Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY

BUSINESS COMMITTEE

TUESDAY 26 JUNE 2007
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

MINUTES

The meeting began at 1.05 pm

Present: The Speaker (Chair)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr P Maskey
Mr K McCarthy
Dr A McDonnell
Mr P McGlone
Mr D McNarry
Lord Morrow
Ms C Ní Chuilín
Mr P Weir

Present (secretariat): Mr A Moir The Clerk
Mr J Reynolds Deputy Clerk

In attendance: Mr R Good Adviser to the Speaker
Ms F Leneghan Assistant Private Secretary to the Speaker
Ms C McGivern Director of Legal Services
Mr P Moore Clerk of Business

Observers: Mr D McClarty Deputy Speaker
Mr I Paisley Jnr. Junior Minister
Ms R Flanagan OFMDFM

1. Introduction

1.1 The Speaker welcomed Mr Paisley Jnr to the meeting as an observer and advised that junior Minister Kelly had sent apologies for his absence.

2. Minutes of the meeting held on 19 June 2007

2.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 19 June were agreed and signed by the Speaker.

3. Matter Arising

3.1 Referring to paragraph 2.1 of the minutes (attendance of Junior Ministers at the Business Committee) members noted the letter which had issued to the First Minister and deputy First Minister on 20 June.

3.2 Referring to paragraph 4.1 of the minutes (nominations to the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body) members agreed that more time was needed to discuss the issue within party groups.

3.3 The Speaker referred members to paragraph 4.5 of the minutes (written ministerial statements) and asked for members’ views on the principle of allowing ministerial statements. Some members expressed concerns that such a move might erode the authority and status of the Assembly, that it might be used to avoid debate or questioning on an issue, and that it might add to a perceived ‘distance’ between the Executive and the Assembly. Others felt that some matters (e.g. technical or statistical information) might be appropriate for written statements and that the request seemed reasonable provided that oral statements remained. Members were advised that OFMDFM was prepared to meet with the Committee on Procedures in an attempt to allay any concerns the Committee might have. It was agreed that some clarity on the issues should be sought before a reply would issue to the Chairperson of the Committee on Procedures, and that the Business Committee would meet on Tuesday 3 July to consider any further information.

3.4 Referring to paragraph 4.7 of the minutes (advance notice of papers), members confirmed that they had received a number of papers in advance of the meeting. Ms Ní Chuilín recorded her appreciation of the efforts of staff in the Business Office to achieve this.

4. Arrangements for plenary meetings in week commencing 2 July

4.1 Members were referred to draft Order Papers for Monday 2 July and Tuesday 3 July.

Executive Business

4.2 Members noted that there was no Executive business scheduled for either day, other than Question Time. Members were reminded that questions to the Assembly Commission were due to be taken at 4pm on Monday, but that only one question had been listed for that day.

Committee Business

4.3 Members agreed to schedule the motion on a change in committee membership as a business motion on Monday 2 July.

Private Members’ business

4.4 Members agreed that two Private Members’ motions should be scheduled for debate on Monday 2 July, and four on Tuesday 26 June. Members proposed a total of nine motions for consideration.

4.5 By consensus, the motion on ‘Racial Equality Strategy’ (A Lo, N Long, S Farry) was selected for debate.

4.6 Following discussions, members considered that it would be preferable to defer one of the proposed motions (Ad hoc Committee on Suicide (G Adams)) until after the summer recess, in order that any ad-hoc Committee might be informed by evidence being taken by the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, and the work of a task force set up by the Minister. On the basis that the motion would be reconsidered for scheduling at the start of the next session, and that preparations would be made for staffing the ad-hoc Committee immediately should the Assembly approve the motion, Ms Ní Chuilín agreed to withdraw the motion from those being considered.

4.7 Members considered and voted on the seven remaining motions. Votes in favour of each being debated were as follows:

4.8 The three motions agreed by consensus and the motion attracting 62 votes were accepted as having been scheduled for debate, leaving one of the six available ‘slots’ unfilled. Ms Ní Chuilín pointed out that her party was the only one whose members had not yet had a motion selected, and proposed that the motion on ‘Road Deaths’ should therefore be scheduled. A vote was taken, with 53 votes for and 53 votes against the proposal. The proposal was therefore not agreed.

4.9 Further votes were taken in favour of each of the two remaining motions being debated, with the following results:

The motion on Rural Dwellings was therefore selected as the sixth and final motion for debate.

4.10 Members were advised about ministerial availability in the following week. It was agreed that the motions on ‘NHS Dental Treatment’ and ‘Accidents in Construction Industry’ be scheduled (in that order) for Monday, with those on ‘Racial Equality Strategy’, ‘Respite Provision’, ‘Victims’ and ‘Rural Dwellings’ scheduled (in that order) for Tuesday. It was also agreed that each motion would be allocated up to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

4.11 Members were reminded that all motions standing on the no-day named list will fall at the end of summer recess, and that Members may re-table motions, if they wish, from Monday 3 September 2007.

4.12 Members agreed an Adjournment debate for 2 July – ‘Antrim – Knockmore Railway Line’ (T Burns) and another for Tuesday 3 July – ‘Lignite mining in North Antrim’ (D McKay).

5. Any Other Business

5.1 Members’ attention was drawn to a written ‘Speaker’s decision’ (copy attached) on how Standing Orders were to be applied in relation to business not concluded by 7pm on a Monday sitting.

5.2 Members’ attention was drawn to a further letter from the Chairperson of the Committee on Procedures providing a copy of Terms of Reference for a Committee Inquiry on the subject of electronic voting, and seeking the Speaker’s, and Business Committee’s, views on the issue. Members agreed to defer discussions on the letter until the next meeting.

5.3 The Speaker raised the issue of Members seeking to speak in a debate on Monday 25 June but not being in the Chamber when the debate commenced earlier than anticipated. The Speaker indicated that he would not suspend business in such circumstances, but that business would proceed, with absent Members’ opportunities to speak being lost. Members indicated their support for this approach, noting that indicative timings were supplied for use by party whips and should not be relied upon by Members.

5.4 Members were alerted to discussions having been held in the Assembly Commission about upgrading the sound system in the Chamber, with new equipment expected to be in place following the summer recess. Members were also advised that work was being carried out on the use of ‘blackberry-type’ devices, and that a report on the issue would be brought back in due course.

6. Date and Time of next meeting

6.1 Members agreed to meet for 30 minutes during a shortened lunchtime suspension of the Assembly sitting (at around 1.30 pm) on Tuesday 3 July in Room 106.

The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 2.20 pm.

William Hay
The Speaker

Notification to Business Committee – Speaker’s decision

Business not concluded by 7.00 pm on a Monday

Issue

Standing Order 10(3) provides for the postponement of business not concluded by 7.00 pm on a Monday, and this occurred on Monday 18 June.

The Speaker hopes that such postponements will be avoided in future through careful scheduling by the Business Committee and the Executive, and through suspension of the relevant Standing Orders where appropriate. However, the Speaker wishes to explain to the Business Committee how he has decided to deal with this and any future occurrences.

Speaker’s Decisions

1. Where business is postponed, it will not re-appear on the ‘no-day named’ list, and must be rescheduled. The Speaker will encourage the Business Committee to reschedule the postponed business at the earliest possible time.

2. Where an amendment is published on the marshalled list, and consideration of the relevant motion is postponed, the amendment will be carried forward to the marshalled list for the day on which the motion is rescheduled.

3. Where the debate on the motion did not commence, prior to its postponement, further amendments to the postponed motion may be proposed up to 9.30 am on the day on which the motion is rescheduled.

26 June 2007
19 June 2007 / Menu