BUSINESS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 22 JANUARY 2008
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
MINUTES
The meeting began at 1.00 pm
Present: The Speaker (Chair)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr T Burns
Mr K McCarthy
Mr D McNarry
Lord Morrow
Ms C N í Chuil ín
Mr J O’Dowd
Mr P Weir
Present (secretariat): Mrs C Devon Interim Clerk/Director General
Mr P Moore Clerk of Business
Mr A Murphy Assistant Clerk of Business
In attendance: Mr R Good Adviser to the Speaker
Ms F Leneghan Assistant Private Secretary to the Speaker
Mr H Widdis Legal Adviser
Observers: Mr F Molloy Deputy Speaker
Mr G Kelly Junior Minister
Mr I Paisley Jnr Junior Minister
Ms R Flanagan OFMDFM
1. Introduction
1.1 Members expressed their condolences to Mr Burns following a family bereavement.
2. Mi nutes of the meeting held on 15 January 2008
2.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 15 January 2008 were agreed and were signed by the Speaker.
3. Matters Arising
- Referring to paragraph 7.1 of the minutes (members’ comments on the Question Time paper), members agreed to defer consideration of the paper until the next meeting of the Business Committee.
- Referring to paragraph 7.3 of the minutes (speaking-time restrictions for Adjournment debates), the Speaker sought members’ views on the issue. After discussions, members agreed that up to 15 minutes should be allocated to the Member who raises the Adjournment topic, and that time would be allocated to other Members in light of the number of requests to speak.
4. Finalisation of Order Papers for Plenary meetings in week commencing 28 January 2008
- Members were referred to the draft Order Papers for Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 January.
Monday 28 January 2008
- In addition to the business scheduled the previous week, members agreed to schedule an Executive motion to suspend Standing Orders as well as the Executive motion relating to the Programme for Government and Investment Strategy. Members agreed that up to 6 hours should be allocated to the debate on the Programme for Government and Investment Strategy and were content that the First Minister and deputy First Minister should have up to 1 hour, in total, to propose and wind the motion. Members further agreed that all other speakers would be limited to 10 minutes.
- Members agreed to schedule a motion relating to membership of a Standing Committee.
Tuesday 29 January 2008
- Members agreed to schedule a legislative consent motion on the Education and Skills Bill. Members allocated no specific time limit to this debate, but anticipated that the debate would last no longer than 30 minutes.
4.5 Members further agreed to schedule the Executive motion relating to the Budget. Members agreed that up to 6 hours should be allocated to the debate on the Budget and were content that the Minister of Finance and Personnel should have up to 1 hour 30 minutes, in total, to propose and wind the motion.
- Provisional arrangements for Plenary meetings in week commencing 4 February 2008
5.1 Members were referred to provisional Order Papers for Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 February, along with a notice of forthcoming Executive business.
Executive Business – week commencing 4 February
5.2 In addition to Question Time on Monday 4 February, members agreed that the Final Stage of the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill would be scheduled for Tuesday 5 February. Members considered that up to 10 minutes should be sufficient for the purposes of indicative timings.
6. Committee Business
6.1 Members agreed to schedule the motion to approve the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the draft Sexual Offences ( Northern Ireland) Order 2007 for Monday 4 February. Members further agreed that up to 2 hours should be allocated for this debate and that standard speaking times would apply.
7. Private Members’ business
7.1 After discussions, and in light of the Executive business scheduled for Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 January, members agreed to schedule the Private Members’ business, provisionally selected at the previous week’s meeting, for Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 February. Members therefore agreed to schedule the motion on ‘Private Armies’ (D McNarry) for Monday 4 February.
7.2 Members agreed to schedule the motion on ‘Youth Services Budget’ ( S Wilson) and the motion on ‘Exploitation of Migrant Labour and Human Trafficking’ (D Kelly) for Tuesday 5 February.
7.3 Junior Minister Kelly informed members that the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment would be unavailable to respond to the Adjournment topic ‘Broadband access in rural parts of West Tyrone’ (B McElduff) on either Monday 4 or Tuesday 5 February. It was noted that Sinn F éin had no other Adjournment topics listed and members agreed that the adjournment topic should therefore be scheduled for week beginning 11 February and that other topics for 5 February should be proposed. Mr Weir proposed ‘Post-Primary education in County Fermanagh’ (Lord Morrow) and Mr PJ Bradley proposed ‘Accident blackspots on the Culmore and Ardan roads’ (M Bradley). A vote being called, the votes of party delegations were cast as follow:
- Post-Primary education in County Fermanagh: 62 votes
- Accident blackspots on the Culmore and Ardan roads: 16 votes
7.4 The Adjournment topic on ‘Post-Primary education in County Fermanagh’ (Lord Morrow) was therefore scheduled for debate on Tuesday 5 February.
8. Any Other Business
8.1 Ms N í Chuil ín raised an issue regarding remarks made by Mr PJ Bradley prior to moving the Business Committee motion, relating to Statutory Committee Membership, on Monday 21 January. Ms N í Chuil ín felt that the remarks were personal and therefore not appropriate when moving a motion on behalf of the Business Committee. The Speaker reminded members that in such circumstances normal practice was for the Member to simply say “moved”.
9. Date and Time of next meeting
9.1 Members agreed to meet during the lunchtime suspension at approximately 12.30 pm on Tuesday 29 January in Room 106.
The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 1.25 pm.