Ministers will not be allowed to evade Assembly accountability, Poots warns

Stormont’s Speaker has warned ministers that he will not accept any attempts to “evade responsibility” in accountability to the Assembly.

Edwin Poots delivered the warning after MLAs were told DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons had referred 78 written questions sent to his department to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in a month.

The Speaker ruled it was “not in order” for ministers to answer questions by advising MLAs to send an email to an arm’s length body.

The row flared during ministerial question time when Mr Lyons faced queries from SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan about his procedures for answering written questions.

Mr Durkan said: “Within the first month of taking office, the minister has referred 78 Assembly questions to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; that’s not to mention Sport NI or the Arts Council.

“Does the minister think this is acceptable? Does this make him accountable? Has he any plans to review this practice?”

Mr Lyons said he had no plans to review the practice, stating he wanted Assembly members to get information in the most “timely way possible”.

After similar concerns were raised by SDLP MLA Cara Hunter, Mr Lyons said: “I do think it is interesting that the member hasn’t asked a question about housing, about poverty or about sports provision, or about homelessness or about regeneration or disability support.

“It is a process issue, that is what the SDLP seem most concerned about.”

At the end of ministerial questions, Mr Durkan raised his concerns in a point of order with the Speaker.

Mr Poots said standing orders provide questions must be answered “as clearly and fully as possible”.

He said when a question fell within a minister’s responsibilities, the minister has a duty to provide a full answer.

The Speaker added: “It is not in order to avoid answering by advising members to send an email to someone else instead.

“I want to emphasise the point to all ministers, it just doesn’t include one, they are required to be accountable to this House and this Assembly.

“I will not accept any attempts to evade this responsibility.”

Mr Poots said previous ministers within the department had directly answered questions about the Housing Executive.

He added: “I have not been informed of any reason why there should be any change to this approach.

“I therefore appreciate the member’s frustration, which is now on the record, and I will have an expectation that the duty as set out in standing order 19.5 is adhered to in ministers answering questions to members.”