A SUBMISSION BY THE ULSTER UNIONIST PARTY

Arrangements for the Internal Government and Administration of Northern Ireland.

It is an indisputable fact that by far the greater number of the people of Northern Ireland wish to remain citizens of the United Kingdom.

1. It therefore follows that the Parliament for Northern Ireland is the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in which all seventeen constituencies are now represented.

2. The Government for Northern Ireland is Her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

3. A Secretary of State for Northern Ireland would continue to be wholly accountable to Parliament for such responsibilities which he continued to exercise.

4. Parliament will be invited to establish in Northern Ireland an elected Assembly to assume responsibility for the existing Northern Ireland Departments as set out hereunder:-

Agriculture

Education

Health & Social Services

Environment

Economic Development

Finance & Personnel

The Assembly will consist of 5 persons per Westminster Parliamentary Constituency, and will have a term of four/five years. Our Party has always preferred the "First past the post" system as the method of election as pertains throughout the rest of the Kingdom. However if Proportional Representation is to be the method chosen then our preference would be for the "Modified List System".

5. A Speaker and two Deputy Speakers who will preside over Sessions of the Assembly shall be elected by the Assembly.

6. Executive Committees

6.1 Executive Committees shall be elected by the Assembly to direct, scrutinise and monitor the operations of each Northern Ireland Department (with the approval of the Assembly). The number of Committees may vary from time to time.

6.2 A mechanism should be found, possibly involving the Secretory [sic] of State, whereby Sinn Fein and other parties or individuals promoting the use of violence would be excluded from membership of such Committees.

6.3 The Committees will prepare and implement approved policies and apportion resources within their respective Departments. Appropriate inter-Departmental arrangements would be required for financial co-ordination, apportionment, and resource management.

6.4 Membership of each Executive Committee will reflect as far as possible the political configuration of the Assembly.

6.5 There shall be a Chairman and two Deputy Chairmen for each Executive Committee and they shall serve for the full term of the Assembly. The Committee Chairmen will be responsible for the day-to-day running of their Departments.

6.6 The Chairman and Deputy Chairmen of each Executive Committee will be chosen in relation to party strengths in the Assembly.

7. Other Committees

7.1 A Business Committee chaired by the Speaker will be established to deal with the day-to-day business of the Assembly.

7.2 A Committee will be established to discuss with appropriate Government Departments and persons in the Irish Republic and the EC matters of mutual concern and interest, and recommend to the Assembly appropriate action.

7.3. A Security Committee shall be established by the Assembly. This Committee may wish to assume responsibility for those matters presently within the remit of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland.

8. We would envisage some form of legislative role for the Executive Committees in addition to their administrative function. This could take a number of forms depending upon the degree of legislative responsibility which is workable in such a system. At the very least such Committees would require to be consulted on any proposed legislation which Her Majesty's Government intends to introduce in respect of transferred matters. At a different level a Committee might with the approval of the Assembly and the Secretary of State seek to introduce to Parliament by appropriate procedure Bills relating specifically to Northern Ireland. Ultimately it may prove feasible to devolve full legislative powers to the Assembly for those transferred matters which fall within it's remit. In this event appropriate steps will have to be taken to ensure adequate consideration of draft measures by the Assembly and the Committees thereof.

9. The Rights and Responsibilities of the citizen shall be defined and safeguarded within appropriate legislation.