ASSEMBLY AND EXECUTIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2009
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Jimmy Spratt (Chairperson)
Mr Raymond McCartney (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Alex Attwood
Mr Nigel Dodds
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr Danny Kennedy
Mr John O’Dowd
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr Alex Maskey
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 11.04 am in public session.
1. Apologies
Mrs Carmel Hanna
2. Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held on 1 December 2009
Members agreed the Minutes of Proceedings of the meeting held on 1 December 2009.
11.06 am Mr McFarland joined the meeting.
3. Matters Arising
There were no matters arising.
4. Correspondence – outgoing/incoming
Outgoing correspondence
Members noted a letter to the First Minister and deputy First Minister regarding Mr John Larkin’s paper; his potential appearance before the Committee and the commitment given by the First Minister, and the deputy First Minister, to appear before the Committee.
11.07 am Mr Kennedy joined the meeting.
Incoming correspondence
This session was recorded by Hansard.
Members noted the following correspondence
- a letter from Mr John Larkin QC declining the Committee’s original invitation to appear before the Committee.
- a letter from Mr John Larkin QC in which he declines the further invitation to appear, informally, before the Committee.
- a letter from the First Minister and deputy First Minister to all MLAs requesting nominations for the position of Justice Minister.
- a letter from the Secretary of State, regarding Lord Ashdown’s Strategic Review of Parading.
- a letter from Mr Brendan Garland, Chief Executive of the Bar Council, asking for a meeting with the Committee.
Agreed: Members reaffirmed the reply sent to the Bar Council on 26 October 2009.
11.18 am Mr Hamilton left the meeting.
5. Devolution of Policing and Justice Matters – Category Two list of issues
The Chairperson declared the following interest:
- 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.
Alex Maskey
- Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
Committee Briefing Paper 11/08/09 – Twenty-sixth Revision – Consideration of the Category Two List of Issues
Members considered the Category Two List of Issues and reported no change to previously stated positions.
11.23 am The meeting went into closed session.
6. Chairperson’s Business
Members considered a request from the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee to have lunch on Monday, 25 January 2010.
Agreed: Members agreed, in principle, for a delegation from the Committee to have a meeting and a light lunch with the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on Monday 25 January 2010, plenary business permitting.
7. Briefing on the Intergovernmental Agreement on Criminal Justice Cooperation by NIO officials
11.25 am NIO officials joined the meeting.
11.28 am Mr Paisley Jnr joined the meeting.
11.29 am Mr McCartney left the meeting.
Officials from the NIO briefed the Committee on the changes in the Intergovernmental Agreement on Criminal Justice Cooperation, at the point of devolution.
There was a Question & Answer session.
Agreed: The NIO officials agreed to supply the Committee with a full list of the MoUs, Protocols and Concordats.
Agreed: The NIO officials agreed to supply the Committee with information on the outworking of the existing Intergovernmental Agreement and progress on the various work programmes.
8. Draft outline of the Committee’s Second Report
The Committee discussed the draft outline of the Committee’s Second Report on the Arrangements for the Devolution of Policing and Justice Matters.
Agreed: Members agreed the draft outline for the Committee’s Report.
11.45 am Mr McCartney rejoined the meeting.
11.46 am Mr O’Dowd left the meeting.
9. Draft Report – Finance Section
The Committee discussed how the financial implications of devolving a range of policing and justice matters should be addressed in the Report.
Agreed: Members agreed that there should be a dedicated finance section of the Report which deals with those matters.
11.56 am Mr Hamilton rejoined the meeting.
10. Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered the 2009/10 Forward Work Programme.
Agreed: Members agreed to revisit the 2009/10 Forward Work Programme in January 2010.
11. Any other business
None.
12. Date, time and place of next meeting
The Committee agreed that the next meeting would take place on Tuesday, 5 January 2010 at 11.00 am, in Room 21, unless the Chairperson, in consultation with the Deputy Chairperson, decides, based on correspondence received from the NIO, or for any other reason, to hold a meeting prior to this date.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.04 am.