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ASSEMBLY AND EXECUTIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE

Minutes of Proceedings

Tuesday 19 February 2008
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson, MP (Chairperson)
Mr Alex Attwood
Mrs Carmel Hanna
Mr Danny Kennedy
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Ian McCrea
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr John O’Dowd
Mr George Robinson

In Attendance:
Mrs Debbie Pritchard (Principal Clerk)
Mr Stephen Graham (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Sinead Nash (Assistant Clerk)
Ms Lynn Gray (Clerical Supervisor)

Apologies:
Mr Raymond McCartney (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín

The meeting opened at 10.40am in closed session.

  1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

  1. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held on 12 February 2008

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2008.

  1. Inquiry into the Devolution of Policing and Justice

The following interests were declared:

Jeffrey Donaldson:

Ian McCrea:

10.44am George Robinson joined the meeting

3.1 Outstanding Matters
3.1.1 NIO Letter 14 February 2008: Prosecution Policy

Members noted the NIO letter of 14 February 2008 which provided clarification on the roles and responsibilities in relation to prosecution policy.

3.1.2 NIO Letter 14 February 2008: Issues to be addressed

Members noted the second NIO letter of 14 February which provided clarification on a number of outstanding issues raised by the Committee regarding:

10.47am Carmel Hanna joined the meeting

3.1.3 Northern Ireland Police Fund

Members noted the NIO letter of 15 October 2007 which stated that the Northern Ireland Police Fund will transfer to the Department.

Agreed: That the Northern Ireland Police Fund should transfer according to the arrangements set out in the NIO letter of 15 October 2007.

3.1.4 Judicial Appointments Ombudsman

Members noted the OFMdFM letter of 7 January 2008 which stated that the Judicial Appointments Ombudsman will transfer to the Department and not to OFMdFM as was originally proposed in the NIO Discussion Paper (February 2006).

11.00am Danny Kennedy joined the meeting

Agreed: That the Judicial Appointments Ombudsman should transfer as proposed in the OFMdFM letter of 7 January 2007.

11.03am Alex Attwood left the meeting

3.2 Draft Report on the ‘Inquiry into the Devolution of Policing and Justice’

11.06am Alex Attwood joined the meeting

3.2.1 Timing

Members discussed the current timeline for debate and publication of the draft report.

Agreed: That the Business Committee would be asked to consider scheduling the debate on the report in the week beginning 10 March.

3.2.2 The draft report

Members considered, paragraph by paragraph, the draft report on the ‘Inquiry into the Devolution of Policing and Justice Matters’.

Agreed: without prejudice to further party consultation on the draft report:  

11.45am Danny Kennedy left the meeting

12.28pm Ian McCrea left the meeting

12.35pm Ian McCrea joined the meeting

The meeting was suspended at 1.30pm and recommenced at 1.45pm

1.48pm Nelson McCausland left the meeting

1.55pm Nelson McCausland joined the meeting

2.36pm Nelson McCausland left the meeting

Agreed:

  1. Speakers Reception

Members were reminded that a reception was due to take place that night in the Great Hall at 6.30pm to mark Criminal Justice week.

  1. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 26 February at 10.30am in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 2.46pm.

RT HON JEFFREY DONALDSON, MP
Chairperson, Assembly and Executive Review Committee
26 February 2008.

12 February 08 / Menu