Exclusion of individual Ministers
24.The Secretary of State is given power to exclude a Minister or junior Minister from holding ministerial office for a period of between three and twelve months (new section 30A(2)). The power is exercisable by direction. The parliamentary procedure which must be followed is set out in section 9 of the present Act (see below). He is also given power to extend a period of exclusion for a further period of between three and twelve months (new section 30A(3)). The same test as is applied by the Assembly (see paragraph 1616 above) applies to the exercise of these powers by the Secretary of State (new section 30A(4)).
