Motion

Motion TitleAmend Standing Order 3

Motion TextIn Standing Order 3— Leave out paragraphs (11) - (13); Renumber paragraph (14) as paragraph (11); and Renumber paragraph (15) as paragraph (12). After Standing Order 3, insert— ‘3A. Political Designation (1) After signing the Roll of Membership, a member may enter in the Roll his or her political designation. (2) A member’s political designation may be "Nationalist", "Unionist" or "Other". (3) A member may change his or her political designation only if— (a) (being a member of a political party) he or she becomes a member of a different political party or he or she ceases to be a member of any political party; (b) (not being a member of any political party) he or she becomes a member of a political party. (4) Any change in political designation takes effect immediately after notification in writing is submitted to the Speaker. (5) Where the Speaker has received a Notice of Political Designation from any member before the first meeting of an Assembly after dissolution, the Speaker shall report the contents of that Notice to the Assembly. (6) A Notice of Political Designation shall — (a) be submitted by a member only where exceptional circumstances prevent that member attending in person the first meeting of an Assembly after dissolution; (b) be in writing; (c) detail the exceptional circumstances which make it necessary for the member to submit the Notice; and (d) detail that member’s political designation (see paragraph (2)). (7) A Notice of Political Designation shall have effect only if received by the Speaker before the first meeting of an Assembly after dissolution. (8) Except where paragraph (3) applies, when a Member who has submitted a Notice of Political Designation takes his or her seat, he or she shall enter the designation set out in that Notice in the Roll of Membership. (9) A member who does not specify a political designation (whether by entering it in the Roll or by submitting a Notice of Political Designation) may be designated "Other" for the purposes of these Standing Orders and the Northern Ireland Act 1998. (10) In this Standing Order the term “the Speaker” includes where relevant an outgoing Speaker or Acting Speaker (see Standing Order 3).’

Motion CategoryCommittee Motion

Date Tabled to Business Office25/02/2022

Date Selected By Committee08/03/2022

Date of Plenary Debate14/03/2022