BOOKING OF FUNCTIONS AND TOURS DURING AUGUST 2002

Members are asked to note that the Assembly Commission has recently agreed that functions and tours cannot be facilitated during the month of August. This is to facilitate the building maintenance programme, deep cleaning of public and function areas and staff leave.

Queries may be directed to Dermot MacGreevy in the first instance, (Tel: 905 21172).

Tickets for the concert are now available from the Events Office, Room B2. These will be released on a first come, first served basis. Tickets cost £45 for seated and £35 for standing and can be booked by calling (Tel: 905 21948/21362).

Booked tickets will be held for 5 days pending receipt of payment. If payment is not received within 5 days the tickets will become available for booking by others.

Payment may be by cash or cheque. Cheques should be made payable to "Aiken Promotions".

Following a number of applications for events beyond 21 March 2003 the Assembly Commission has considered arrangements for the booking of functions and tours for the period of dissolution and beyond. The agreed arrangements are:

No private bookings will be taken for this period. Bookings will, however, be considered from Members acting in an official capacity as defined by regulation ie, The Speaker, Deputy Speakers, Ministers, plus Commission Members acting on behalf of the Commission.

Members standing for re-election to the next Assembly may, in a private capacity and in anticipation of being re-elected, book functions and tours for dates beyond 11 May 2003. Such bookings will be accepted on the clear understanding that, in the event of failure of the sponsoring Member to be re-elected, the booking will be considered cancelled. In this scenario the booking can be made secure providing the organisation/group concerned obtains early sponsorship from a Member of the newly elected Assembly.

A revised procedure has been introduced for reporting the views of Committees to the Assembly.

In line with this new procedure, the Report of the Committee for Public Accounts, 'Report on Water Service: Leakage Management and Water Efficiency' (09/01/R) has been tabled in the Business Office and is available to Assembly Members for consultation only. The report is subject to a strict embargo until midnight Monday, 1 July 2002.

The published report will be circulated to all Members on Monday, 1 July.

The Speaker will sponsor a seminar at which the Electoral Commission will describe the way in which the Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act 2002 will impact on the conduct of the next Assembly Election. This Act has important and far reaching implications for voter registration and voter identification. Those Members who are unable to attend may wish to send a representative. The seminar, which will be followed by a short reception, will take place at 4.30 pm on Tuesday, 2 July 2002 in the Long Gallery.