COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURES
Minutes of Proceedings
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Lord Morrow (Chairperson)
Mr Mickey Brady
Mr Francie Brolly
Lord Wallace Browne
Mr Raymond McCartney
Mr Sean Neeson
Mr Declan O’Loan
Mr Ken Robinson
In Attendance:
Ms Stella McArdle (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Jim Beatty (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Ms Linda Hare (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Diarmaid Elder (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Mervyn Storey (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr David McClarty
Mr Adrian McQuillan
The meeting opened at 2.34 pm in closed session.
1. Inquiry into Assembly Questions
Members reported back on their discussions with party colleagues on the key issues discussed at the meeting on 3 December 2008.
Agreed : The Committee agreed the way forward on the majority of the key issues. Outstanding issues will be discussed at the meeting on 3 February 2009.
The meeting moved into open session at 3.01pm.
2. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the chairperson should send letters of condolence to Mr McClarty and Mr Storey.
3. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2008
Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2008 were agreed.
4. Matters Arising
There were no Matters Arising.
5. Evidence from Junior Ministers (1)
Junior Minister Donaldson and Junior Minister Kelly, accompanied by Alan Rogers and Neil Jackson, OFMDFM, joined the meeting at 3.02pm.
After making a short presentation on various issues, including attendance of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister at Assembly Question Time, the Junior Ministers answered questions from the members.
The Junior Ministers and officials left the meeting at 3.53pm.
(Discussion on the issues that arose from the evidence session was deferred until after the next item.)
6. Stormont Correspondents Association
Mr O’Loan left the meeting at 3.54pm.
Mark Devenport and Stephen McCaffery, Stormont Correspondents Association, joined the meeting at 3.54pm and made a presentation on the provision of embargoed Ministerial statements to the media. They then answered questions from the members.
The representatives left the meeting at 4.11pm.
(Discussion on the issues that arose from the presentation was deferred to the later consideration of SO18 - Ministerial Statements.)
7. Evidence Session with Junior Ministers (2)
Members discussed the issues that arose from the earlier evidence session with the Junior Ministers.
Mr McCartney left the meeting at 4.20pm.
Mr O’Loan rejoined the meeting at 4.25pm
Agreed: It was agreed that the Clerk should ask:-
- the Assembly Business Office about the assistance and training available to members on tabling Assembly Questions and the remit of the FM and DFM, and
- OFMDFM for a detailed list of its responsibilities.
It was also agreed that members would consult with their party on outstanding issues arising from the Junior Ministers’ attendance.
8. Costs of Written Answers
The Committee considered departmental responses to its queries on processes and costs. Outstanding responses will be brought before the Committee at the meeting in February 2009.
Agreed: It was agreed to ask if a template was available for departments to use to assess the costs of preparing responses, similar to any used for costing FoI responses.
Mr Brady left the meeting at 4.33pm.
9. SO 18 – Ministerial Statements
The Committee discussed the earlier presentation session with the Stormont Correspondents Association and considered proposed revisions to the Standing Order.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the way forward on the majority of proposals. Outstanding issues will be discussed at the meeting in February 2009.
Mr Neeson left the meeting at 5.09pm.
10. SO27 – Voting when the Speaker’s decision is challenged
The Committee considered proposed revisions to the Standing Order.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the way forward on the majority of proposals. Outstanding issues will be discussed at the meeting in February 2009.
11. SO 9(2) – Quorum in Plenary
The Committee considered proposed revisions to the Standing Order.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the proposed revisions. A motion for debate in plenary will be discussed at the meeting in February 2009.
12. Assembly and Executive Review Committee
The Committee noted correspondence from the clerk to the Assembly and Executive Review Committee (A&ERC) relating to a potential need for Standing Orders.
Agreed: It was agreed that the Committee would consider a paper at its meeting in February 2009 outlining what work would be required on Standing Orders following publication of the A&ERC report in January 2009.
13. AOB
The Committee noted that the Northern Ireland Public Services Alliance had provided a copy of its report on the use of PFI/PPPs in Northern Ireland.
14. Date, Time and Place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Tuesday, 3 February 2009 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 5.41pm