ASSEMBLY AND EXECUTIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
MONDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 2009
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Jimmy Spratt (Chairperson)
Mr Raymond McCartney (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Alex Attwood
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr Danny Kennedy
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr John O’Dowd
Mr Ian Paisley Jnr
In Attendance:
Mr Stephen Graham (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Vincent Gribbin (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Miss Tara McKee (Clerical Supervisor)
Miss Paula McManus (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened at 3:33pm in closed session.
Mr McCartney joined the meeting at 3.35pm.
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held on 3 November 2009
Members agreed the Minutes of Proceedings of the meeting held on 3 November 2009.
3. Matters Arising
The Committee discussed how it planned to proceed with the Committee Motion, the terms of which had been agreed on 3 November 2009.
Mr Attwood joined the meeting at 3.38pm.
In line with Standing Order 62, the Chairman suspended the meeting at 3.40pm to enable Members to vote.
The Chairman resumed the meeting in closed session at 3.54pm with the following members also present:
Mr Jimmy Spratt (Chairperson)
Mr Alex Attwood
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr John O’Dowd
Agreed: Members agreed that any decision on the Committee Motion should be deferred until the Committee had established if the First Minister and deputy First Minister had received all of the Memoranda of Understanding, Protocols and Concordats which would apply at the point of devolution of policing and justice matters.
Mr McCartney joined the meeting at 3.58pm.
Mr McFarland joined the meeting at 4.00pm.
Mr Kennedy joined the meeting at 4.05pm.
4. Correspondence – outgoing/incoming
Members noted outgoing correspondence:
- A letter to the First Minister and deputy First Minister confirming the meeting with the Ministers on 10 November 2009.
- A letter to the Minister for Finance and Personnel requesting that his officials appear before the Committee.
- A letter to the Secretary of State requesting that his officials appear before the Committee.
- A letter to Lord Ashdown requesting that he appear before the Committee to update the Committee on the Strategic Review of Parading.
- A letter to Mr John Larkin QC requesting that he appear before the Committee to discuss his potential future role as the Attorney General.
- A letter to the Secretary of State requesting an update on the Strategic Review of Parading and notifying him that the Committee has requested Lord Ashdown to appear before it.
- Members noted incoming correspondence from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, confirming the names of NIO officials appearing before the Committee on 9 November 2009 and a similar letter from OFMDFM.
Agreed: Members agreed to the list of attendees who would accompany the First Minister and deputy First Minister on 10 November 2009.
5. Financial Implications of Devolution of Policing and Justice matters
Mr Maskey left the meeting at 4.13pm.
In relation to the issue of the devolution of policing and justice matters, the Chairperson declared the following interests:
- Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board
The Chairperson invited Members to declare their relevant interests.
Members declared the following interests:
Alex Attwood
- Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board
Members noted the amended version of the Specialist Adviser’s paper.
Agreed: Members agreed to send the amended report by the Specialist Adviser to the First Minister and deputy First Minister, to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and to the Minister for Finance and Personnel.
Agreed: Members agreed to provide the Northern Ireland Office and Department of Finance and Personnel officials with the amended version of the Specialist Adviser’s paper.
The Specialist Adviser and the following officials from the Northern Ireland Office and the Department of Finance and Personnel joined the meeting at 4.15pm:
Anthony Harbinson – Northern Ireland Office
Peter May - Northern Ireland Office
Richard Pengelly - Department of Finance and Personnel
There was a question and answer session with the officials.
Mr Hamilton left the meeting at 4.42pm.
Mr Kennedy joined the meeting at 4.42pm.
The Chairperson thanked the officials for the briefing.
The officials left the meeting at 5.16pm.
Mr Paisley jnr. joined the meeting at 5.16pm.
The Specialist Adviser briefed the Committee on his amended paper regarding the Prime Minister’s letter to the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the Financial Settlement for the Devolution of Policing and Justice matters. This was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson thanked the Specialist Adviser for the briefing.
The Specialist Adviser left the meeting at 5.19pm.
6. Chairpersons Business
The Committee discussed, briefly, how it planned to proceed with the Committee Motion, the terms of which had been agreed on 3 November 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed to defer its consideration of the Committee Motion until 10 November 2009.
7. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 10 November 2009 at 10.15am, in Room 21 in closed session.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 5.28pm.