Paragraph 3
Paragraph 7 (provisions relating to relevant Ministers) is amended as follows.
After sub-paragraph (3) insert—
“(3A)But a member of the Assembly who is a member of a political party may not be nominated unless the nominating officer of the party consents to his nomination within a period specified in standing orders.”
In sub-paragraph (9), at the end insert
“; or
(d)where consent to his nomination was required under sub-paragraph (3A), he is dismissed by the nominating officer who consented (or that officer's successor) and the Presiding Officer is notified of his dismissal.”
After sub-paragraph (10) insert—
“(10A)If, as a result of the relevant Ministers (“the former Ministers”) ceasing to hold office and the relevant Ministerial offices being filled by virtue of sub-paragraph (10)(b),—
(a)the total number of Ministerial offices held by members of a political party increases; or
(b)the total number of Ministerial offices held by members of a political party decreases,
all other Northern Ireland Ministers shall cease to hold office and those Ministerial offices shall be filled by applying section 18(2) to (6) within a period specified in standing orders.
(10B)But sub-paragraph (10A) shall not apply if—
(a)either of the former Ministers ceased to hold office by virtue of being dismissed by a nominating officer under sub-paragraph (9)(d); and
(b)before the relevant Ministerial offices were filled, either of the conditions in sub-paragraph (10C) was satisfied in relation to each member of the Assembly who was a member of the political party of the nominating officer concerned.
(10C)The conditions are that—
(a)the First Minister and the deputy First Minister sought to nominate the member under sub-paragraph (3) for one of the relevant Ministerial offices but consent to his nomination was not given in accordance with sub-paragraph (3A); or
(b)the member was nominated under sub-paragraph (3) for one of the relevant Ministerial offices and the nomination took effect within the period specified in standing orders by virtue of sub-paragraph (5)(a), but the member did not take up the office within that period.”
After sub-paragraph (13) insert—
“(14)In this paragraph “nominating officer” has the same meaning as in section 18.”