Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

ASSEMBLY AND EXECUTIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE

 MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

 TUESDAY, 12 JUNE2007
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson, MP (Chairperson)
Mr Raymond McCartney (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Alex Attwood
Mr Danny Kennedy
Mr Nelson McCausland
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)
Ms Eleanor Murphy (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Keith McBride (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Tom Skelton (Clerical Officer)
Dr Peter Gilleece (Assembly Research Services)

Apologies:
Mrs Carmel Hanna
Mr Ian McCrea

The meeting opened at 11:04am in public session.

  1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

The Chairperson welcomed Ms Ní Chuilín to her first meeting of the Committee and invited her to declare relevant interests.

Ms Ní Chuilín declared the following interests:

  1. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held 22 May 2007

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting of the 22 May 2007.

  1. Matters Arising

The Chairperson identified four matters arising, which would be addressed during the discussion of substantive items of business.

  1. Chairperson’s Business

11:09am Alex Attwood joined the meeting

The Chairperson notified Members that he had not yet received any information from OFMdFM in relation to the Efficiency Review Panel.

Agreed: That the Clerk should write to OFMdFM to enquire when the Committee might expect to be consulted on the Terms of Reference, role, remit and membership of the Panel.

  1. Revised Work Programme

The Chairperson confirmed that he and the Deputy Chairperson had met with the Chairperson of the Committee on Procedures to discuss the issue of:

The Chairperson reported that the Committee on Procedures will examine, and report on, the number of Members appointed to, and the quorum for, Committees of the Assembly and that the Committee also intends to explore the use of electronic voting systems in the Assembly.

The Chairperson advised Members that the Assembly and Executive Review Committee would retain responsibility for examining voting systems in the context of ‘designations’ and ‘cross-community voting’.

Members considered that, given the nature of cross-cutting issues between the two Committees in relation to these matters, it would be helpful if the Committee on Procedures would consult and liase with the Assembly and Executive Review Committee before any report was presented to the Assembly.

Agreed: That the Clerk would liase with the Clerk of the Committee on Procedures.

The Clerk drew Members attention to a new item at May 2008 in the Forward Work Programme which outlined the legislative obligation on the Committee to report no later than 2 years and 10 months after the devolution of policing and justice on the operation of Ministerial arrangements in a Policing and Justice Department.

Agreed: Members agreed the Forward Work Programme and were content that it be appended to the Minutes of Proceedings.

  1. Dual/Triple Mandates

The Chairperson requested that if Members had any relevant interests in relation to multiple mandates that they should declare them. Members declared the following interests:

Jeffrey Donaldson:

Carál Ní Chuilín:

Danny Kennedy:

George Robinson:

Nelson McCausland:

The Chairperson invited Dr Gilleece to speak to his paper on multiple mandates.

11:32 John O’Dowd joined the meeting.

Mr O’Dowd declared the following interest:

There was a broad discussion on the potential conflicts of interests, and potential conflicts of time, caused by dual/multiple mandates.

Agreed: The Committee would consider, initially, the potential conflicts of interest facing Ministers who might also hold positions on local Councils.

Agreed: The Committee requested a further research paper, on the issue of dual mandates for consideration at the next meeting.

Agreed: Members to raise, with their respective Party Whips, the arrangements for, and timing of, meetings of Assembly committees.

12:05pm John O’Dowd left the meeting.

  1. Devolution of Policing and Justice

The Chairperson invited Members to declare relevant interests in relation to this item of business. The following interests were declared:

Jeffrey Donaldson:

George Robinson:

The Chairperson reminded Members that on the 4 June, and on the basis of the Committee’s motion, the Assembly resolved that the task of preparing a report on the transfer of policing and justice should be a matter for the Committee. Following discussion, a number of actions were agreed, as follows:

Agreed: The Committee would conduct a formal inquiry into the transfer of policing and justice matters.

