Present:

Lord Alderdice (Initial Presiding Officer)

Mr F Cobain (representing Mr J Wilson)

Mr I Davis

Mr M Durkan

Mr S Farren (representing Mr E McGrady MP)

Mr D Ford

Mr B Hutchinson

Mr A Maskey

Prof M McWilliams

Mr F Molloy

Mr M Morrow

Mr P Robinson MP

Mr D Watson

Mr C Wilson

In attendance:

Mr N Carson

Mr M Barnes

Miss A Moore Mr G Martin

Mr N Johnston

1. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed.

2. MATTERS ARISING

Party Seating in the Chamber: the drawings requested from DOE are expected by the afternoon of 12 October.

Accommodation: DOE have provided the Shadow Assembly Commission with a revised timetable for moving DFP out of the 3^rd floor. All rooms are to be vacated by 1 November. An architect from DOE will survey the 3^rd floor and advise on any necessary alterations. The Initial Presiding Officer suggested parties look at their proposed accommodation and advise Mr Waddell of their requirements. A furniture package has been arranged for each room, any member requiring additional furniture for their staff should let Mr Waddell know as soon as possible.

Mr C Wilson and Mr Morrow noted that they have not yet been allocated printers for their Whips offices. The Initial Presiding Officer will raise the matter with Mr Black.

Headed Notepaper: by reducing the size of the print order it has been possible to have one month's supply of headed notepaper available from 12.00 pm on 12 October. Members were advised of this in All Party Notices (APN/3).

Visit by President Havel: the Initial Presiding Officer reported that a meeting has taken place between the Assembly Secretariat, the Executive and Visits Section. President Havel is due to arrive at 17.10 pm and depart at 18.15 pm. He will meet with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister before spending approximately 30 minutes being introduced to party representatives. The Initial Presiding Officer asked the Committee how the meeting between President Havel and the parties should be handled. The Committee asked for time to discuss with their parties and report back at the next Committee meeting.

Medical Facilities: the Initial Presiding Officer reported that as well as medically trained members there are a number of Secretariat staff trained in first aid and that the doorkeepers are being given training. He reported that it is his intention to consult with members of the Assembly who have medical training to establish what kind of facilities they think should be available and asked that others who might have training, eg, nurses, might be made known to him.

Minutes of the Shadow Assembly Commission: a memo has been sent to the Library from the Initial Presiding Officer to inform them that researchers should be given copies of minutes of proceedings of the Shadow Assembly Commission and other Committees upon request.

3. CIRCULATION OF PAPERS TO MEMBERS

The Initial Presiding Officer asked the advice of the Committee about the distribution of documents received by Secretariat for circulation to members. He explained that posting bulky documents could be unduly costly. After discussion it was agreed pigeonholes should continue to be cleared of their contents each evening and posted to members; bulky items will be left in party rooms for collection. Members will be informed through All Party Notices that if they wish they can arrange to collect all material from the pigionhole instead of having it posted daily.

4. FUTURE PLENARY MEETINGS AND THEIR CONDUCT

Plenary Meetings after 26 October: the Initial Presiding Officer reported that the only item of business scheduled after 26 October was the report by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Procedural Consequences of Devolution. The interim report by that Committee indicated the final report would be presented by Friday 6 November and the Initial Presiding Officer asked when the report should be debated. This might be either on 2 November or 9 November. He also informed the Committee that if the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) was to be debated on 9 November that Mr Murphy had indicated he would be available to attend. No decision was taken on the CSR but it was agreed that the Ad Hoc Committee report would be taken on 9 November.

Plenary Meeting on 26 October: there was discussion on how the Report by the Committee on Standing Orders should be conducted, either by taking the Report as a whole, or clause by clause with the possibility of amendments being tabled. It was confirmed by Mr Cobain that the Report will be interim in nature due to the fact that the NI Bill will not have become law at that stage. Mr Barnes indicated that it is the intention of the Committee on Standing Orders to have the Report issued to members by the beginning of week commencing 19 October. After discussion the Initial Presiding Officer suggested that as the Northern Ireland Bill might still impact on the Standing Orders that the Report could be debated on 26 October without a vote and that a subsequent Report incorporating the requirements of the Bill could be put before the Assembly for more in-depth scrutiny with the possibility of amendments at that stage. Members agreed to discuss again at the next meeting.

The Initial Presiding Officer confirmed that he intends in the interim to use the proposed new Standing Orders as a guide unless they conflict with the Initial Standing Orders.

The remainder of the business for 26 October was considered. Mr C Wilson asked that it be recorded that he requested the UKUP motion on Decommissioning and Cross Border Bodies be debated on either 19 or 25 October. After discussion it was agreed the Initial Presiding Officer should establish from the First Minister and Deputy First Minister if they plan to report to the Assembly before 31 October. The proposal is to be revisited at the next Committee meeting.

Adjournment Debates: there was discussion regarding the format of Adjournment Debates and a number of options were considered. It was agreed that in future Ministers, Party Leaders and any member who has already spoken substantively in a debate should be excluded and that rather than the ballot, the Presiding Officer will select from the remainder to provide a spread of people across the parties.

5. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Dinner to be Hosted by Mr McFall: the Committee was asked to note that the dinner to be hosted by Mr McFall has been changed to a reception format and that the number invited has been extended to 30 members. The Committee indicated they were unhappy with the change in format as a reception for a larger number of people would not allow for discussions on relevant issues as Mr McFall had indicated was his intention in hosting the dinner. Mr Carson agreed to take the comments back to Mr McFall's office and report back to members.

Conduct of Debates: Mr Molloy mentioned a speech made by Dr Paisley during the debate on the pig industry at the last plenary meeting and exhorted the Initial Presiding Officer to control debates in such a way that such remarks would be challenged. The Initial Presiding Officer commented that this was the first time the matter had actually been raised with him although some individuals had indicated to the press their intention of doing so. He pointed out that the matter could have been objected to during the debate as a breach of parliamentary language but this had not happened. He also commented that the speech in question did not, in his view, transgress Erskine May, because the complaint was with the implication of what was said, not the words used. The Initial Presiding Officer said he would be prepared to have further guidelines and would welcome suggestions, however he pointed out that in order for them to work they need to be realistic. Professor McWilliams indicated she would be responding to the request. Mr Durkan said that if the guidelines were included in Standing Orders the issue would be in every member's ownership. Mr Robinson said that going beyond the guidance in Erskine May would be censorship and the Initial Presiding Officer would be in a situation of having to justify what he had done as well as what he had not done. The Initial Presiding Officer said he would let the Committee on Standing Orders know the matter had been raised.

6. DATE, TIME AND VENUE FOR NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be on Monday 19 October at 10.00 am in Room 152.