Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Bill 2017-19
18 October 2018
The principal aim and function of this Bill is to facilitate a period where the Executive can be formed and talks can take place.
This Bill is part of a package of measures aimed at restoring the devolved power-sharing Executive and Assembly and ensuring the continued delivery of public services in Northern Ireland. Those measures provided for in the Bill are:
Executive formation: provides a limited and prescribed period where Executive Ministers can be appointed and a Government can be formed at any time. During this period the Secretary of State has no legal duty to propose a date for an Assembly election. The Secretary of State will, however, have a discretionary power to call an election if she judges that it is in the public interest to do so.
Departmental decision-making: provisions to give greater clarity and certainty to enable Northern Ireland departments to continue to take decisions in Northern Ireland in the public interest to ensure the continued delivery of public services, and;
Public appointments: enable key public appointments to be made in the absence of Northern Ireland Ministers.
The text of the Bill and Explanatory Notes are available on the Parliamentary website. In response to a question Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom MP, announced that the Government’s intention is for all House of Commons stages of the Bill to be taken on Wednesday 24 October.
Full details of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Bill 2017-19 including a brief overview can be found in House of Commons Library Briefing Paper.