Northern Ireland (Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan) Bill — Clause 8 — Investigation and Determination of Alledged Breaches of the Undertaking by Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly — 10 Mar 2016 at 15:00

The majority of MPs voted against establishing an enforcement process, comprising investigation, determination and penalty, in order to ensure compliance with the terms of the statutory undertaking by members of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

MPs were considering the Northern Ireland (Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan) Bill^[1].

The amendment rejected by the majority of MPs taking part in this vote was:

• Amendment proposed: 6, page 5, line 11, at end insert—
• “(5) Standing orders must provide for a process for investigating any alleged breach of the undertaking by any member of the Assembly and for determining whether the undertaking has been breached.
• (5A) Standing orders must provide for sanctions that shall apply to any member of the Assembly who has been found to breach the terms of the undertaking.”

The rejected amendment was accompanied by text explaining its intent which stated:

• This amendment requires the Northern Ireland Assembly to have an enforcement process, comprising investigation, determination and penalty, in order to ensure compliance with the terms of the statutory undertaking by members of the Assembly.

The rejected amendment would have resulted in the additional text being added to Clause 8^[2] of the Bill titled Undertaking by members of the Assembly. The clause introduced an undertaking members of the Northern Ireland assembly would be required to accept before participating in any proceedings of the assembly. The undertaking states:

• I undertake:
• to support the rule of law unequivocally in word and deed and to support all efforts to uphold it;
• to work collectively with the other members of the Assembly
• to achieve a society free of paramilitarism;
• to challenge all paramilitary activity and associated criminality;
• to call for, and to work together with the other members of the Assembly to achieve, the disbandment of all paramilitary organisations and their structures;
• to challenge paramilitary attempts to control communities;
• to support those who are determined to make the transition away from paramilitarism;
• to accept no authority, direction or control on my political activities other than my democratic mandate alongside my own personal and party judgment.”

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• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan) Bill

Debate in Parliament | Source |