The Northern
Ireland Affairs Committee is appointed under Standing Order No
152 to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the
Northern Ireland Office; administration and expenditure of the
Crown Solicitor's Office (but excluding individual cases and advice
given by the Crown Solicitor); and other matters within the responsibilities
of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (but excluding
the expenditure, administration and policy of the Office of the
Director of Public Prosecutions, Northern Ireland and the drafting
of legislation by the Office of the Legislative Counsel).
The Committee consists of a maximum of thirteen Members,
of whom the quorum is four. Unless the House otherwise orders,
all Members nominated to the Committee continue to be members
of it for the remainder of the Parliament.
The Committee has power:
(a) to send for persons, papers and records,
to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn
from place to place, and to report from time to time;
(b) to appoint persons with technical knowledge
either to supply information which is not readily available or
to elucidate matters of complexity within the Committee's order
of reference;
(c) to communicate to any other committee appointed
under the same Standing Order (and to the European Scrutiny Committee,
to the Committee of Public Accounts, to the Deregulation Committee
and to the Environmental Audit Committee) its evidence and any
other documents relating to matters of common interest;
(d) to meet concurrently with any other such
committee for the purposes of deliberating, taking evidence, or
considering draft reports; or with the European Scrutiny Committee
or any Sub-Committee thereof, for the purposes of deliberating
or taking evidence.
The membership of the Committee since its nomination
on 28 July 1997 has been as follows:
Mr Peter Brooke (Chairman)
Mr Harry Barnes
Mr Roy Beggs
Mr Desmond Browne (discharged 9.11.98)
Mr Jeffrey Donaldson
Mr John Grogan
Mr Stephen Hesford (added 19.2.98)
Mr Andrew Hunter |
Mr Ken Livingstone
Mr Stephen McCabe (added 9.11.98)
Mr Eddie McGrady
Mr Tony McWalter
Ms Margaret Moran (discharged 19.2.98)
Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Martin Salter |
