I have great pleasure in supporting the motion. As Members are aware, the Commission appointed its members to shadow Assembly Directorates. I do not know why I was appointed to shadow finance: it seems to be the story of my life. I always seem to get the brief that has the words "finance" or "money" in it.

I had the pleasure of keeping an eye on finance, personnel and recruitment. I must say that it was a relatively easy task. Like Mr Fee, I want to pay tribute to the staff in the section that I was involved with. At times, they had a difficult situation to deal with as a result of suspensions, the move to Annex C, and the loss of important members of staff. Therefore, it is a tribute to those who work in that Directorate that everything has gone so smoothly. Indeed, it is a testimony to the work done that people, for the most part, did not notice what was going on in finance and personnel. It was never an issue. That is a good sign, because the department that is working effectively gets on with its work, and the only time that it is noticed is when there are problems. Those were few and far between in that particular Directorate. The stop-start situation with the Assembly, which I suppose my party was partially responsible for, placed a burden on the staff, particularly in the finance department.

An initial annual budget of £36 million was suggested. There was no budget at all in 1998-99, although £10 million was spent. In 1999-2000, the budget was established at £36 million. The Assembly was, of course, suspended during that period, so actual expenditure was only £16 million. The following year, a budget of £37 million was established. Again, the Assembly was suspended until 30 May 2000, and only £24 million was spent. In 2001-02, the budget was set at £39 million, and the accounts are being prepared. There finally seems to be some certainty about the amount of money available, which has greatly assisted the Directorate.

The Directorate has also prided itself in being able to meet its targets for the prompt payment of invoices. That issue has been raised in the Assembly - small companies and businesses have often said that one of their major problems in difficult economic conditions is cash flow, so it would be difficult for us, as an Assembly, to lobby on that had we not put our own house in order.

For instance, I am pleased to report that in the year 2001-02, the finance office processed no fewer than 12,225 invoices, of which 95% were paid within the 30-day prompt payment timescale. Indeed, if the invoices that were queried are excluded, the actual level of prompt payment is 99%. It is a remarkable credit to those involved that those invoices were turned round so quickly. Members will also be interested to know that there were no fewer than 2,700 claims from Members for office costs allowances and 1,300 claims for travel expenses. Again, Members will appreciate that those were turned round quickly and effectively.

Some Members have raised matters over the last three or four years when they felt that the finance office had perhaps interpreted the letter of the law to their detriment. We are grateful to the officers in the Finance Directorate because we, as an Assembly, have managed to avoid the pitfalls that the Scottish Parliament so clearly encountered with the payment of expenses. As a result of the diligence of our staff, nothing untoward managed to slip through the net, and we can stand over almost all payments. That did not happen in the Scottish Parliament, and one or two political careers were destroyed as a result. Again, that is a testament to the staff here.

During the period, we not only had the suspensions but the move to Annex C, which caused some disruption to the Directorate and the loss of some important staff. Although the report pays tribute to the existing staff, whom I have found a pleasure to work with, we have lost people of the calibre of Bill Gallagher and Dennis Millar, who have moved on to higher things. I pay tribute to them. They worked hard during the formative stages of the Assembly, often in difficult circumstances, and we wish them well in their new careers in the Civil Service.

In addition to the loss of important staff, we were dependent on agency and part-time staff. Recruitment difficulties meant that temporary staff had to be brought in. That situation is beginning to sort itself out, and we are moving towards greater permanency among the staff. At times, however, it was difficult to keep track of all the faces going through the finance and personnel office. Again, there was still continuity despite all those problems.

It has been a frenetic four years for the recruitment and personnel section. There have been no fewer than 211 appointments. The Assembly Commission and the Directorate have always prided themselves on their adherence to the equality legislation. All the evidence indicates that personnel and recruitment have hit their targets exactly. Indeed, in response to a question for oral answer, it gave me considerable satisfaction to be able to refute the slightest insinuation that anything but the fairest recruitment policy exists in the Assembly. For instance, of the 211 appointments made, 86, that is 40%, were from the Roman Catholic community, 111, or 53%, were from the Protestant community, and 14 were non-determined. That is a close reflection of the travel-to-work area around Stormont, and it clearly shows that the Commission achieves effectively the equality that it pledged.

