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ASSEMBLY AND EXECUTIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE

 MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY, 3 JULY 2007
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson, MP (Chairperson)
Mr Danny Kennedy
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Ian McCrea
Mr Alan McFarland
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín
Mr John O’Dowd
Mr George Robinson

In Attendance:
Mrs Debbie Pritchard (Principal Clerk)
Mr Stephen Graham (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Roisin Donnelly (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Keith McBride (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Lynn Gray (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr Alex Attwood

The meeting opened at 11:05am in public session.

  1. Apologies

Alex Attwood

  1. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held 12 June 2007

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting of 3 July 2007 .

  1. Matters Arising
    (a) Members’ Interests

    Carál Ní Chuilín informed the Committee that further to the interests declared at the last meeting (noted in the minutes), she was no longer a member of Belfast City Council, Belfast Local Strategic Partnership or a Director of North Belfast Partnership Board. 

(b) Efficiency Review Panel

The Chairperson advised members that the Clerk had received correspondence from OFMDFM reaffirming their commitment to consult with the Committee on matters relating to the Efficiency Review Panel.

Agreed: That the Clerk should respond to OFMDFM to request confirmation that there will be prior consultation with the Committee about the Efficiency Review Panel and that the letter should also request information about preparations to date and the timescale for consulting the Committee and establishing the Panel.

11.10 am George Robinson joined the meeting
11:11 am Nelson McCausland joined the meeting

(c) Committee on Procedures

The Chairperson advised members that the Committee on Procedures had confirmed that they will consult with the Assembly & Executive Review Committee as part of their review of Committee Systems and Structures as well as surveying members. Members noted the Terms of Reference for the related inquiry.

Agreed: That the Committee would consider this matter further after the summer recess.

(d) Committee Meetings

The Chairperson advised members that further to discussion at the last meeting regarding the arrangements for, and timing of committee meetings, the Clerk had contacted the Keeper of the House regarding the availability of rooms for committee meetings. The Committee noted the prospect of an additional room being made available for committee meetings.

  1. Chairperson’s Business

    The Chairperson advised members that 3 outstanding issues remained for consideration by the Committee regarding its forward work programme:

Agreed: That the Clerk write to OFMDFM to establish the current status of the Review Group and what discussions, if any, have taken place with the Irish Government. As there is potentially an overlap of responsibility, it was further agreed that the letter be copied to the Chair of the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister .  

Agreed: That the Clerk should prepare a further paper detailing the remit of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee in relation to Strand 2 issues .

Agreed: That the Committee should retain an interest in the strategies for the Irish Language, Ulster Scots and Poverty and Social Inclusion, and that the Clerk should liaise with his counterparts to ensure the Committee is kept informed of any relevant inquiries which the respective statutory committees might conduct.

  1. Multiple Mandates

The Chairperson invited Members to declare relevant interests. The following interests were declared:

Jeffrey Donaldson:

Danny Kennedy:

George Robinson:

Nelson McCausland:

Mr O’Dowd declared the following interest:

There was a general discussion on the potential conflicts of interests, and potential conflicts of time, caused by multiple mandates, the impact of examining this issue in the context of the overall work plan and on how the Committee wished to proceed on the subject of multiple mandates.

11:29 am Ian McCrea joined the meeting

Mr McCrea declared the following interest:

Members noted the briefing note and table presenting multiple mandate information on Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

11:42 am Carál Ní Chuilín left the meeting
11:44 am Danny Kennedy left the meeting

The Committee Clerk (in the absence of Dr Peter Gilleece) highlighted the key issues in the tabled research paper on multiple mandates.

Agreed: That the Chairperson should write to all the political parties represented in the Assembly to invite their views on multiple mandates and potential conflicts of interest and of time, and to establish their views on the commitment to phase out multiple mandates as expressed in the Preparation for Government Committee’s report on Institutional Issues.

  1. Inquiry into the Devolution of Policing and Justice

The Chairperson invited Members to declare relevant interests. The following interests were declared:

Jeffrey Donaldson:

George Robinson:

Ian McCrea

(a) Briefing by Northern Ireland Office Officials

Peter May and Clare Salters, Northern Ireland Office officials, joined the meeting at 11.58 am and gave a presentation on the devolution of policing and justice matters.

After their presentation, the officials answered questions from the members and agreed to write to the Committee Clerk with further information.

The officials left the meeting at 12.32 pm.

(b) Papers presented by political parties at the Criminal Justice System Conference

Members noted the papers presented by the DUP, SDLP and UUP at the Criminal Justice System Conference held on 5 June 2007. John O’Dowd confirmed that the paper presented by Sinn Féin would be forwarded to the Clerk for distribution in due course.

(c) Analysis of the views of political parties in relation to NIO proposals

Members noted the briefing paper providing and analysis of the political parties’ views on the NIO proposals contained in the discussion paper ‘Devolving Policing and Justice in Northern Ireland’.

(d) Draft Terms of Reference

There was some discussion on the level of detail and the issues to be reflected in the Terms of Reference.

Agreed: That the draft Terms of Reference should be adopted.

(e) Inquiry Workplan

Agreed: That the proposed inquiry work plan be adopted.

(f) Written Submissions

There was some discussion on the proposed list of organisations from whom written submissions would be invited.

Agreed: That letters would be issued inviting written submissions from those on the list presented (subject to one omission) and that a further consultation list to be obtained from OFMDFM Equality Unit, would also be used.

Agreed: That a public notice would be placed in the local newspapers inviting written submissions from any interested individual or group.

Agreed: That the political parties would be furnished with the briefing paper from the NIO, the official transcript of the briefing session, the analysis of party positions and the Criminal Justice Conference papers.

The Chairperson reminded members that the deadline for receipt of written submissions was 17 August 2007.

  1. Draft Press Release

Members agreed a press release.

  1. Any Other Business

There was no other business.

  1. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 11 September at 11:00am in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.03 pm.

RT HON JEFFREY DONALDSON, MP
Chairperson, Assembly and Executive Review Committee
11 September 2007

12 June 07 / MENU