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The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (usually referred to as the Assembly Commission) is the corporate body of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The commission is headed by the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, currently Alex Maskey MLA. [1]
The Northern Ireland Act (1998) established a Northern Ireland Assembly. The Act provides for the creation of a Commission to make "arrangements for administrative, secretarial or other assistance" to the Assembly. The Act defines the Presiding Officer (styled Speaker in the manner of the old Parliament of Northern Ireland) as the chairperson of the commission. Legal proceedings taken for or against the Assembly are taken for or against the commission on behalf of the Assembly. [2]
The Assembly staff assigned to this body now form an enlarged Commission Secretariat. The secretariat had a staff of 71 during the 2009-10 session. [3]
The commission has responsibility for the pay and pensions of members both directly and through tax-payer funded appointees. The first ever Act of the Assembly was to do with members pensions and was taken through its Assembly stages with very little ado by a member of the commission. The members of the commission are party appointees who receive a substantial premium over and above the basic MLA salary. This body also has an interest in the provision of property, staff and services to support Assembly members, Parliament Buildings and grounds.
The Commission consists of the Speaker along with five other Assembly members. [1]
| Party | Member | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | Alex Maskey MLA (chairperson) | |
| Alliance | Judith Cochrane | |
| DUP | Peter Weir | |
| Sinn Féin | Caitríona Ruane | |
| SDLP | Pat Ramsey | |
| UUP | Sam Gardiner | |
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyrood. The Parliament is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected for five-year terms under the regionalised form of additional member system (MMP): 73 MSPs represent individual geographical constituencies elected by the plurality (first-past-the-post) system, while a further 56 are returned as list members from eight additional member regions. Each region elects seven party-list MSPs. Each region elects 15 to 17 MSPs in total. The most recent general election to the Parliament was held on 6 May 2021, with the Scottish National Party winning a plurality.
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The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
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The Senedd Commission is the corporate body for the Senedd of Wales. The commission is responsible for ensuring the property, staff and services are provided for the Senedd. The commission consists of the Llywydd of the Senedd and four members from different political parties, who each have different portfolios of work. The commission is supported by staff in the Commission and Support Service. Prior to 2020, the body was known as the National Assembly for Wales Commission.
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A cross-community vote or cross-community support is a form of voting used in the Northern Ireland Assembly according to the provisions of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It requires the support of both main communities in Northern Ireland, in other words majority of unionists and the majority of nationalist members of the Assembly. Among other reasons, it arises when the petition of concern procedure is invoked.
There are five types of elections in the United Kingdom: elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elections to devolved parliaments and assemblies, local elections, mayoral elections, and police and crime commissioner elections. Within each of those categories, there may also be by-elections. Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday, and under the provisions of the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 the timing of general elections can be held at the discretion of the prime minister during any five-year period. All other types of elections are held after fixed periods, though early elections to the devolved assemblies and parliaments can occur in certain situations. The five electoral systems used are: the single member plurality system (first-past-the-post), the multi-member plurality, the single transferable vote, the additional member system, and the supplementary vote.
The House of Commons Commission is the overall supervisory body of the House of Commons administration in the United Kingdom. The commission is a corporate body established by the House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978. The commission continues to exist during the dissolution period and the person who was Speaker continues in office as a member of the commission until a speaker is chosen by the new parliament.
The role of official opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly can be taken by larger political parties who do not participate in Northern Ireland's consociational power-sharing Executive. Forming an Assembly Opposition empowers opposition parties to scrutinise the work of government, giving them financial assistance, enhanced speaking rights in the chamber and the right to chair certain committees.
| Assembly |   | |
|---|---|---|
| Committees | ||
| Constituencies | ||
| Parties | ||
| Elections | ||
| Members |
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| Procedure | ||
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