Equally, we have hit targets on such issues as disability and, as Members will recognise, there is an even gender balance. Large numbers of females have been recruited to various sections in the Assembly. Some say that the females are taking over, that every time a senior position becomes available it is filled by a lady. It is no bad thing to see females getting into the top echelons of the Assembly. It is good news for the future, and we can say, with our heads held high, that in respect of gender balance in the Assembly we have nothing to be concerned about.

All of the competitions were run fairly and openly, and all appointments were made on the basis of merit. I sat on three interview panels for senior staff in the Assembly, and I can testify that the process is gruelling and rigorously fair. In respect of one of the senior staff appointments, it was a lesson in how to appoint in 770 easy stages. It went on and on for days before we found the right candidate - the best candidate. The competitions are monitored to ensure that any imbalance in relation to gender or religion is addressed and, as the recruitment campaign continues, statistics will be closely monitored to ensure that the workforce is representative of the whole community.

Three hundred seconded staff were employed at the early stages, and additional contracted and agency staff carried out administrative, messenger and security duties. As the business needs of the Assembly Secretariat have become more standardised, a recruitment campaign has been embarked upon which will result in the appointment of an overall complement of 460 staff through fair and open competition. Members will be aware that many of the staff in the building were appointed as secondees from the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Most of them will be coming to the end of their time with us, and they must make major decisions as to whether they stay on as permanent Assembly staff or return to their parent Departments. That will, inevitably, cause further disruption and difficulties for the Directorate until those challenges have been met and overcome.

Between April 2002 and March 2003, no fewer than 45 competitions are scheduled. Sixteen of those were actioned in May and June. This fluid situation will exist for several years until the Assembly becomes a more permanent fixture. Regardless of what anyone believes about that from a political point of view, the situation will certainly be easier to manage when the full complement of permanent Assembly employees is known. We want to move away from the situation where there are staff who regard themselves as civil servants here on a temporary basis to one where there are those who regard themselves as fully fledged, permanent members of the Assembly staff. The Assembly is a totally different animal to the Civil Service, as those on secondment will testify. However, the quality of staff management in this Building is indicated by the large number of secondees who did not scurry back to their Departments but were anxious to remain as employees of the Assembly. That augurs well for the future.

As far as staff are concerned, there are several major issues ahead. One of those is the review of terms and conditions and pay and grading, which is attracting considerable interest among the staff in this Building. There is much more interest in that document than in the Assembly Commission's report, but I suppose that that is natural.

The other great iceberg ahead is Ormiston House. That will dominate the work of the Commission for many months, even years, ahead.

We require permanent accommodation for many of our administrative staff, and the Commission decided that Ormiston House was the ideal location. There are planning difficulties associated with transforming the building into office accommodation while retaining its architectural quality, and further difficulties must be ironed out with local residents. Major expenditure is required to bring the building up to standard. The staff charged with implementing that scheme face great challenges, but I have no doubt that they have the talent and ability to deliver the major undertaking.

I pay tribute to Tom Evans, the former Clerk to the Commission. He has moved on to higher things; perhaps the Commission is a finishing school for those who wish to earn larger salaries and take more responsible positions in the Assembly. If that is the case, so be it. It is no bad thing. I have enjoyed immensely my time as a member of the Commission.

That there are more Commission staff than Members in the Chamber suggests that the Commission's report may not be the hottest ticket in town. That is an unfortunate reflection of Members' lack of interest. My party Colleagues - I can say this because they are not here to hear me - think that the Commission's work comprises of a cosy chat with the Speaker about the price of a cup of tea in the basement restaurant and a casual dander around the Building to ensure that all staff are well and happy.

Those who have served on the Commission realise that there is much more to it than meets the eye. Last week, a meeting of the Commission began at 3.00 pm and finished at 7.30 pm, and it met informally several times during the week to discuss important issues. The Commission handles a tremendous amount of work, and Tom Evans and his staff, especially in the early days, had to carry that burden. It is the busiest Committee with the heaviest workload. I do not say that because I am a member, but because I have discussed it with members of other Committees.

