Stormont Assembly to go to one weekly sitting because of Covid-19

Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey wrote to the 90 MLAs on Wednesday night to say that after discussions with the various parties they had agreed to suspend all non-essential business for the foreseeable future.

Mr Maskey said that decision was to ensure that other political business “does not distract from the delivery of public services to deal with the impact of Covid-19”.

He said: “The priority of the Assembly will be on ensuring that decisions on Executive business, including legislation, can be taken, and that the ability for ministers to provide updates and be scrutinised on these issues continues in a publicly transparent way in the Assembly chamber.”

Mr Masked went on to say: “I am conscious that it is highly unusual for any Speaker to seek to reduce the ability of elected representatives to scrutinise ministers but these are extraordinary times and they require extraordinary measures.

“I am grateful for the co-operation that I have had from the political parties and their commitment to supporting public services and protecting public health during these difficult times.”

In his letter to MLAs, Mr Maskey said that the significant resources which are dedicated to Assembly business “cannot be ignored”, saying that in the first two months of devolution being restored some 800 questions had been tabled to the Health Minister.

Mr Maskey said that parties had agreed that private members motions – non-binding Assembly debates which have been criticised as often being a waste of time for a legislature – “will be postponed for the time to come”.

Mr Maskey asked MLAs to “refrain from tabling written questions” and instead he would encourage ministers to come tot he Assembly regularly to make statements and be questioned.

He also said that the Assembly’s main plenary meetings - normally held on a Monday and a Tuesday each week – will now only happen once a week and further thought would be given to how to implement social distancing in the Assembly chamber.

On Monday, the Assembly announced that Parliament Buildings will be closed to the public.

However, in line with other legislatures, MLAs have still resolved to continue to sit in the chamber to scrutinise ministers and take decisions – something which is likely to involve rushed emergency legislation and ministerial statements on the situation over coming weeks.

This morning significant changes were visible at Stormont’s health committee.

The few MLAs present – who were taking evidence in relation to the pandemic – were spaced out around the central table in the committee room while the committee chairman, Sinn Féin’s Colm Gildernew, joined the meeting remotely on Skype, with his image on a large screen at the front of the room.

The committee clerk relayed messages and questions from other MLAs where were following proceedings from home.