1. Apologies
2. Minutes of Previous Meetings
3. Matters Arising
4. Legislative Review
5. Standing Order 10
6. Any Other Business
7. Date, Time and Venue of Next Meeting

In attendance:
Mr J Crozier
Mr J Gillespie

The meeting commenced at 3.20 pm.

Mr F Agnew, Mr A Attwood, Mr I Davis, and Mr R Hutchinson.

2. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The minutes of the Committee meeting on 5 December 2001 were agreed and signed by the Chairperson.

3. MATTERS ARISING

Matters arising were considered under Item 4.

4. LEGISLATIVE REVIEW

Members confirmed receipt of the revised draft of the report. Members agreed to proceed to consider the three recommendations which were outstanding.

Members considered the proposed recommendation at paragraph 5,16 of the Report. Members also considered the accompanying Briefing Paper. Following debate and in recognition that there was no demand form Committees to be given such authority at the present time Members agreed that the recommendation remain as currently drafted.

Members considered the proposed recommendation at paragraphs 5,18 and 5.19 of the Report. Members also considered the accompanying Briefing Paper. Members agreed that debate and vote at Further Consideration Stage should be limited to those amendments selected and therefore a Bill should not be subject to a rerun of Clause Stand Part. The Committee therefore agreed that the recommendation remain as currently drafted.

Members considered the proposed recommendation at paragraph 5.25 of the Report. Members also considered the accompanying Briefing Paper. Members agreed that the current procedures for human rights proofing within the Assembly on proposed legislation were sufficiently robust and therefore there was no requirement for a new Human Rights Committee to have a role in the legislative process. On the issue of whether there should be a new Human Rights Committee, which would have a broad human rights mandate, Members agreed that as this was a recommendation not linked to the legislative process it was an issue that should be considered by the Committee at a later date.

5. STANDING ORDER 10

Members noted the correspondence from the Speaker, on behalf of the Business Committee, asking the Committee to review Standing Order 10. Members considered the briefing paper provided and agreed that the Chairperson should meet with the Speaker to discuss the issue further and report back to the Committee.

6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

(i) Public Petitions

The Chairperson advised that the Business Committee had asked that the Committee consider the issue of a procedure for Public Petitions. The Committee agreed that the Chairperson should raise this matter further with the Speaker and report back to the Committee.

Mr Maginness drew the Committee's attention to the provisions of Standing Order 44(6) which stated that, if a Committee was inquorate, the Clerk must draw the Chairperson's attention to that fact who must then suspend the meeting until a quorum is present. Mr Maginness suggested that this could cause severe disruption to the work of a Committee, particularly when the Committee was taking evidence. He proposed that the Committee review the need for a quorum to be present throughout a meeting. The Committee agreed and instructed the Clerk to initiate research into this matter.

7. DATE, TIME AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING

It was agreed that the next meeting of the Committee would be held on Wednesday 16 January 2002 in Room 152 Parliament Buildings at

The meeting adjourned at 3:55 pm.