Many achievements have been realised, and the lack of interest in the report suggests that Members are satisfied with what the Commission has achieved, as was shown in the satisfaction survey that was conducted eight months ago. If there were major deficiencies in the work of the Commission and its staff, Members would be queuing up to complain and to criticise. The silence speaks volumes about what has been achieved and agreed since the Commission's establishment almost four years ago.

There are many challenges ahead, and we do not know whether the same Commission will be in place after the elections in May 2003. However, the foundation has been laid for good future provision in the Building and for our staff. It is, therefore, to be hoped that the report shows a firm basis for progress and growth. The Commission has sufficient resources - and very few bodies can make that claim - to deliver what is expected for the finance, personnel and recruitment section and for all the Assembly Directorates, which is good news.

I commend the report to the Assembly. I urge Members to read it to discover the full breadth of the work that has been done. Mistakes have been made, but the Commission has been a useful sounding board for Members' concerns and has been swift to react. The only downside is that, if the Commission dares to accept any more tickets to pop concerts, it may regret it. That is a mistake - [Interruption].

I was about to draw Mr Wells's attention to the fact that, although few Members have requested to speak, some have done, and there is a time limit on the debate.

Perhaps the Speaker is wise to interrupt me, because I was about to vent my spleen about the press coverage about tickets for a certain pop concert, but I will raise the matter at another opportunity. I commend the report to the House, which I hope will support it.

I support the motion, and I wish to speak about the Clerk Assistant's Directorate. Members will be familiar with the individual offices that comprise the Directorate: the Business Office, the Bill Office and the Committee Office. They form the procedural section of the Secretariat, and their priorities during the period of the report have been to ensure that the Assembly operated effectively and that Colleagues could fulfil their duties as elected Members under the Good Friday Agreement.

Members will be encouraged by the progress highlighted in the Commission's first report for the years 1999 to 2002. I would like to draw attention to some of the key achievements and outline some of the challenges that the Clerk Assistant's Directorate will face in the coming year.

To date, 34 Bills have been introduced, 30 of which were Executive Bills. Members will be aware of the drive to increase the volume of legislation that the Assembly processes and much progress has been made. A Bill-drafting provision is in place for Committee Bills and Private Members' Bills, and I hope that Members and Committees will take full advantage of that provision in future.

Committee office staff have supported over 1,000 meetings and almost 100 visits. Nearly one third of those visits were outside the North and overseas. Staff have also assisted Assembly Committees to produce 71 reports and to consider and report on 25 Bills and almost 300 Statutory Rules.

There has been a high level of activity in the Business Office, and staff there have been busy. The Business Office has supported 125 plenary meetings, processed over 3,000 oral questions and approximately 8,500 written questions. It has supported 83 Business Committee meetings, and 48 meetings of the Committee on Procedures. Of the 125 plenary meetings, four were extraordinary and were convened to discuss urgent matters.

In the coming year, staff in the Directorate face many challenges, not least from the increased pressure of the legislative timetable and the forthcoming Assembly election. At this stage, nobody knows when that will take place. The Directorate is working with the Commission and the rest of the Secretariat to ensure that appropriate staffing and resources are in place to provide quality service. The ever-pressing demands for accommodation bring about unique problems: Mr Wells referred to Ormiston House.

The new Clerk Assistant recently produced a business plan for the coming year that will provide a focus for all staff by setting out clearly defined values, objectives, targets and activities. It will be formally monitored, and corrective action will be taken where necessary.

I am confident that given the quality and determination of staff in the Directorate, they will meet those and many other challenges in the coming year. Members will also be aware of the volume and quality of the work. For example, in the preparation of Committee reports, staff assisted with drawing up the wording for questions and motions. The Directorate is keen to continue to facilitate Members with advice and assistance, not only in those areas, but also in the new procedures for drawing up Committee and Private Members' legislation. Advice is available for the entire procedure, from discussion about the basic idea to the production of the final draft Bill.

