The Northern Ireland Grand Committee is one of four such
grand committees in the
United Kingdom Parliament. The other three are for
Scotland,
Wales and, as of October 2015,
England. The membership of the committee includes all participating
Northern Irish MPs, as well as up to 25 other MPs who are nominated by the Committee of Selection.
The purpose of the committee is to read bills that are relevant to Northern Ireland before their second or third readings in Parliament. It also provides an opportunity for MPs to question ministers, debate current matters and for ministers to make statements. There are between three and six committee meetings per year.
Until recently, unlike its Scottish and Welsh counterparts, the Northern Ireland Grand Committee met at
Westminster and never in
Northern Ireland. However, the
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a unionist, loyalist, and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who led the party for the next 37 years. Currently led by J ...
pressed for a meeting to take place in Northern Ireland itself. The government agreed, and in December 2006 the first local meeting of the committee took place in the
council
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
chamber at
Belfast City Hall. The committee met again in Northern Ireland in September 2013, this time in the Senate Chamber at
Parliament Buildings, Stormont.
See also
*
List of Committees of the United Kingdom Parliament
*
Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee
*
Scottish Grand Committee
*
Welsh Grand Committee
References
External links
Northern Ireland Grand Committee DebatesNorthern Ireland Grand Committee Debates by parliamentary year:
Committees of the British House of Commons
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