COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS:
TUESDAY 27 AUGUST 2002
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Edwin Poots MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs Jnr MLA
Ms Patricia Lewsley MLA
Mr Barry McElduff MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies:
Mrs Eileen Bell MLA
Dr Esmond Birnie MLA
Mrs Annie Courtney MLA
Mr Duncan Shipley Dalton MLA
Mr David Ervine MLA
Mr Danny Kennedy MLA
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MLA
Mr Eugene McMenamin MLA
Mr Pat McNamee MLA
Dr Dara O'Hagan MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
In Attendance:
Mr Hugh Farren (Committee Clerk)
Ms Stella McArdle (Committee Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis
Ms Victoria Surplus
Mr Gary Tate
Ms Pauline Innes
The meeting opened at 4.12pm in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are listed above.
2. Chairperson's welcome
The Chairperson welcomed Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Foreign Secretary, to the Committee of the Centre, particularly as this was the first visit by a Cabinet Minister to a Northern Ireland Assembly Committee meeting.
3. Presentation by the Foreign Secretary
The presentation started at 4.14pm. Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Foreign Secretary, accompanied by Mr Des Browne MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office, made a presentation on the subject "To raise the profile of the region within Europe".
This included the topics of subsidiarity, enlargement, cost of putting European Law into practice, the possibility of a Constitution or new Rule Book for the European Union, and how the European Union could become more citizen friendly.
The presentation concluded at 4.49pm.
4. Any other business
None.
5. Date and time of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 4 September 2002 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.50pm.
COUNCILLOR EDWIN POOTS MLA
Chairperson, Committee of the Centre
4 September 2002