NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY
BUSINESS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 9 OCTOBER 2007
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
MINUTES
The meeting began at 12.50 pm
Present:
The Speaker (Chair)
Mr T Burns
Mr K McCarthy
Mr P McGlone
Mr D McNarry
Lord Morrow
Ms C Ní Chuilín
Mr J O’Dowd
Mr P Weir
Present (secretariat):
Mr J Reynolds Deputy Clerk
Mr P Moore Clerk of Business
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
Observers:
Mr J Dallat Deputy Speaker
Mr G Kelly Junior Minister
Mr I Paisley Jnr. Junior Minister
Ms R Flanagan OFMDFM
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 2 October 2007
1.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 2 October were agreed and were signed by the Speaker.
2. Matter Arising
2.1 There were no matters arising.
3. Arrangements for plenary meetings in week commencing 15 October
3.1 Members were referred to draft Order Papers for Monday 15 October and Tuesday 16 October, along with a notice of forthcoming Executive business.
Executive Business
3.2 Members were advised that the Minister of the Environment may seek to make a statement on PPS 14, possibly on Monday 15 October.
3.3 Members noted an Executive motion seeking approval of a draft Statutory Rule (Draft Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007) and agreed that it should be scheduled on Monday 15 October. Members noted that debate should take no longer than thirty minutes .
Committee Business
3.4 Members noted that no Committee business had been tabled.
Private Members’ business
3.5 Following discussions, and receipt of information on the availability of Ministers, members agreed that two Private Members’ motions should be scheduled for debate on Monday 15 October, and two on Tuesday 16 October.
3.6 By consensus, the motions on:
- ‘Bill of Rights Forum membership’ (M McIlveen and G Campbell); and
- The ‘Executive legislative programme’ (D Kennedy, K Robinson and Rev Dr R Coulter)
were selected for debate (in that order) on Monday 15 October. It was agreed that each motion would be allocated up to one hour and thirty minutes for debate. Members were advised that there was no ministerial responsibility for the Bill of Rights debate, but that the Executive would consider whether a Minister should respond.
3.7 By consensus, the motions on:
- ‘Training and Employment places’ (S Ramsey, C McGill and C Ní Chuilín); and
- ‘Fiscal Reform’ ( S Neeson)
were selected for debate (in that order) for Tuesday 16 October. It was agreed that both motions would be allocated up to 2 hours for debate.
3.8 Members noted the three topics that had been tabled for Adjournment debate, and agreed that one topic should be selected for debate on Tuesday 16 October. By consensus, ‘Traffic calming requirements at Loughview Primary School and nursery’ was selected as the topic.
3.9 Lord Morrow, noting the Business Committee’s decision on speaking times for Adjournment debates, gave notice that he would wish to revisit the issue when it was reviewed, as he believed that the Member who brought a topic forward should be allocated more speaking time than that agreed at the previous meeting.
4. Any Other Business
4.1 Lord Morrow asked whether it would be possible for the Order Paper to be issued earlier than a Thursday, which was the current practice. Members were advised that a convention existed that allowed motions seeking a change to Committee membership to be placed on the Order Paper up to noon on a Thursday. This convention, and printing turn-around times, were cited as reasons for the final Order Paper being issued two days after the Business Committee’s meeting. Following discussions, members agreed to dispense with the convention on membership motions, in order that the Order Paper would be made available in draft to whips on a Tuesday afternoon, and that it would be issued to MLAs on Wednesday.
Mr McNarry left the meeting at 1.20 pm.
4.2 Lord Morrow gave notice that he would, following the Halloween recess, propose that the Business Committee should consider business two weeks in advance, rather than one.
4.3 Ms Ní Chuilín suggested that it may be useful for the Business Committee to meet at a time that was not constrained by the resumption of a sitting, in order that members might consider forward planning and a more strategic method of operation. The Speaker suggested that the Business Committee could consider spending a day away from Parliament Buildings for such a meeting.
4.4 Members were advised that the Assembly would normally sit in plenary session during the week following the Halloween recess. Sittings would therefore take place as normal during week commencing 5 November 2007, and members were advised that the Business Committee could consider business for that week during its regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday 23 October.
4.5 The Speaker reminded members that he had undertaken to discuss with the Business Committee a Point of Order, raised by Mr Attwood during the sitting on Monday 8 October, on the issue of ministerial statements. The Speaker advised members that he understood the frustrations of MLAs, but that he could not direct members of the Executive to bring matters to the Assembly by way of ministerial statement –such decisions being a matter for the Executive. The Speaker stressed, however, that he would continue to encourage Ministers to make statements to the House, and to accommodate their requests to do so. The Speaker also reminded members that he had ruled out of order attempts by some Members to address the issue of statements during unrelated items of business.
5. Date and Time of next meeting
5.1 Members agreed to meet during a lunchtime suspension of the Assembly sitting (at around 12.30 pm) on Tuesday 16 October in Room 106.
The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 1.25 pm.