Commentary on Sections Committees Section 10: Statutory committee for Office of First Minister and deputy First Minister
64.Section 10 makes amendments to section 29 of the 1998 Act to provide for the establishment of a statutory committee to advise and assist the First and deputy First Ministers in the formulation of policies in relation to their responsibilities as the Ministers jointly in charge of the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. The effect of this section is to put the former non-statutory “Committee of the Centre”, which was in operation prior to the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly, on a statutory footing.