BUSINESS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2009
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
MINUTES
The meeting began at 12.35 pm
Present:
The Speaker (Chairperson)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr T Burns
Mr P Maskey
Mr K McCarthy
Lord Morrow
Ms C N í Chuil í n
Mr P Weir
Present (secretariat):
Mr J Stewart Director of Clerking and Reporting
Ms L Gordon 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 Services
Mr K Shiels Business Office
Observers:
Mr D McClarty Deputy Speaker
Mr F Molloy Deputy Speaker
Rt Hon J Donaldson Junior Minister
Mr G Kelly Junior Minister
Ms R Flanagan OFMDFM
1. Mi nutes of the meeting held on 17 February 2009
1.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 17 February 2009 were agreed and were signed by the Speaker.
2. Matters Arising
2.1 The Speaker thanked members for their cooperation in agreeing to the late change to the order paper for Monday 23 February, but stressed that changes to the final version of the order paper will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances.
3. Finalisation of Order Papers for Plenary meetings in week commencing 2 March
Executive Committee Business
3.1 Members agreed to schedule a legislative consent motion, tabled by the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, on the Health Bill for Tuesday 3 March.
4. Provisional arrangements for Plenary meetings in week commencing 9 March
Executive Committee Business
4.1 Aside from Question Time on Monday 9 March, there was no further Executive Business notified for Monday 9 or Tuesday 10 March.
Committee Business
4.2 There was no Committee business.
Private Members’ Business
4.3 Members agreed to schedule two private Members’ motions on Monday 9 March and three private Members’ motions on Tuesday 10 March. Under the system of allocating private Members’ business, the DUP had two slots and the SDLP, Sinn F é in and UUP had one slot each. The following motions were proposed to fill the five available slots:
- ‘Violence Against Teachers’ (D Bradley, M Bradley)
- ‘Country of Origin Labelling’ (W Irwin, E Poots)
- ‘Mortgage Rescue Plans’ (M Brady, F McCann, C N í Chuil í n)*
- ‘Dual Mandates’ (D Kennedy, T Elliott)
- ‘Social Security Offices’ (G Robinson, M Storey, A McQuillan, I Paisley Jnr, D Simpson)
*Sinn F é in originally proposed the motion on ‘Enhancement of Debt Advisory Services’ (J McCann, M McLaughlin, G Adams, M Brady, F McCann). The junior Minister, Mr G Kelly, informed members that the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment was not available on either day to respond to the motion. Sinn F é in therefore selected the motion on ‘Mortgage Rescue Plans’.
4.4 Members therefore agreed to schedule the motions on ‘Social Security Offices’ (G Robinson, M Storey, A McQuillan, I Paisley Jnr, D Simpson) and ‘Country of Origin Labelling’ (W Irwin, E Poots) for Monday 9 March. Members further agreed to schedule the motions on ‘Mortgage Rescue Plans’ (M Brady, F McCann, C N í Chuil í n), ‘Dual Mandates’ (D Kennedy, T Elliott) and ‘Violence Against Teachers’ (D Bradley, M Bradley) for Tuesday 10 March. Members agreed that up to 1 hour 30 minutes should be allocated for each debate, with the usual speaking times.
4.5 Members agreed to schedule one adjournment topic on Tuesday 10 March. Members proposed a total of two adjournment topics as follows:
- ‘The Hope Centre, Ballymena’ (I Paisley Jnr)
- ‘Flooding in Andersonstown and Falls’ (A Attwood)*
*The SDLP originally proposed the adjournment topic on ‘Non Acute Hospital Provision in Armagh City’ (D Bradley). The junior Minister, Mr G Kelly, informed members that the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety was not available on either day to respond to the adjournment topic. The SDLP therefore proposed the adjournment topic on ‘Flooding in Andersonstown and Falls’ (A Attwood).
4.6 A vote being called, the votes of party delegations were cast as follows:
- The Hope Centre, Ballymena: 35 votes
- Flooding in Andersonstown and Falls: 16 votes
4.7 Members therefore agreed to schedule the adjournment topic ‘The Hope Centre, Ballymena’ (I Paisley Jnr) for Tuesday 10 March.
5. Review of system for selecting Private Members’ business
5.1 The Speaker referred members to a paper outlining the allocation of private members’ business since the commencement of the new system in December 2008, and invited views on its operation. The Speaker further informed members that the Committee on Procedures is currently looking at adjournment topics and therefore proposed that a review of the system of selecting adjournment topics would be deferred until after the Committee on Procedures publishes its recommendations. Members were content to proceed with the rota system for selecting private members’ business on a permanent basis.
6. Any Other Business
6.1 Due to the St Patrick’s Day holiday on Tuesday 17 March, members agreed that the Business Committee would meet on Monday 16 March, with the time to be confirmed in due course.
6.2 The Speaker advised members that a photographer will be taking pictures of Members in the Chamber at the start of business on Monday 2 March and that the pictures will be used in promotional material for the Engagement Strategy.
7. Date and Time of next meeting
7.1 Members agreed to meet at approximately 12.30 pm on Tuesday 3 March 2009 in Room 106.
The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 1.05 pm.