NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY
BUSINESS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 29 MAY 2007
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
MINUTES
Present:
The Speaker (Chair)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr P Maskey
Mr K McCarthy
Dr A McDonnell
Mr D McNarry
Lord Morrow
Ms C Ní Chuilín
Mr P Weir
Present (secretariat):
Mr A Moir The Clerk
Mr J Reynolds Deputy Clerk
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
Mr P Moore Clerk of Business
Observers:
Mr J Dallat Deputy Speaker
Mr D McClarty Deputy Speaker
Ms R Flanagan OFMDFM
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 22 May 2007
1.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 22 May were agreed and signed by the Speaker.
2. Matter Arising
2.1 There were no matters arising.
3. Arrangements for plenary meetings in week commencing 4 June
3.1 Members were referred to draft Order Papers for Monday 4 June and Tuesday 5 June, which included Executive business.
Executive Business
3.2 It was confirmed that the Committee for Social Development had been consulted on the motion on accelerated passage for the Welfare Reform Bill in accordance with Standing Orders and that its members were content. The Business Committee agreed to schedule the First Stage of the Welfare Reform Bill, and the related motion, on the Order Paper for Monday 4 June. Fifteen minutes was agreed as sufficient time for both items.
3.3 Members also agreed to schedule the First Stage of the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill on the Order Paper for Tuesday 5 June.
Committee Business
3.4 Members agreed to schedule a motion tabled by the Chairperson of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee (Report on devolution of policing and justice matters) on the Order Paper for Monday 4 June. Members also agreed that the motion should be dealt with as if it were an Assembly Business motion, and that there would therefore be no debate on the motion.
Private Members’ business
3.5 Mr McNarry sought advice on whether or not Assembly motions, when passed, were binding on the Executive and, if not, whether a mechanism could be found to make them binding. The Speaker, while noting that Ministers attended the Chamber and were responding to debates, undertook to seek information from the Executive on Ministers’ responsibilities arising from such motions.
3.6 Members considered a number of motions. By consensus, the following motions (in this order) were selected for Monday 4 June:
- Single Farm Payments (Mr G Savage, Mr T Elliott)
- Rights of caravan owners (Mr A Easton, Mr J Wells, Mr J Shannon)
- Shared future framework (Mrs N Long, Dr S Farry).
It was agreed that each motion would be allocated up to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
3.7 Members also agreed an Adjournment debate for 4 June – Retention of the existing A1 from Cloughogue (Mr D Bradley).
3.8 By consensus, the following motions (in this order) were selected for Tuesday 5 June:
- Rural Health Taskforce (Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Molloy)
- Provision of speech and language therapy (Mr P Ramsey, Mr D Bradley)
- Commissioner for Older People (Mrs M Bradley)
- Post Offices (Mr J Shannon, Lord Morrow, Mr A McQuillan)
It was agreed that each motion would be allocated up to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
4. Any Other Business
4.1 The Speaker informed members that Ms Ní Chuilín had appointed Mr Gerry McHugh as her substitute for Business Committee meetings.
4.2 Members were provided with a copy of a letter from the First Minister and deputy First Minister to the Speaker seeking agreement to the two Junior Ministers attending meetings of the Business Committee, and to their contributing to discussions regarding business in the Assembly. Initial concerns were expressed by Mr McNarry and Dr McDonnell. Lord Morrow asked for clarification of the role that junior ministers would play in the Committee’s deliberations. However, members agreed that there was insufficient time to discuss the issue fully and that it should be deferred to the next meeting.
Mr Weir joined the meeting at 1.55pm.
5. Date and Time of next meeting
5.1 Members agreed to meet immediately following the lunchtime suspension on Tuesday 5 June in Room 106.
The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 1.58 pm.