Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“Tomorrow, 24th November, the Assembly will debate the Consideration Stage of my Private Member’s Bill, the Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which seeks to put into law several transparency and accountability measures to place a check on the abuse of power exposed through the RHI Inquiry.
“Among the changes my Bill proposes are the following:-
- a cap on SpAd pay, linking it as a maximum to that of a Grade 5 civil servant;
- requiring a transparent recruitment process for SpAds;
- making SpAds subject to the disciplinary processes of the Civil Service;
- requiring Permanent Secretaries to ensure no one is afforded the privileges of a SpAd who is not properly appointed (this follows the abuse of Sinn Fein in circumventing the ban on convicted terrorists holding the post);
- removing the power of the Junior Ministers to appoint SpAds so as to reduce the number in the Executive Office to 6;
- making ministers for the first time subject to the complaints procedures operated by the Assembly Standards Commissioner;
- requiring notes to be made and retained of all ministerial meetings;
- requiring a record to be made and retained of all lobbying of ministers;
- making it a criminal offence for ministers or SpAds to hide material by keeping it off the official IT systems of government;
- making it a criminal offence for a minister, SpAd or civil servant to communicate official information to a third party to the financial or other improper benefit of themselves or others;
- and requiring a biennial review of improvements that could be made to the functioning of government.
“I believe these measures cumulatively will allow progress in improving and cleaning up government.
“During its Committee Stage I have made a number of changes in response to points convincingly made by other MLAs and witnesses (including Mr Sam McBride who has an unsurpassed knowledge of RHI issues). I am grateful to the majority of committee members and parties who very constructively examined the detail of the Bill and in consequence I believe it has emerged stronger and better. Sinn Fein, of course, did not engage but merely declared its opposition to any change. They professed that Codes – which RHI repeatedly showed were simply ignored – are enough. Why they want no change is informative in itself.
“In order to try and maximise support for my Bill I have had to recognise I could not achieve all I wished, though apart from accepting that there is not sufficient consensus to reduce the number of SpAds for the First Minister and deputy First Minister below 6, I believe the key components of the Bill have been preserved, indeed improved.
“Now, it is up to the Assembly as a whole to deliberate and decide. I look forward to Tuesday’s debate.”