COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS AND PRIVILEGES
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 4th June 2008
ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mrs Carmel Hanna (Chairperson)
Mr Willie Clarke (deputy Chairperson)
Mr Allan Bresland
Mr Francie Brolly
Rev. Robert Coulter
Mr Alex Easton
David Hilditch
Mr Paul Maskey
Mr Alastair Ross
In Attendance:
Dr Kevin Pelan (Assembly Clerk)
Miss Eleanor Murphy (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Carla Campbell (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Lindsay Dundas (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr George Savage
Mr Brian Wilson
The meeting opened at 10.03am in public session.
Chairperson’s Introduction
The Chairperson welcomed Mr Paul Maskey to the meeting and informed members that Mr Maskey has replaced Mrs Claire McGill on the Committee.
Agreed: Members agreed to hold the meeting in public session.
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Apologies.
Apologies are detailed above.
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Declaration of Interests.
The Chairperson reminded Members of their obligation to declare any relevant pecuniary or other interests before and during each Committee meeting.
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Draft minutes of the meeting held on 20th May 2008.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting of the 20th May.
Mr Clarke joined the meeting at 10.05pm.
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Matters Arising.
There were no matters arising.
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Visit by the Seanad Eireann Committee on Procedure and Privileges.
The Chairperson informed Members that the Speaker of Séanad Éireann and the Committee on Procedure and Privileges are to visit the Assembly on the 17 th June.
The Chairperson advised members that the Committee are scheduled to meet with the Séanad Committee for one hour and requested that any Members who wished to attend the meeting should inform the Clerk.
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All Party Groups
The Chairperson referred Members to applications for an All Party Assembly Group on Ethnic Minority Communities and an All Party Assembly Group on Energy.
Mr Clarke declared an interest as a member of the All Party Assembly Group on Energy.
Agreed: Members agreed that the All Party Assembly Group on Ethnic Minority Communities and the All Party Assembly Group on Energy be registered and approved.
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Consultation on the Proposed Amendments to the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Rules Relating to the Conduct of Members.
(a) Evidence Session – Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
The Chairperson advised Members that the Committee would take oral evidence from a number of witnesses in relation its consultation on the review of the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Rules Relating to the Conduct of Members.
The following witnesses joined the meeting at 10.08am:
Bob Collins, Chief Commissioner.
Antoinette McKeown, Head of Policy and Development.
Liz Law, Policy Officer.Mr Hilditch joined the meeting at 10:09am.
Mr Ross joined the meeting at 11.02am.A question and answer session followed the presentation from the Equality Commission. The Chairperson thanked the Commission for its contribution to the review.
The witnesses left the meeting at 11.07am.
(b) Evidence Session – Interim Commissioner for Standards.
The Interim Commissioner, Mr Tom Frawley and Mr John MacQuarrie, Deputy Ombudsman joined the meeting at 11.10am.
The Committee took oral evidence from the Interim Commissioner in relation to the proposed amendments to the Code and Guide. A question and answer session followed the presentation from Mr Frawley.
The Chairperson thanked the Interim Commissioner and Mr MacQuarrie for their presentation and for their valuable work in supporting the Committee.
The Interim Commissioner and Mr MacQuarrie left the meeting at 11.56am.
The Chairperson suspended the meeting at 11.56am for a comfort break.
The Chairperson reconvened the meeting at 12.06pm.(c) Evidence Session – Electoral Commission
The following witnesses joined the meeting at 12.06pm.
Dr Henrietta Campbell, Electoral Commissioner.
Seamus Magee, Head of Office, Electoral Commission (NI).
Michael Gallagher, Electoral Commission ( London).A question and answer session followed the presentation from Dr Campbell and Mr Magee relating to the provisions of the PPERA legislation on the development of the Code and Guide.
The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for their presentation and for their contributions to the consultation.
The witnesses left the meeting at 12.25pm.
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Any Other Business.
The Clerk advised Members that the Committee had received a complaint against a Member of the Assembly and that it had been forwarded, in accordance with agreed procedure, to the Interim Commissioner for Standards.
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Date, time and place of next meeting.
Wednesday 11th June 2008, room and time to be arranged.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.30pm.