COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURES
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Room 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Lord Morrow (Chairperson)
Mr Mervyn Storey (Deputy Chairperson)
Lord Wallace Browne
Mr David McClarty Mr Adrian McQuillan Mr Declan O’Loan
In Attendance:
Ms Stella McArdle (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Wendy Young (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Ms Linda Hare (Clerical Supervisor)
Apologies:
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr Sean Neeson
The meeting opened at 2.03pm in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Chairperson’s business
The Committee discussed the inaugural use of the Matters of the Day in the Assembly on Tuesday 13 th May 2008.
Agreed – The Committee agreed that while there were obvious teething problems in the use of Standing Order Matters of the Day it is fit for purpose and no further action needs to be taken.
2.07 Mr Mervyn Storey joined the meeting.
3. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 30 April 2008
Agreed - the draft minutes of the meeting held on 30 th April were agreed.
4. Matters arising
The Committee noted the amendments to Standing Order 15 as suggested by the Business Office.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the suggested amendments to SO15.
5. Research – Amendments to Amendments
The Committee was briefed by Miss Claire Cassidy, Assembly Research and Library Services on the amendments to amendments procedures in other legislatures.
Agreed: The Members agreed to discuss this issue with their relevant parties and decide whether to take it further at the next meeting.
6. Standing Orders 46, 47 and 48.
The Committee noted the additional changes to Standing Orders 46, 47 and 48 and the schedule for their implementation.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the suggested inclusion of the word party before the word “composition” in S047 (1)
Agreed: The Committee agreed that they were not happy to amalgamate paragraphs 2d and 2d of SO47 as suggested by legal services.
7. Any Other Business.
There was no other business.
8. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 28 th May 2008 at 2.00pm in Room 152 Parliament Buildings.
The meeting moved at 2.32pm into closed session.
9. Joint Committees.
The Committee noted the options available for establishing joint committees and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to ask Assembly Research Services to provide a comparative analysis of joint committee procedures in other legislatures.
2.54pm Mr Declan O’Loan left the meeting.
10. Report on Committee Systems and Structures
The Committee undertook a paragraph by paragraph consideration of the Executive Summary of the draft and the amendments made to the main body of the report on Committee Systems and Structures since the last meeting.
Paragraphs 1 – 9 read and agreed.
Paragraph 14 read and agreed.
Table 2 read and agreed.
Paragraph 22 read and agreed.
Paragraph 35 read and agreed.
Suggested paragraphs to be inserted at paragraph 69 read and agreed.
Paragraph 70 read and agreed.
Agreed: The Committee ordered the report to be printed.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it is content that the Chairperson table a motion in the Business Office for debate in the Assembly.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Chairperson approve the minutes of the 14 th May meeting so as to ensure the relevant minutes be included in the report.
11. Draft Press Release
The Committee noted the press release for the report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it is content that this press release be issues just prior to the debate.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.02 pm.