Speaker Poots warns MLAs not turning up for business ‘will not be tolerated’

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00:00I advise Members that I will be writing to all of you on the

00:03courtesies and conventions which apply to this House,

00:06following on from my remarks last week.

00:10Whilst I understand that individually these matters may

00:12appear trivial to some, together the procedures of this

00:15House underline the sittings of the Assembly are not just

00:18another engagement in Member's Darhouse, and this is just not

00:21another meeting room.

00:23At one time, there were only 90 people who had the immense

00:26privilege of participating in this Chamber, and they are

00:30given that privilege by the people who elect them.

00:34As an institution, this Assembly is the prime source of

00:37authority for devolved matters.

00:40Therefore, with the privilege given to us to be here comes

00:43the responsibility to exercise that authority by representing

00:47our constituents, holding Ministers to account in taking

00:51decisions to change policy and the law, to address the issues

00:55impacting all of the community.

00:58Respecting our courtesies and procedures is about respecting

01:03the serious business we have to do and respecting the people

01:06who put us here to do it.

01:08I also remind Members that next week will mark the first

01:10anniversary of the return of the Assembly, which the vast

01:14majority of Members of this Assembly wanted to see.

01:18Upholding a parliamentary culture around the serious

01:21business we have to do has a major part to play in restoring

01:25and increasing confidence in the Assembly.

01:28As Speaker, I cannot control the business that the Ministers

01:31and Members bring forward or the level of scrutiny which

01:34Members want to apply.

01:36However, it is my role and that of officials to seek to create

01:40the conditions for our business to be done properly and for

01:44effective scrutiny to be conducted.

01:47I have frequently raised issues with Ministers about ensuring

01:51that they bring business to the Assembly and that they comply

01:55with our procedures.

01:57The same must apply to Members.

01:59In the coming weeks, I intend to say more about our

02:01standards of debate.

02:03However, I am particularly writing to Members today about

02:06the need to be in the Chamber at the appropriate time for the

02:10business that they are due to participate in, whether that be

02:13questions, statements or debates.

02:16Ministers and Members are expected to give priority to

02:20the business of the Assembly sittings on Monday and Tuesday.

02:25Although it is acknowledged that all Members will not be

02:28involved in every debate on every issue in this Chamber,

02:31however, where they are due to participate, it is the

02:34responsibility of Members to monitor how business is moving

02:38and ensure that they are here when they are required to do so.

02:42Again, all of these points are about respecting business,

02:45we are here to do it and the people who have put us here

02:49to do it.

02:50One Member last week apologised for not being in their place in

02:53time, which was quite appropriate, and they sat on for

02:56the entirety of the question time.

03:00I have no issue with that.

03:01It was an honest mistake.

03:03However, there were other Members last week who did not

03:05turn up for questions.

03:07A lot of time was spent by Departments and Ministers

03:10preparing for those questions, and a lot of

03:13expense was put to them.

03:15It is pure common courtesy to be there for it.

03:19To not turn up and then not to apologise for it is something

03:24which we will not be tolerating.

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