Agreed: That the Clerk should present, at the next meeting, draft terms of reference for the inquiry and a list of relevant witnesses and bodies whom the Committee might call on to inform its inquiry.

Agreed: That the Secretary of State, the Minister with responsibility for Security, Policing and Prisons, the Minister with responsibility for Criminal Justice and the Chief Constable be amongst those invited to provide evidence to the Committee.

Agreed: That relevant NIO officials be invited to address the next meeting of the Committee to provide an assessment of the expectations of the Secretary of State in terms of the report he wishes to receive from the Assembly and to report on the practical arrangements being made for the transfer of Policing, Security and Criminal Justice matters.

Agreed: That the Clerk would request copies of papers presented by the 4 main political parties at the recent Criminal Justice System Conference in time for consideration at the next meeting.

Agreed: That, following the presentation by NIO officials on 3 July 2007, the four main political parties, and those parties in the Assembly not represented on the Committee, would be invited to provide up to date position papers for consideration by the Committee after the summer recess. The papers should reflect current views on transferring policing and justice issues and the timeframe for the devolution of policing and justice matters.

12:39pm Danny Kennedy left the meeting.

  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, 3 July at 11:00am in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12:45pm.

RT HON JEFFREY DONALDSON, MP
Chairperson, Assembly and Executive Review Committee
3 July 2007

 

2007

 

2008

 

 

May

June- January

February

March

May

 

 

 

 

 

Restoration of the NI Assembly took place on

8 May 2007.

 

First meeting of Assembly and Executive Review Committee

 

Ongoing consultation with FM and dFM regards Efficiency Review Panel.

 

Ongoing work for completing the policing and justice matters report for the Assembly.

 

Ongoing work on reporting on dual/triple mandates.

The Committee completes the Report to the Assembly, as to the preparations that the Assembly has made, and intends to make, having regard to paragraph 7 of the St Andrews Agreement, for or in connection with policing and justice matters ceasing to be reserved matters1.

The NI Assembly must make an associated report to the SoS before 27 March 2008 as to the preparations that the Assembly has made, and intends to make, having regard to paragraph 7 of the St Andrews Agreement, for or in connection with policing and justice matters ceasing to be reserved matters1.

Complete Report on Dual/Triple Mandates

Proposed date for devolution of policing and justice functions2.

[Complete no later than 2 years and 10 months after Devolution of Policing and Justice, a Report on the operation of Ministerial arrangements in a Policing and Justice Department3]

Possible elections to shadow Councils.

Forward Work Programme for the Committee

2009

 

2010

2011

 

 

2015

June

Late

 

February

March

Mid

May

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consider Assembly voting system, designations and cross-community voting.

 

 

 

Possible Westminster and European Parliament Elections.

 

 

 

Review the operation of Ministerial Code

 

 

Review the operation of the power to refer Ministerial Decisions to the Executive Committee Consider the size of the Assembly and the number of MLAs

Consider the size of the Assembly and the number of MLAs

 

In conjunction with FM and dFM review the number of Ministerial Offices held and the functions exercisable by the holder of each office. Prior to next Assembly elections

By 1 February the Committee to have considered whether to recommend that the SoS should make an order to amend the NI Act 98 as from the date of the election of the 2011 Assembly, as if the executive selection amendments had not been made4.

Earliest date by which the Committee must complete a Report on the operation of Ministerial arrangements in a Policing and Justice Department5

Possible Northern Ireland Assembly Elections.

By no later than 1 May 2015 report on the operation of the provisions of Parts 3 & 4 of the 1998 Act6.

 

Part 2, Paragraph 18, Northern Ireland ( St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006. Referred to Assembly and Executive Review Committee 4 June 2007.

Paragraph 7 of the Agreement at St Andrews

Section 44 (7) Justice and Security ( Northern Ireland Act) 2007

Section 29B (1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998

Section 44 (7) Justice and Security Northern Ireland Act 2007

Section 29A (3) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998

22 May 07 / MENU