AS well as plans to tackle the impasse on welfare reform, paramilitarism and flags and symbols, the 'Fresh Start' deal also put forward proposals in several other areas:
- cutting the number of assembly members from six to five per constituency in time for the 2021 assembly election
- the establishment of a 'compact civic advisory panel' of experts - a watered-down version of the previous civic forum - which will submit reports to the executive on 'two issues' every year
- that petitions of concern on assembly motions should 'only be tabled in exceptional circumstances'
- the establishment of an official opposition
- a reduction in the number of Executive departments from 12 to nine
- improvements to how public consultations are handled
