Speaker announces review of private members bills as MP accuses MLAs of 'headline grabbing' laws

It comes as a DUP MP accused MLAs of pursuing ‘headline grabbing’ laws without thought to the cost and whether they could be delivered.

Private members bills (PMBs) can be brought by MLAs outside the normal route of departments legislating within their remit.

Bills have covered issues such as climate, hunting with dogs, free period products and integrated education.

Critics say they can be ill-conceived and ineffective, often without proper regard for the budgets of the departments they will affect. Supporters argue that they are essential to stop the Executive shutting out issues they don’t want to deal with.

Speaker Edwin Poots told MLAs on Monday: "I know a number of members have asked when private members bills can be submitted. I do intend to ensure that members can submit proposals for private members bills.

"However, members will have noted the scale, level and pace of private members bills going through the last Assembly – and that didn’t always create the right conditions for effective scrutiny.

"Therefore I will be taking some time to review the arrangements to ensure as much as possible those arrangements encourage robust and well-developed legislation”.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson told the News Letter that MLAs were often legislating based on the headlines generated, without thinking through the implications for Stormont’s limited budget.

The East Antrim MP said: “It’s all about headlines, it’s all about keeping the twittersphere happy. There should be an obligation now [for the Assembly] – before any new laws or regulations are passed – the bill is attached to them.

"That would be a reform that would be – especially in the straitened circumstances that we’re in at the minute – an absolute essential”.

He said politicians know they need to work within a budget and they should decide what their priorities are and how much they’re going to cost. Mr Wilson said MLAs need to make it quite clear to people what priorities they have chosen above others.