MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
COMMITTEE ON PROCEDURES
WEDNESDAY 16 JANUARY 2002 AT 3:00 PM
IN ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

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

Present: Mr C Murphy (Chairperson)
Mr A Maginness
Mr I Davis
Mr F Agnew
Mr P McNamee

Clerk to the Committee: Mr C McGarrity

In attendance: Mr J Gillespie

The meeting commenced at 3.05 pm.

1. APOLOGIES

Mr M Morrow, Mr R Hutchinson, Mr D McClarty.

2. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The minutes of the Committee meeting held on 9 January 2002 were agreed and signed by the Chairperson.

3. MATTERS ARISING

The Chairperson informed the Committee that a meeting had now been arranged with the Speaker to discuss the procedural implications of tabling a Public Petition. At this meeting the Chairperson will also seek the views of the Speaker on the Committees proposal to review Standing Order 10.

The Members were advised that the Clerk would present a paper on Committee Quorum at the next meeting.

4. LEGISLATIVE REVIEW

(i) The Committee agreed the new wording in paragraphs 2.5.10 and 4.23 of the draft report.
(ii) The Committee agreed to a technical amendment recommended by the Bill Office to paragraph 4.17 of the report.

The Committee agreed the report and instructed the Clerk to lay the report with the Business Office,

5. OVERLAP OF COMMITTEE BUSINESS

The Committee considered the briefing paper tabled by the Clerk. The Clerk outlined the background to the proposal received from the Committee of the Centre to amend Standing Order 48. The proposed change would ensure that all committees would be required to seek the views of others on areas of mutual responsibility. At present this requirement only applied to the Statutory Committees and as such there was a concern that a statutory committee could decide not to seek the views of the Committee of the Centre on a particular issue. The proposed change would also allow the Business committee to arbitrate in the event of a dispute over which committee should take responsibility for an overlapping issue.

The Committee agreed to the proposed amendment to SO 48 and the consequential amendment to SO 31 (2).

The Committee also agreed to the proposed restructure of the Committee Section of Standing Orders as detailed in the briefing Paper.

The Committee agreed the proposed motions and instructed the Clerk to table them with the Business Office.

6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

The Committee agreed to undertake a visit to Westminster to meet the Modernisation Committee and the Procedures Committee. It was agreed this should occur before the Easter Recess. The Clerk was instructed to proceed with the necessary arrangements.

7. DATE, TIME AND VENUE OF NEXT MEETING

It was agreed that the next meeting of the Committee would be held on Wednesday 30 January 2002 in Room 152 Parliament Buildings at 3.00 pm.

The meeting adjourned at 3:21 pm.

C MURPHY
Chairperson, Committee on Procedures

9 January 2002 / Menu / 27 February 2002