Committee on Procedures

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

TUESDAY 05 OCTOBER 2010
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Lord Browne (Chairperson)
Mr Mervyn Storey MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Mickey Brady MLA
Mr Paul Butler MLA
Mr Billy Leonard MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mr Adrian McQuillan MLA
Lord Morrow MLA
Mr Sean Neeson MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA

In Attendance:
Mrs Mairead Mageean (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Leanne Johnston (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Dagmar Walgraeve (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr Thomas Burns MLA

The meeting opened at 1.30pm in public session.

1. Apologies.

Apologies are detailed above.

Lord Morrow joined the meeting at 1.31pm.

2. Draft minutes of meeting on 28 th September 2010.

The Chairperson clarified that, at its last meeting, the Committee agreed to use the Report on the Inquiry into the participation of the Attorney General in Assembly proceedings to inform Standing Orders and that it and the Public Notice would be placed on the website only.

Agreed: The minutes were agreed as drafted for publication on the Assembly website.

Mr Leonard joined the meeting at 1.32pm.

3. Matters arising.

None

Mr Butler joined the meeting at 1.33pm.

4. Consideration of research on the role of Attorney’s General elsewhere.

Mr Robinson joined the meeting at 1.35pm.

The Committee considered evidence from Tim Moore, Senior Researcher on the roles of Attorneys General elsewhere.

A question and answer session ensued and the Chairperson thanked Mr Moore for attending.

Mr McClarty left the meeting at 1.45pm.

5. Inquiry into the participation of the Attorney General in proceedings of the Assembly.

The Committee took evidence from:

Public Prosecution Service

Jimmy Scholes Acting Director of Public Prosecutions

Raymond Kitson and Ian Hearst Officials, Public Prosecution Service

Mr Neeson left the meeting at 1.56pm.

Department of Justice

Gareth Johnston Departmental Official

A question and answer session ensued for each set of witnesses. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.

The Chairperson commented on the differences in the opinions of the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General in relation to the latter’s accountability for the Public Prosecution Service and suggested that the Committee might wish to take its own legal advice.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that advice should be sought from Legal Services

Mr Storey left the meeting at 2.18pm.

Mr Storey rejoined the meeting at 2.24pm.

Mr Robinson left the meeting at 2.32pm.

6. Lord Advocate, Scotland.

The Committee noted papers relating to the Lord Advocate in Scotland.

7. Draft Standing Orders on Time Limits at Question Time.

At the meeting on 28 th September the Committee agreed that a revised Standing Order and draft motion be produced to impose a time limit of up to two minutes for Ministers’ responses at Question Time and to give the Speaker discretion to allow additional time if needed.

The Chairperson suggested that the Committee might consider having Standing Orders drafted to ensure that members can ask only one question in their supplementary questions rather than having several parts as is often the case at present.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that draft Standing Orders should be brought to the next Committee meeting to incorporate (i) the two minute time limit on Ministers’ responses during Question Time (ii) giving discretion to the Speaker in relation to the time limits and (iii) ensuring that members ask only one question in their supplementaries.

Mr Storey suggested that as Standing Orders are to be amended to make Question Time more efficient it would it be useful to look into the content of Ministers’ responses.

Agreed: The Chairperson advised that this was discussed at the last meeting and that responses to Oral Questions are being monitored and the outcome will be brought to the Committee at a later date.

8. Correspondence

Members considered correspondence from the Committee to the Law Centre and the Committee for the Administration of Justice inviting their views on the relationship of the Attorney General with the Assembly.

Agreed: The Committee noted the correspondence.

9. Any Other business.

The Committee was advised that secretariat support will be provided by the Business Office from now on. The members recorded their appreciation for the work and assistance provided by Ms Johnston and Ms Walgraeve.

10. Date, time and place of next meeting.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 19 th October 2010 at 1.30 pm in Room 144 Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 2.45pm.

Lord Browne
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures.
19 October 2010

28 September 2010 / Menu