COMMITTEE ON THE Monday 25 September 2006 Members in attendance for all or part of proceedings: The Committee met at 2.01 pm. (The Chairman (Mr Molloy) in the Chair.) The Chairman (Mr Molloy): Before I begin the meeting, I draw members’ attention to the sudden death of our fellow Assembly Member Michael Ferguson. Michael had attended the Preparation for Government (PFG) Committee dealing with rights, safeguards, equality and victims. Michael had been recovering from cancer, and it is thought that he had a heart attack in the early hours of this morning. Are members agreeable to the PFG Committee sending a letter of condolences to his family? Dr Farren: I think that we should. Members indicated assent. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): I remind members to switch off their mobile phones for the benefit of Hansard. Are any new members present today? Ms Lewsley: I am here on behalf of Mark Durkan. Mr O’Dowd: I am here on behalf of Michelle Gildernew. Mr McCarthy: I am here on behalf of Naomi Long. Mr McFarland: Michael McGimpsey is here on behalf of David McNarry. Mr P Robinson: I am not sure for whom I am deputising. I will see who the other two members are, and then I will have a better idea for whom I am substituting. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): You are here for somebody, anyway. Mr Ford: Can it be put on the record that Peter is not sure? Mr P Robinson: I am it. Ms Lewsley: He does not know who he is. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): The first three items of business on the agenda are to agree three sets of minutes. Are members content with the draft minutes of 18 September? Mr Ford: My apology has not been recorded under “Apologies”. I was not at the meeting, but I presume that an apology was made on my behalf, and that it was noted that Kieran McCarthy attended in my place. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): Are members content? Members indicated assent. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): The next set of minutes to be agreed is that of the meeting of the PFG Committee dealing with rights, safeguards, equality and victims on 15 September. Mr Kennedy: The minutes still refer to the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly Group (UUPAG), which is an error of description, according to the Speaker’s ruling. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): Are members content with the draft minutes of 15 September? Members indicated assent. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): The final set of minutes to be agreed is the draft minutes of the meeting of the PFG Committee dealing with law and order on 18 September, which was attended by the Secretary of State. Are members agreed? Members indicated assent. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): The next part of the meeting, which is the further consideration of the draft report on institutional issues, will be held in private. The Committee met in private session from 2.05 pm until 2.43 pm. On resuming — 2.43 pm The Chairman (Mr Molloy): I thank all members who took part in this format of the PFG Committee for their co-operation with Jim Wells and me as the Chairmen. The next item on the agenda is “Any other business”. Representatives of the PFG Committee have agreed to attend a symposium hosted by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on 5 October, from 9.30 am to 12.30 am, which will be the Committee’s next task at this stage. Mr McFarland: I understood that the Secretary of State had tasked the Committee with producing a ministerial code in October. What progress was made on that? It is on the Secretary of State’s list of the Committee’s duties. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): The work plan says that one of the Committee’s roles in October is to: “conclude discussions and finalise a draft Programme for Government and draft Ministerial Code.” However, there was an earlier decision that the Committee could not draw up a draft Programme for Government. Mr McFarland: I was not talking about the Programme for Government, but the ministerial code, and whether the Committee is expected to continue working to produce that or whether it will ignore the fact that it has been asked to do that. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): If the Committee feels that it must fulfil that role — Mr McFarland: The Committee could broach the ministerial code after the talks, because it may be discussed during those. It might be sensible to examine whether we need to do that afterwards. The Chairman (Mr Molloy): That has come up in earlier discussions. We concluded that there was no point in considering that in advance of the talks. Mr McFarland: I am simply acknowledging the fact that that was — The Chairman (Mr Molloy): The Committee will return to that issue later, if appropriate. However, the Secretary of State will give some direction on that point. As there is no other business, the meeting is adjourned. Thank you. Adjourned at 2.45 pm. |