BUSINESS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2008
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
MINUTES
The meeting began at 12.40 pm
Present:
The Speaker (Chair)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr T Burns
Mr P Maskey
Mr K McCarthy
Mr D McNarry
Lord Morrow
Ms C Ní Chuilín
Mr P Weir
Present (secretariat):
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
Mr I Paisley Jnr Junior Minister
Ms R Flanagan OFMDFM
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2008
1.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2008 were agreed and were signed by the Speaker.
2. Matters Arising
2.1 Referring to paragraph 4.1 of the minutes (finalising Order Papers for week commencing 18 February) the Speaker reminded members that they have an opportunity at two meetings of the Business Committee to raise any issues or concerns regarding private members’ motions that are proposed and selected for debate. Ms C N í Chuil í n raised the issue that some motions on the No Day Named List are out of date in terms of their subject matter and thought it would be useful if Whips considered their own Members’ motions and withdrew any that were no longer relevant. The Speaker concurred, and asked that the Whips consider their Members’ motions.
2.2 Referring to paragraph 6.5 of the minutes (Adjournment debates) the Speaker drew members’ attention to the briefing paper provided. Members noted the contents of the paper.
2.3 Referring to paragraph 7.3 of the minutes the Speaker reminded Whips that there will be a training information session on the conduct of complicated consideration stages, in advance of the Consideration Stage of the Taxis Bill, on Thursday 21 February, in Room 106, at 2.30 pm.
2.4 Referring to paragraph 7.5 of the minutes (issues around Question Time) the Speaker drew members’ attention to the discussion paper provided, which incorporated statistics on questions reached for each Department since September 2007, and a comparison with other Legislatures. Members noted the contents of the paper. The Speaker reported that more questions had been taken during Question Time on Monday 18 February, but noted that a number of questions had to be withdrawn because Members were not in the Chamber. Ms C N í Chuil í n raised the issue of questions being withdrawn because a Department did not accept responsibility for the matter. The Speaker acknowledged this as an issue and said that the Business Office will provide some information on it.
3. Finalisation of Order Papers for Plenary meetings in week commencing 25 February 2008
Members were referred to the draft Order Papers for Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 February. The Speaker informed members that additional items of Executive business had been notified for Monday 25 February and Tuesday 26 February. Members agreed to schedule the First Stage of the Building Regulations (Amendment) Bill for Monday 25 February.
3.2 Members were content that the Ministerial Statement proposed by the Minister for Social Development on the outcome of the Affordability Review would be scheduled for Tuesday 26 February. Members agreed to schedule the Legislative Consent motion on the Pensions Bill, from the Minister for Social Development, for Tuesday 26 February. Members allocated no specific time limit to this debate, but anticipated that the debate would last no longer than 30 minutes.
4. Provisional arrangements for Plenary meetings in week commencing 3 March 2008
4.1 Members were referred to provisional Order Papers for Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 March, along with a notice of forthcoming Executive business.
Executive Business – week commencing 3 March
4.2 In addition to Question Time on Monday 3 March, members were content that the Ministerial Statement proposed by the Minister of Finance and Personnel on the February Monitoring Outcome would be scheduled. Members agreed to schedule the Second Stage of the Building Regulations (Amendment) Bill for Tuesday 4 March. Members further agreed to schedule the Consideration Stage of the Public Health (Amendment) Bill for Tuesday 4 March. Members were reminded that no time limits were applied to debates on Bill Stages, and it was anticipated that 1 hour should be sufficient for the Second Stage, and 5 minutes for the Consideration Stage, for the purposes of indicative timings.
Committee Business
4.3 Members agreed to schedule the Committee motion on Hospital Acquired Infections, tabled by the Chairperson of the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, for Tuesday 4 March. Members agreed that up to 2 hours should be allocated for this debate.
5. Private Members’ business
5.1 Members agreed to schedule one private Members’ motion and one Adjournment topic on Monday 3 March and one private Members’ motion and one Adjournment topic on Tuesday 4 March.
5.2 Members proposed a total of five motions as follows:
- ‘Grain Scarcity’ (G Savage, T Elliott)
- ‘North-South Electricity Interconnector’ (C Boylan)
- ‘Youth Services Budget’ ( S Wilson, M McIlveen)
- ‘Northern Corridor Railway Development’ (D O’Loan, T Burns, J Dallat, M Durkan, P Ramsey, M Bradley)
- ‘Varney Report’ (S Farry, S Neeson, T Lunn)
5.3 A vote being called, the votes of party delegations were cast as follows:
- Grain Scarcity: 62 votes
- North-South Electricity Interconnector: 27 votes
- Youth Services Budget: 53 votes
- Northern Corridor Railway Development: 16 votes
- Varney Report: 27 votes
5.4 Members therefore agreed to schedule the motion on ‘Grain Scarcity’ (G Savage, T Elliott) for Monday 3 March, and the motion on ‘Youth Services Budget’ ( S Wilson, M McIlveen) for Tuesday 4 March. Members agreed that up to 1 hour 30 minutes should be allocated for each debate.
5.5 Members proposed a total of two adjournment topics as follows:
- ‘Plans for an educational campus at the Lisanelly site, Omagh’ (B McElduff)
- ‘Traffic pollution in Dungiven’ (J Dallat)
5.6 Members agreed to schedule the Adjournment topic on ‘Traffic pollution in Dungiven’ (J Dallat) for Monday 3 March. Members further agreed to schedule the Adjournment topic on ‘Plans for an educational campus at the Lisanelly site, Omagh’ (B McElduff) for Tuesday 4 March.
6. Committee on Procedures paper on Standing Order 50 – feedback from Members
6.1 The Speaker referred members to the paper relating to the Committee on Procedures proposals for amendments to Standing Order 50. Members noted the contents of the paper, agreed its recommendations and agreed that the Speaker should write to the Chair of the Committee on Procedures to set out the Business Committee’s agreed response.
7. Any Other Business
7.1 The Speaker referred members to a letter from the junior Ministers in relation to notifying Assembly Members of Ministerial visits to their constituencies. Members noted the contents of the letter.
8. Date and Time of next meeting
8.1 Members agreed to meet during the lunchtime suspension at approximately 12.30 pm on Tuesday 26 February in Room 106.
The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 1.10 pm.