Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

COMMITTEE FOR CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

TUESDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2007
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
The Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Paul Maskey MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Alan Patterson (Principal Clerk)
Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Alister Strain (Clerical Officer)
Mr Denis Arnold (Bill Office)

The meeting opened at 10.35am in public session.

  1. Draft minutes of the meetings held on 5 July and 24 July 2007.

Agreed – The draft minutes were agreed.

  1. Matters arising

Agreed – The Committee agreed to defer considering the matters arising from the minutes until its meeting of 6 September 2007.

Mr McCausland joined the meeting at 10.42am.

Mr Shannon joined the meeting at 10.42am.

  1. Libraries Bill

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Mr Edwin Poots MLA, and the following officials joined the meeting 10.45am:

Colin Jack (Head of Culture, Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure)
Irene Knox (Chief Executive Designate, Northern Ireland Library Authority)

The Minister and Ms Knox briefed the Committee on the Department’s proposed timetable for the Libraries Bill and for the setting up of the new Library Authority. This was followed by a question and answer session.

Mr McNarry left the meeting at 11.25am.
Mr McNarry rejoined the meeting at 11.30am.
Mr Robinson left the meeting at 11.45am.
Mr Robinson rejoined the meeting at 11.50am.
Mr Bradley left the meeting at 11.50am.
Mr Bradley rejoined the meeting at 11.52am.
The Minister and his officials left the meeting at 12.03pm.
Mr McNarry left the meeting at 12.05pm.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to provide the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure with copies of the written submissions received on the Libraries Bill.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to consider at next week’s meeting a suitable extension date for the Committee Stage of the Libraries Bill.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to ask Assembly Research Services for information on the process by which the Department selected the single library authority model.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure for further information on its proposal that the Library Authority will have a sub-regional structure.

The Chair referred members to the paper on the Libraries Bill prepared by Assembly Research Services.

  1. Date and time of next meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed its next meeting will be held on Thursday 6 September 2007 at 10.30am in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.22pm.

Mr Barry McElduff MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure

 6 September 2007.

24 July 2007 / Menu