BUSINESS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 29 JANUARY 2008
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
MINUTES
The meeting began at 12.40 pm
Present: The Speaker (Chair)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr P Maskey
Mr K McCarthy
Mr P McGlone
Lord Morrow
Ms C Ní Chuilín
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 J Dallat Deputy Speaker
Mr D McClarty Deputy Speaker
Mr F Molloy Deputy Speaker
Mr G Kelly Junior Minister
Ms R Flanagan OFMDFM
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2008
1.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2008 were agreed and were signed by the Speaker.
2. Matters Arising
The Speaker referred members to paragraph 3.1 of the minutes (members’ comments on the Question Time paper). Ms C N í Chuil ín stated that Sinn F éin were generally content with the paper although they had some concerns around proposal 1. A general discussion ensued and members agreed to defer a decision on the proposals until a later date.
3. Finalisation of Order Papers for Plenary meetings in week commencing 4 February 2008
Members were referred to the draft Order Papers for Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 February. There were no changes suggested to the draft Order Papers for these dates and members agreed that they would issue as final Order Papers on Wednesday 30 January 2008.
4. Provisional arrangements for Plenary meetings in week commencing 11 February 2008
4.1 Members were referred to provisional Order Papers for Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 February, along with a notice of forthcoming Executive business.
Executive Business – week commencing 11 February
4.2 In addition to Question Time on Monday 11 February, members agreed to schedule an Executive motion to suspend Standing Orders. Members further agreed to schedule the motion on the Spring Supplementary Estimates and the motion on the Vote on Account 2008-2009 for Monday 11 February. Members noted the convention that the motions are debated together with two votes at the end, each vote requiring cross-community support. Members agreed that up to 4 hours 30 minutes should be allocated for this debate and that Members’ contributions would be limited to ten minutes.
4.3 Members agreed to schedule the First Stage of the Budget Bill for Monday 11 February. Members further agreed to schedule a ‘take note’ debate on PPS 14 from the Minister of the Environment. Members agreed to allocate up to two hours for this debate, and that Members’ contributions would be limited to five minutes.
4.4 Members were content that the Ministerial Statement proposed by Minister of the Environment on the British-Irish Council environmental sector would be scheduled for Tuesday 12 February. Members agreed to schedule the Second Stage of the Budget Bill for Tuesday 12 February. Members were reminded that no time limits were applied to debates on Bill Stages, but it was agreed that 1 hour 30 minutes should be sufficient for the purposes of indicative timings. Members further agreed to schedule a motion to approve a Statutory Rule (the draft Disability Discrimination (Private Clubs, etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008). Members allocated no specific time limit to this debate, but anticipated that it would last no longer than 15 minutes.
5. Committee Business
5.1 Members agreed to schedule the motions to amend Standing Orders, as tabled by the Chairperson of the Committee on Procedures. Members allocated no specific time limit to these debates, but anticipated that they would last no longer than 30 minutes.
6. Private Members’ business
6.1 After discussions, and in light of the extensive Executive business scheduled for Monday 11 February, by consensus, members agreed to schedule no Private Members’ business. Members agreed to schedule one Private Members’ motion and one Adjournment topic for Tuesday 12 February.
6.2 Members proposed a total of five motions as follows:
- ‘Bullying of Children and Young People with Disabilities’ (C N í Chuil ín, M O’Neill, S Ramsey)
- ‘The Re-classification of the Terrorist Campaign’ (M Storey, Lord Morrow, W McCrea)
- ‘Grain Scarcity’ (G Savage, T Elliott)
- ‘Murder of Mr Paul Quinn’ (D Bradley)
- ‘Varney Review’ (S Farry, S Neeson, T Lunn)
6.3 A vote being called, the votes of party delegations were cast as follows:
- Bullying of Children and Young People with Disabilities: 36 votes
- The Re-classification of the Terrorist Campaign: 35 votes
- Grain Scarcity: 18 votes
- Murder of Mr Paul Quinn: 16 votes
- Varney Review: 9 votes
6.4 The motion on ‘Bullying of Children and Young People with Disabilities’ (C N í Chuil ín, M O’Neill, S Ramsey) was therefore scheduled for debate on Tuesday 12 February. Members further agreed that up to 1 hour 30 minutes should be allocated for this debate.
6.5 The Speaker referred members to paragraph 7.3 of the minutes (consensus from members that they would look favourably on scheduling the Adjournment topic from Mr B McElduff). Members therefore agreed to schedule the Adjournment topic ‘Broadband access in rural parts of West Tyrone’ (B McElduff) for Tuesday 12 February.
7. Any Other Business
7.1 There was no other business.
8. Date and Time of next meeting
8.1 Members agreed to meet during the lunchtime suspension at approximately 12.30 pm on Tuesday 5 February in Room 106.
The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 1.10 pm.