Present: Mr A Attwood
Mr T Benson
Mr R Hutchinson
Mr A Maginness
Mr D McClarty
Mr M Morrow
Mr C Murphy (Chairperson)
Mr S Wilson

In the Chair: Mr C Murphy

Clerk to the Committee: Mr J Reynolds

In attendance: Mr J Gillespie

1. Welcome and Introduction

The Chairperson welcomed members to the first meeting of the Committee and expressed his appreciation for having the honour of serving as its Chairperson. The Chairperson invited members to introduce themselves and describe their previous experience of developing procedures for an elected body. The members reported as follows:

F Agnew : Member of Newtownabbey Borough Council; previously a member of the Northern Health Board.

A Attwood : Member of Belfast City Council.

T Benson : Member of Ards Borough Council; member of South Eastern Education and Library Board; formerly a member of the Northern Ireland Fire Authority.

R Hutchinson : Nil

A Maginness : Member of Belfast City Council; a regular substitute on the former Committee on Standing Orders.

M Morrow : A member of Dungannon District Council for 26 years.

S Wilson : Member of Belfast City Council, no direct experience of any Committee on Procedures.

2. Declaration of Interests

The Chairman invited members to declare any interests as required by Standing Order 62(3). Each member reported that they had nothing further to add to their entry in the Register of Members' Interests. (A copy of the relevant extracts is attached for convenience.)

3. Forthcoming Business

The Chairperson reported on discussions he had held with the Deputy Chairperson in which they had agreed to present to the Committee proposals for a Committee programme of activity in three parts.

Part One would consist of the consideration of editorial amendments to the current Standing Orders for submission to a plenary meeting of the Assembly. On approval, this would allow a re-print of the Standing Orders booklet.

Part Two would involve the consideration of more substantive changes to Standing Orders to provide for possible changes to Standing Order 10; Standing Orders 28-40 to allow for additional stage(s) at which amendments could be made to Bills passing through the Assembly; Standing Orders 43-58, to clarify the rules for the conduct of Committee Business.

Part Three would, in the medium term, consider broader issues about how the Assembly and its Committees should conduct business and would consider more substantial changes to the operation of the Assembly. The Chairperson suggested that these might include review of the use of technology in the Chamber, the arrangements for conducting Divisions and the rules governing relationships with other legislatures. He suggested that these considerations might be informed by calling for papers, visits to other Parliaments/Assemblies (particularly in Wales or Scotland) or by the appointment of Specialist Advisers.

4. The Committee indicated its agreement to this programme of work. It also agreed that no decisions should be made, in the interim, in respect of how Part Three would be taken forward, particularly with regard to undertaking visits outside Northern Ireland or the appointment of Specialist Advisers.

5. The Chairperson invited further suggestions to add to this programme.

5.1 Mr Attwood suggested the production of Briefing Notes for the Guidance of Members on how to give effect to the procedures outlined in Standing Orders.

5.2 Mr Benson asked if it would be possible to address the problem of clashes in the timing of Committee meetings.

5.3 Mr Maginness suggested that Standing Orders should provide time for Assembly Party Group meetings to avoid clashes with Plenary or Committee meetings. He also asked to address the issue of carrying Bills across sessions (SO 39(4)) as identified by the First Minister in his Statement on 31 January 2000.

5.4 The Chairperson suggested that the formation of a Liaison Committee (a Committee of Chairmen of Statutory Committees) might address some of these problems.

5.5 It was agreed that these issues would be addressed in papers prepared for the Committee by the Clerk.

6. Date, Time and Venue of Next and Future Meetings

It was agreed that the Committee would, ordinarily, meet on Wednesday afternoons in Room 152. The next meeting was scheduled for 3.00 pm on Wednesday 9 February 2000.

The meeting was adjourned at 3.44 pm.