asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What are the circumstances that would cause an election to be held for the Northern Ireland Assembly in March 2007. [HL700]

Section 3(1) of the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 provides for the next Northern Ireland Assembly election to take place on 7 March 2007. The Act provides that an election may not take place only if, before that date, the Secretary of State considers that there would be no reasonable prospect that each of the ministerial offices would be filled on 26 March 2007 and makes an order under Section 2(1) of the Act.

asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What would happen were an election not to be held for the Northern Ireland Assembly in March 2007. [HL701]

The Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 provides that the 7 March election to the Northern Ireland Assembly would fail to take place only if the Secretary of State made an order under Section 2(1) of the Act bringing Schedule 3 into force. This would also have the effect of dissolving the Northern Ireland Assembly and indefinitely postponing future elections to it.