I am sure that Members will join with me in thanking staff for all their hard work and in congratulating them for a job well done. We all look forward to building on our current success, and I am pleased to commend the report to the Assembly.

I commend the report to the House. We have had four momentous years, and we have dealt with many Members' situations as well as those that arose in the Secretariat, as has already been described. The Commission can be proud of its achievements, and I hope that our achievements and progress will continue.

My area of responsibility in the Commission is Hansard. Known to all Members, it has reported every word spoken - and some shouts - since the establishment of the Assembly.

Hansard performs a vital function in the life of the Assembly. It is, perhaps, the most obvious manifestation of the Assembly's commitment to openness, accessibility, transparency and accountability. Anyone can read Hansard; it is crucial to democracy and will provide a unique and complete history of how and why we make decisions affecting the lives of everyone in Northern Ireland.

During the period covered by the Commission's report, Hansard has continuously met its target by publishing the first eight hours of Assembly debate by 8.30 am the following day. It has reported more than 700 hours of debate in more than 125 sittings, produced reports for 715 Committee sessions and prepared six bound volumes of reports.

Hansard's most difficult challenge has been to establish itself from scratch. The dedication and experience of the Assembly's first Editor of Debates, Alex Elder, was largely responsible for Hansard's initial success. His professionalism and commitment have been built on by his successor, Simon Burrowes, and have been taken forward by the team of parliamentary reporting staff. When one walks into the Hansard office, it is obvious that the staff are confident and generally happy in their work.

Strong links with other legislatures have been established, including exchange and working trips by staff at all levels to the legislatures in England, Scotland, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Canada. Those have allowed Hansard to contribute to, and build on, best practice elsewhere. I know that they wish to continue to do that.

The Northern Ireland Assembly's Hansard was instrumental in the formation of the British-Irish Parliamentary Reporting Association, which was established at Stormont last November. Our Editor of Debates is the association's secretary.

Hansard provides the Speaker with simultaneous interpretation from Irish and Ulster Scots during all Assembly sittings. As the Official Report of the Assembly, Hansard is a hugely important source of information for Members and the public. So far this year, more than 100,000 pages have been read online. The Speaker also refers to Hansard to resolve Members' queries and to enable him to arrive at rulings, as necessary.

Hansard efficiently provides daily records of Assembly activities, reflecting attitudes to the significant issues of the day and the changing values and views of society. That record will permit future generations to paint a picture of Assembly life today and to understand how and why we made decisions.

I conclude by thanking my Commission Colleagues, including you, Mr Speaker, the Chairperson for the Commission, for the work that we have accomplished together, which has given me great pleasure and pride. I thank the former Clerk to the Commission, Tom Evans, who ensured its efficient servicing. Thanks also go to Debbie Pritchard, acting Clerk to the Commission, and other staff.

I urge Members to support the report.

I did not intend to speak in this debate. I came to support the Assembly Commission and its report. Mr Wells brought up the subject of pop concerts, and I thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to make a remark that I hope will be helpful. I issued a statement on the matter to the media.

When it considered the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on the Northern Ireland Events Company, the Public Accounts Committee expressed its support for the company's aims. However, it was concerned about its spending on hospitality at last year's Eagles' concert.

The Committee asked for information about those attending the concert in order to assess the extent to which the Northern Ireland Events Company had used hospitality to interest potential sponsors. I wish to make it clear to the House that there are no grounds for criticising public representatives who were invited to attend the concert. The guest list shows that those MLAs who were invited had a relevant interest in the event because of their responsibilities in the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Assembly Commission. Furthermore, we now know that many of the MLAs listed as having received invitations decided not to attend.

The Committee agrees with the Comptroller and Auditor General that guests invited to the function could not have been expected to enquire in advance whether the cost of meals and tickets was in line with public expenditure guidelines. It is entirely the responsibility of those who provide hospitality - not those who accept it - to ensure that costs are appropriate. The Public Accounts Committee has decided to demand an explanation from the accounting officer of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. The Committee wishes to establish whether the Department can provide any justification for expenditure on that scale and what lessons can be learned from the matter. I hope that what I have said has been helpful.

