MINUTES OF THE TWENTIETH MEETING OF
THE ASSEMBLY COMMISSION
HELD ON MONDAY 29 JANUARY 2001 AT 6.30PM
IN ROOM 106

Present:The Speaker
Rev Robert Coulter
Dr Dara O'Hagan
Mrs E Bell
Mr John Fee
Mr Jim Wells

In the Chair:The Speaker

In Attendance:Mr T Evans, Ms G Campbell, Mr P Carlisle, Mr A Black and Mrs C McGowan.
Mr J Torney was in attendance for Agenda Item 4.
Mr B McGuigan, Mr I Jamieson and Ms C Cleland were in attendance for Agenda Item 5.

The Speaker welcomed Mr Carlisle, who joined the Commission Office on 22 January 2001.

1. Clerk to the Assembly

The Commission agreed the final confirmation letter to be issued to the four unsuccessful candidates for the Clerk to the Assembly Competition who took part in the final selection process. The Speaker paid tribute to Mr Rogers, Mr Price and other staff for their support in preparing for the appointment of the new Clerk to the Assembly.

2. Mount Charles

Mr Evans tabled a proposal from the Catering and Functions Committee, to increase pay levels for Mount Charles staff based on a recent benchmarking exercise. It was agreed that members of the Catering and Functions Committee should be invited to the next meeting to discuss the proposal.

3. Off- Site Committee Centres

Mr Torney presented an interim paper outlining research to date on the identification of off-site Committee Centres. The Commission agreed that the Speaker should apprise Whips of the proposals at the next Business Committee meeting.

4. Economic Appraisal

4.1 The Commission discussed in detail the first draft of the Economic Appraisal. Ms Cleland, Mr McGuigan and Mr Jamieson were present at the meeting to clarify aspects of the document.

4.2 Members expressed some reservations about the appraisal methodology and the presentation of the costings. The Commission agreed the following:

. Members can, on a confidential basis, seek independent advice on the appraisal methodology;

. Mr Evans to research the approach used by other parliamentary bodies and local councils;

. the cost of the 'do nothing' option to be disaggegated from the costs for the remaining appraisal options;

. a breakdown to be provided of the cost differences between options 2, 3 and 4;

. a summary of the costs of the options 2, 3 and 4 to be provided to include building, site, recurrent and temporary accommodation costs; and

. Ms Cleland to forward a copy of the appraisal to the Equality Commission.

4.3 Mr McGuigan advised the Commission that he was unable, at this stage, to confirm the availability of a suitable site within the Stormont Estate, for the purposes of a new build option.

6. Date of next meeting

Monday 5 February 2001, half an hour after rise of House, in room 106.