Committee on Procedures

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

TUESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2010
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Lord Browne (Chairperson)
Mervyn Storey MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Paul Butler MLA
Mr Billy Leonard MLA
Lord Morrow MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA

In Attendance:
Mrs Mairead Mageean (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Leanne Johnston (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Dagmar Walgraeve (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr Mickey Brady MLA
Mr Sean Neeson MLA

The meeting opened at 2.43pm in public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Draft minutes of meetings on 1 June and 28 June 2010

Agreed: For publication on the Assembly website.

Mr Storey joined the meeting at 2.44pm.

3. Matters arising

None

4. Forward Work Programme

Members considered the Forward Work Programme for the period up to November 2010.

Agreed: The Committee agreed the Forward Work Programme.

Mr Robinson raised issues about Question Time and expressed his concerns about the content of responses given by some Ministers. Members asked if there was any way of ensuring that Ministers respond to questions concisely and noted Standing Order 19(5) which states that “A question must be answered as clearly and as fully as possible”.

Agreed: The Chairperson agreed to raise this issue with the Speaker at a future meeting and to update the Committee accordingly.

5. Inquiry into the Attorney General for Northern Ireland interacting with the Assembly

The Committee noted that Standing Orders need to be produced to, among other things, enable the Attorney General to participate in proceedings of the Assembly. The Clerk took Members through the papers in detail and suggested that the Committee may wish to hold an inquiry into the relationship between the Attorney General and the Assembly.

The Committee considered the draft Terms of Reference and discussed the possibility of additional meetings, a deadline for completion and possible evidence providers.

Agreed: Members agreed the Terms of Reference, the draft programme of work and that the Committee will hold additional meetings until Christmas recess.

The Committee discussed the timing of its meetings and members suggested bringing forward the start time of future meetings to 1.30 pm. This is to accommodate Members attending Question Time on Tuesdays, as it now begins at 2.30 pm.

Agreed: That the Committee should meet at 1.30 pm from now onwards.

Mr Storey suggested that a guide explaining the role and responsibilities of the Attorney General and his relationship with different bodies would be useful, not just for the Committee but for all Members.

6. First meeting of a new Assembly

The Committee noted that there is a discrepancy in Standing Orders that deal with the election of the Speaker at the first meeting of a new Assembly. The Clerk took the Members through the paper and possible options.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to amend Standing Order 4(1) by deleting the words “and register their party affiliation” to correct the discrepancy.

7. Question Time – Time Limits on Ministerial Responses

Members were reminded that, at the exceptional meeting in June, it was agreed that the motion to impose time limits on the responses to oral questions would not be moved. The Chairperson informed Members about his meetings with the First Minister and deputy First Minister and with the Speaker on 7 th September. Members were told that all parties were content to have a two minutes limit to the response to the lead question, up to two minutes to the responses to supplementaries and that the Speaker should be given some flexibility to allow a Minister to continue if it was a complex or sensitive subject.

Agreed: Members were content that the draft Standing Order be amended to impose a limit of two minutes to the lead question, up to two minutes for supplementaries and to give the Speaker flexibility to allow additional time if necessary.

8. End of Session Report

Members considered the End of Session Report which details the Committee’s membership, key activities and expenditure for the 2009/10 session.

Agreed: Members were content with the Report and agreed for it to be published on the Committee web pages by the end of September.

9. Correspondence

Members considered correspondence from the Clerk to the Committee for Justice about the Public Prosecution Service, the requests for meetings with the Speaker and First Minister and deputy First Minister and the associated replies.

Agreed: The Committee noted the correspondence.

10. Any other business

Agreed: Members considered and agreed to their attendance figures for meetings in the 2009/10 session.

11. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 28 th September 2010 at 1.30 pm in Room 144 Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.13 pm.

Lord Browne
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures.
28 September 2010

28 June 2010 / Menu