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I need your direction. I couch my words in terms of my congratulations to you on assuming editorial control of the Official Report. Having received some direction recently, and as I was constrained in advocating the motion at the beginning, would it be an abuse of parliamentary procedures if I personally thanked Arthur, Simon, Agnes, Allan, Debbie, Cathy, Tom, Alan, David and the others? I think that you understand the point at which I am driving.

I do, and the only ruling that I make is that, in case there is any uncertainty in the wider, less-informed world about exactly who those individuals are, I rule that Hansard shall publish their names in full.

I am the Assembly Commissioner responsible for the work of the Office of the Keeper. One of the first tasks of the Commission after devolution in December 1999 was the preparation and allocation of accommodation in Parliament Buildings. That was no mean task, involving as it did the allocation and reconfiguration of appropriate office and meeting space to Members, parties, Committees, Ministers and Secretariat staff.

To meet all the needs of a modern legislature, further work was required to convert storage areas into offices and to provide press facilities, which included a conference suite, radio and TV studios, and a press bar. That extensive refurbishment and conversion work was carried out to the required timescales and to an appropriate standard. However, at an early stage in the preparation of accommodation, it became clear that Parliament Buildings would not be able to meet all the Assembly's accommodation needs. For that reason, in September 2001, after detailed consideration of the options, the Commission purchased Ormiston House on a 13-acre site for £9 million. The Commission is applying for planning permission for temporary accommodation for approximately 150 staff. That is a key step towards relieving the pressure on office space in Parliament Buildings, which has become critical and which, if not addressed, could seriously affect the Commission's ability to provide the Assembly with a staff complement necessary for it to function properly.

It is the Commission's intention, after extensive consultation with all interested parties, and subject to a separate planning application, to establish a permanent second location for the Assembly at the Ormiston site. This will involve the refurbishment of Ormiston House and the provision of some additional office accommodation of a scale and design appropriate to the building's grade B listing.

The Commission has been committed to ensuring that Parliament Buildings is available to all sections of the Northern Ireland community and visitors from abroad. Our provision for tours and functions for Members and the visitors whom they sponsor has been one of the success stories of the Commission's stewardship of the Building. Indeed, if one reads the appropriate section in the report, one will see how many folk have visited here - a staggering number. With about 42,000 visitors a year and broad international interest, Parliament Buildings has become one of the top venues for visitors in Northern Ireland. The Events Co-ordination Office continues to provide a service to Members and their guests by planning and managing events and providing professional presentations covering the history, architecture and present use of the Building.

Access for people with disabilities has also been important for the Commission. Several access audits have been carried out in Parliament Buildings, and a range of facilities has been provided, including induction loops and text phones. Staff have been trained to help people with varying degrees of disability, and a key challenge over the next year will be to implement a programme of work aimed at ensuring that Parliament Buildings meets the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in a way that does not compromise its listed status. I join with the other members of the Commission in commending the staff and thanking them for their dedication and helpfulness during the period of our service.

In winding up, I feel like the bishop who arrived at a church one Sunday morning for a special service only to find that there were six people in the congregation. Tackling the clerk of session and chief officer of the congregation, he asked whether it had not been announced that he would be speaking. The chief officer said "Yes, we forgot to tell them, but the news must have leaked out anyway." Looking around the empty Benches here tonight, I can sympathise with him.

I thank Mr Billy Bell for his helpful comments. Indeed, I would like to make it clear that on the occasion of the Eagles' concert on 29 June 2001 the Assembly did not provide anyone with corporate hospitality. An event management company arranged the corporate hospitality provided. The Assembly caterers, Mount Charles, provided the catering, and a single invoice for all catering costs was sent to Happening Creative Communications on 3 July 2001. The amount charged was consistent with the terms of the Assembly's catering contract with Mount Charles. This contract is geared to provide a net gain from such functions, and this gain is used to defray other Assembly expenditure, for example, security, heating and lighting. I hope that clarifies that point. Having no further comments to make, I support the motion and commend it to the House.

Adjourned at 7.54 pm