OP 28-08/09
ORDER PAPER
MONDAY 19 JANUARY 2009
The Assembly to sit at noon
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PRAYERS
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COMMITTEE BUSINESS
- Motion - Amend Standing Order 64
- Proposed: In Standing Order 64, delete all and insert -
‘64. MATTERS OF JOINT CONCERN: OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO COMMITTEES
Where a matter may be of concern to two or more committees ("the relevant committees") it may be dealt with by –
(a) one of the relevant committees disposing of it, in accordance with Standing Order 64A;
(b) the relevant committees sitting concurrently, in accordance with Standing Order 64B;
(c) an ad hoc joint committee established for that purpose, in accordance with Standing Order 64C.
64A. MATTERS OF JOINT CONCERN: DISPOSAL BY ONE COMMITTEE
(1) The chairpersons of the relevant committees shall consult and agree which committee the matter should fall to for disposal. Where they are unable to agree, they shall make their views known to the Business Committee which shall rule on which committee the matter should fall to for disposal.
(2) The committee to which the matter falls for disposal shall seek the views and establish the interests of the other relevant committees before arriving at any conclusions and may invite the other relevant committees to carry out the consideration of any stated issue and provide it with a draft report.
64B. MATTERS OF JOINT CONCERN: COMMITTEES SITTING CONCURRENTLY
(1) The relevant committees shall consult and agree that the matter be disposed of by the relevant committees sitting concurrently.
(2) The procedures normally applicable to committees shall continue to apply to concurrent sittings, save that the relevant committees shall, as far as practicable, operate as a single committee. While operating as a single committee, they shall, for example, deliberate and consider any evidence together, produce a single set of minutes, and prepare any reports together.
(3) The chairpersons of the relevant committees shall consult and agree that–
(a) one of them shall act as chairperson and another as deputy chairperson, or
(b) the posts of chairperson and deputy chairperson shall be rotated between them.
The chairpersons shall prefer that a person not act as chairperson at the concurrent sittings if he or she is of the same party as a Minister (including the First Minister and deputy First Minister) who the concurrent sittings may advise or assist.
(4) Where the chairpersons of the relevant committees fail to agree on one of the alternatives set out in paragraph (3), they shall make their views known to the Business Committee which shall rule on the matter.
(5) For the avoidance of doubt –
(a) a person acting as chairperson at a concurrent sitting, who is a chairperson of one of the relevant committees, shall not be regarded as breaching any prohibition in Standing Order 48(13) or 51(10);
(b) a quorum shall be present at a concurrent sitting if there is a quorum present for each of the relevant committees;
(c) all questions at concurrent sittings shall be decided by a simple majority of all members present; voting shall be by a show of hands unless otherwise requested by a member of a relevant committee.
64C. MATTERS OF JOINT CONCERN: ESTABLISHMENT OF JOINT COMMITTEE
(1) The relevant committees shall consult and agree that the matter be disposed of by the establishment of an ad hoc joint committee.
(2) Save as is set out below, the ad hoc joint committee shall be established in accordance with Standing Order 53.(3) Membership of the ad hoc joint committee shall be drawn from the memberships of the relevant committees.
(4) The ad hoc joint committee shall appoint its own chairperson and deputy chairperson, and if it fails to do so, it shall make its views known to the Business Committee which shall rule on the matter.’
[Chairperson, Committee on Procedures]
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QUESTION TIME
3.1 Education
3.2 Employment and Learning
3.3 Enterprise, Trade and Investment
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PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS
- Motion - Reducing the Number of Government Departments
- Proposed: That this Assembly recognises the importance of ensuring that the maximum amount of public spending is directed at frontline services; and calls on the First Minister and deputy First Minister to bring forward proposals to reduce the number of government Departments.
[Mr S Hamilton]
[Mr P Weir]
[Mr I Paisley Jnr]
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ADJOURNMENT