduct which underpin public life and which were originally identified by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1995. The Northern Ireland Assembly subscribed to this Code by way of a resolution of the Assembly in December 1999.

The "Guide to the Conduct of Members" deals with registering and declaring financial and other interests and the application of the rule prohibiting paid advocacy (lobbying for reward or consideration).

Speaking about the practical details associated with the inquiry/review, Mr McClelland said:

"The Committee has conducted a detailed review of the Code and the Guide to the Conduct of Members and has now published its consultation document on proposed amendments to these two documents. This consultation document will be widely circulated with copies being issued to local councils and public libraries and can be accessed on the Assembly website.

Comments and observations on the proposed amendments are now being invited and the consultation period ends on Monday 16th September 2002. We will then invite a number of key witnesses and experts to give evidence to the Committee. It is our intention to have our final report on the review of the Code and the Guide published before Christmas. This final report will be the subject of a major debate in the Assembly."

Concluding his remarks, Mr McClelland said:

"The review of the Code and the Guide is an extremely important piece of work not only for the Committee but also for the Assembly and all its Members. The Committee is determined to promote high ethical standards by Assembly Members in the discharge of their public duties. The Committee also supports the full and frank declaration of financial and other interests by Assembly Members.

In the final analysis, the purpose of the Code and the Guide, and any amendments to it that the Committee proposes, is to provide a framework within which the conduct of Members can be judged by the people of Northern Ireland."

Notes for Editors

The Committee on Standards and Privileges is a Standing Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly established in accordance with paragraph 10 of Strand One of the Belfast Agreement and under Assembly Standing Orders 48 and 52. The Committee has 11 members including a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson and a quorum of 5.

The Committee has power:

• to consider specific matters relating to privilege referred to it by the Assembly;
• to oversee the work of the Assembly Clerk of Standards;
• to examine the arrangements for the compilation, maintenance and accessibility of the Register of Members' Interests and any other registers of interest established by the Assembly, and to review from time to time the form and content of those registers;
• to consider any specific complaints made in relation to the registering or declaring of interests referred to it;
• to consider any matter relating to the conduct of Members, including specific complaints in relation to alleged breaches of any code of conduct to which the Assembly has agreed and which have been drawn to the Committee's attention;
• to recommend any modifications to any Assembly code of conduct as may from time to time appear to be necessary.

The Committee is appointed at the start of every Assembly, and has power to send for persons and papers and records that are relevant to its enquiries.

The membership of the Committee since its establishment on 29 November 1999 has been as follows:

Mr Donovan McClelland: Chairperson
Mr Roy Beggs Jnr: Deputy Chairperson ***
Mr Derek Hussey: Deputy Chairperson ***

Dr Ian Adamson
Mr Paul Berry**
Mr Arthur Doherty
Sir John Gorman CVO, CBE, MC, DL
Mr Kieran Mc Carthy
Mr Pat Mc Namee
Mr D O'Connor
Dr Dara O'Hagan
Mr Edwin Poots*
Mr James Wells

* Mr Edwin Poots resigned from the Committee on 11 September 2000
** Mr Paul Berry was appointed to the Committee on 11 September 2000
*** Mr Derek Hussey replaced Mr Roy Beggs on the Committee on 5 March 2002

All enquiries about the work of the Committee on Standards and Privileges should be directed to:

Mr Donovan McClelland or Clerk of Standards
Chairman Room 402
Committee on Standards and Privileges Parliament Buildings
Room 323 Stormont
Parliament Buildings Belfast BT4 3XX
Stormont
Belfast BT4 3XX
(( 02890 521 693) (( 02890 520 333)

Northern Ireland Assembly Information Office, Room B2, Parliament Buildings, Belfast, BT4 3XX. Telephone 01232-521137/521396. Fax 01232-521961.

Website Address - archive.niassembly.gov.uk: E-mail - info.office@ni-assembly.gov.uk