Committee on Procedures

Minutes on Proceedings

Wednesday 9 February 2000 3.00 pm in Room 152, Parliament Buildings

1. Minutes
2. Matters Arising
3. Proposed Adjournment
4. Any Other Business
5. Date, Time Of Next Meeting

Present: Mr F Agnew
Mr A Attwood
Mr D Shipley Dalton
Mr R Hutchinson
Mr A Maginness
Mr D McClarty
Mr P McNamee
Mr M Morrow
Mr C Murphy (Chairman)
Mr S Wilson

Apologises: Mr T Benson

Clerk to the Committee: Mr J Reynolds

In attendance: Mr J Gillespie
Miss S Thompson

The minutes of the meeting of 2 February 2000 were agreed.

Editorial Changes to Standing Orders: The Chairperson invited Mr Reynolds to elaborate on paper Proc/1/2000 which was circulated to the Committee. Mr Reynolds emphasised that a great many of the changes contained in this paper were in grammar and punctuation and were intended not to change the substance of any standing order. However in the course of his examination of Standing Orders a number of irregularities were identified which the Committee would need to address as a matter of urgency: specifically, Standing Orders 25 (1), 26 (2)(b) and 33

Amendments to the Legislative Process: The Chairperson highlighted the inadequacy of a single amendment stage in the Assembly's unicameral legislature. He invited the Clerk to outline the options available to the Committee on how best to carry this matter forward. Paper Proc/2/200 offered the Committee a number of options:

1. to allow the Committee dealing with the Committee stage to make amendments to the face of a Bill.
2. to provide for a second Consideration Stage; or
3. both of the above.

Further suggestions for changes to Standing Orders were offered to the Committee in a letter from the Northern Ireland Office, which were circulated. The Chairperson suggested the Committee should write to the Speaker to seek his views on the operation of the procedures to date the need for changes to Standing Orders and to seek his co-operation with the Committee's consideration.

In the light of the uncertainty about a suspension of the Assembly, Mr Hutchinson proposed, and Mr Agnew seconded, and the Committee agreed to adjourn the meeting without deliberation on the papers with which they had be presented. Members also received a letter from the Speaker dated the 2 February 2000 concerning the remuneration of Committee Chairpersons and Deputy Chairperson.

Confusion as to the commencement time of today's meeting: The Clerk apologised for the confusion, which had arisen and pointed to an incorrect time in the agenda circulated to Members as the reason for the confusion.

The Committee agreed to meet on Wednesday 16 February 2000 at 3.00 pm in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.

C Murphy
Chairman