4Assembly committees in relation to departments under control of Secretary of State
(1)The Assembly shall by its standing orders make provision—
(a)for the establishment, in relation to each Northern Ireland department whose functions are for the time being subject to paragraph 2(2) of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1974, of a committee of members of the Assembly for the purpose of considering the exercise of those functions; and
(b)for the appointment by the presiding officer of the Assembly of the members of each such committee and of a chairman and a deputy chairman (or two deputy chairmen) of each such committee from among its members.
(2)The appointments made pursuant to subsection (1)(b) above shall be such as to secure, so far as practicable, that the balance of parties in the Assembly is reflected—
(a)in the membership of each committee exclusive of the chairman and deputy chairman or chairmen;
(b)in the chairmen taken as a whole; and
(c)in the deputy chairmen taken as a whole.
(3)Special provision may be made by Order in Council under section 26(2) of the Constitution Act (salaries etc. of members of the Assembly) in respect of the members who are appointed as chairmen or deputy chairmen of committees established under this section, and different provision may be made as respects chairmen and deputy chairmen respectively.
(4)The foregoing provisions are without prejudice to the establishment by the Assembly of other committees to assist it in the discharge of its functions.