COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURES
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY, 2 MARCH 2010
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Lord Morrow MLA (Chairman)
Mr Mervyn Storey MLA (Deputy Chairman)
Mr Mickey Brady MLA
Mr Billy Leonard MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Adrian McQuillan MLA
Mr Sean Neeson MLA
Mr Declan O’Loan MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
In Attendance:
Mrs Mairead Mageean (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Colin Jones (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Ms Dagmar Walgraeve (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Lord Browne MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
The meeting opened at 2.00 pm in open session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are stated above.
2. Draft Minutes of the Meeting on 23 February 2010
Agreed: for publication on the Assembly website.
3. Matters Arising
Mr McQuillan joined the meeting at 2.03pm.
Mr Storey joined the meeting at 2.05 pm.
Members considered correspondence from the Speaker on the length and content of Ministerial responses during Assembly Question Time.
Agreed: that Committee members will obtain the views of their respective parties on whether there are significant concerns with the Ministerial responses during Assembly Question Time, together with any potential solutions to address these concerns. Members agreed to provide feedback to the Clerk, to enable an options paper to be prepared for the next Committee meeting.
Mr McCartney joined the meeting at 2.13 pm.
4. Standing Orders on Policing and Justice
Members noted that, at the meeting on 23 February 2010, the Committee had considered a number of draft Standing Orders to facilitate the transfer of policing and justice powers and had agreed that it was content with the Standing Orders drafted to date and that final drafts would be considered at today’s meeting.
Members noted that the motion on Standing Order 44A, relating to the appointment of a Minister of Justice, which had been agreed by the Committee on 23 February 2010, will be debated in plenary on 9 March 2010, following the debate on the resolution requesting the devolution of policing and justice powers.
Members considered further the final draft Standing Orders to facilitate the devolution of policing and justice powers.
Mr O’Loan asked that his concern that the role of the Committee for Justice could potentially conflict with the work of the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the various District Policing Partnerships be recorded in the minutes of proceedings. He stated that he would discuss the issue with his party and might raise it again at a future Committee meeting.
Agreed: that, in relation to the establishment of the Committee for Justice, the Committee on Procedures was content with draft Standing Order 49A and the accompanying draft motion, which will be tabled in the Business Office for plenary debate.
Agreed: that, in relation to the membership of the Committee for Justice, the Committee on Procedures was content with draft Standing Order 49B and the accompanying draft motion, which will be tabled in the Business Office for plenary debate.
Agreed: that, in relation to changes in the number of standing committees, the Committee was content with the draft Standing Order 52A and the accompanying draft motion which will be tabled in the Business Office for plenary debate.
Agreed: that, in relation to the Assembly and Executive Review Committee, the Committee on Procedures was content with draft Standing Order 59 and the accompanying draft motion, which will be tabled in the Business Office for plenary debate.
Agreed: that the Committee on Procedures was content with the minor, technical and consequential amendments to Standing Orders and the accompanying draft motions, which will be tabled in the Business Office for plenary debate.
Members noted that the motions will be considered at the next meeting of the Business Committee on 9 March 2010, with a view to being scheduled on the Order Paper for week commencing 22 March 2010. Members noted that amendments to Standing Orders were effective as soon as they were agreed in plenary and that they are normally published on the Assembly website within one working day of plenary approval.
Agreed: that the amendment already agreed by the Committee to Standing Order 44A will be printed concurrently with the amendments agreed at today’s meeting.
5. Standing Order 73 on Sub Judice
Members noted that the motion will be considered at the next meeting of the Business Committee on 9 March 2010, with a view to being scheduled on the Order Paper for week commencing 22 March 2010.
Agreed: that, the Committee on Procedures was content with draft Standing Order 73 and the accompanying draft motion, which will be tabled in the Business Office for plenary debate.
6. Correspondence
Members considered a request from the Speaker, which had been agreed by the Business Committee, asking the Committee on Procedures to consider an amendment to Standing Order 20, to increase the number of weekly Question Time slots for Ministers from three to four.
Agreed: that research into the implications of any potential amendment will be carried out, prior to drafting instructions being issued to the draftsperson.
Members noted correspondence from the Chairpersons’ Liaison Group indicating that it had noted the amendments to Standing Orders relating to sub judice and access to Assembly proceedings.
Members noted correspondence from the Speaker, detailing arrangements for a documentary-style series on the work of the Assembly, which had been commissioned by the BBC.
7. Any Other Business
Members noted a summary of the Committee’s End of Session Report for 2008/09, which had been prepared for inclusion in the Assembly’s Annual Report for 2008/09.
8. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
Members noted that, if a further meeting becomes necessary later in the month, it will be held on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 2.00 pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings. If this meeting is not necessary, the next Committee meeting will be on Tuesday 4 May 2010 at 2.00 pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 2.37pm.