ASSEMBLY AND EXECUTIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE
Minutes of Proceedings
TUESDAY, 5 February 2008
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson, MP (Chairperson)
Mr Raymond McCartney (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Alex Attwood
Mrs Carmel Hanna
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Ian McCrea
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr George Robinson
In Attendance:
Mr Stephen Graham (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Sinead Nash (Assistant Clerk)
Ms Lynn Gray (Clerical Supervisor)
Apologies:
Mr Danny Kennedy
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín
Mr John O’Dowd
The meeting opened at 10:38am in public session.
-
Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
-
Draft Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held on 22 January 2008
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2008, as amended.
-
Chairperson’s Business
Memo from Clerk of Committee on Procedures
Members noted the memo from the Clerk of the Committee on Procedures inviting the Committee’s views on the emerging findings of its ‘Inquiry into Committee Systems and Structures’.
Agreed: That the Clerk should respond by acknowledging receipt of the emerging findings and indicating that the Assembly and Executive Review Committee wished to note the findings on a ‘without prejudice basis’ in relation to work it might undertake in the future.
-
Inquiry into the Devolution of Policing and Justice
The following interests were declared:
Jeffrey Donaldson:
- Member, Her Majesty’s Privy Council
- Member , Northern Ireland Policing Board
Ian McCrea:
- Member, Cookstown District Policing Partnership
4.1 Party Position Papers
11.17am the meeting was held in private session
The session was recorded by Hansard.
Members discussed the arrangements for submission of outstanding party position papers.
11.36am The meeting was held in public session
4.2 Role of Attorney General
Members noted the briefing paper at Tab 4 of their packs summarising the evidence provided by Sir Nigel Hamilton and his officials.
4.3 Role of Advocate General
Members noted the briefing paper at Tab 5 of their packs setting out the provisions if the Justice ( Northern Ireland) Act 2002 relating to the role of the Advocate General for Northern Ireland.
4.4 Policing Board (extract from oral evidence)
Members noted the extract from the oral evidence of the Northern Ireland Policing Board at Tab 6 of their packs which sets out the views of the Policing Board in relation to membership of the Policing Board and any future statutory committee which might have responsibility for policing and justice matters, post devolution.
Agreed: That MLAs appointed to any future statutory committee with responsibility for policing and justice matters should not serve, simultaneously, as members of the Policing Board, or any District Policing Partnership in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
4.5 Probation Board submission
Members noted the letter from the Probation Board dated 31 January at Tab 7 of their packs referring to recent discussions of the Committee regarding the future status of the Probation Board.
Agreed: That the Clerk should respond to the Probation Board, indicating that the Committee has noted the contents of the letter.
4.6 ‘Include Youth’ submission
Members noted the letter from ‘Include Youth’ dated 25 January 2008.
Agreed: That a reply should issue to ‘Include Youth’ thanking them for their informative written submission and stating that it would not be appropriate to invite any further witnesses at this stage of the Inquiry.
4.7 Update from Clerk on arrangements for publishing the Committee’s report
Members heard an update from the Clerk on the arrangements for the publication of the Committee report.
Agreed:
- That the Committee will discuss the terms of the draft motion at the meeting on 12 February.
- That the Committee will seek to sign off on the Inquiry report by 22 February.
- That the text of the report should be placed in the Business Office by 29 February.
-
Draft Press Release
Members agreed the draft press release.
-
Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 7 February at 2.00pm in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.03pm.