BUSINESS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 20 JUNE 2006
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
MINUTES
The meeting began at 12.40 pm
Present: The Speaker (Chair)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr D Bradley
Mr J Dallat
Mr K McCarthy
Mr D McClarty
Dr W McCrea
Mr P McGuigan
Mr M Morrow
Mr C Murphy
Present (secretariat): Mr A Moir The Clerk
Mr J Reynolds Deputy Clerk
In attendance: Mr P Moore Clerk of Business
Mr R Good Adviser to the Speaker
Ms G Campbell Private Secretary to the Speaker
Mr H Widdis Legal Adviser
Observers: Mr J Wells Deputy Speaker
Ms C Salters NIO
Mr N Jackson OFMDFM
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 13 June 2006
1.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 13 June 2006 were agreed and were signed by the Speaker.
1.2 In agreeing the accuracy of the minutes, members representing three of the parties expressed concerns that the Secretary of State had declined to direct the Assembly to meet despite a considerable degree of consensus within the Business Committee regarding business for debate. The representative of a fourth party expressed a view that information should be sought from the Secretary of State on matters which had previously been the subject of three Assembly resolutions. The Speaker advised that two of these resolutions would be considered under the following agenda item.
2. Matters Arising
2.1 Referring to paragraph 2.2 of the minutes, the Speaker informed members that she had received a letter from the Secretary of State regarding the establishment of a working group on the economy in accordance with an earlier Assembly resolution. The Speaker advised that the Secretary of State sought a recommendation from the Business Committee but had asked it to seek the views of the Preparation for Government Committee, particularly on whether such a group should be a sub-group of the latter Committee or be set up as a separate group.
2.2 The Speaker provided members with copies of the Secretary of State’s letter and a letter she had written to the Preparation for Government Committee, asking for that Committee’s views at the earliest opportunity. There was some debate about the role of the Business Committee in the establishment of a working group, particularly if it were agreed that it should be set up as a sub-group of another Committee. Members were referred to the relevant Standing Orders (11 (a) and 11C) and were reminded that, at the time of the Assembly debate, there were no Standing Orders in place to allow for the establishment of Committees.
2.3 Paragraph 2.2 of the minutes having also referred to a judicial review on a matter to which a proposed working group related, the Speaker reported her understanding that there were currently two judicial reviews, each seeking to quash the introduction of PPS 14. The Speaker went on to advise members that the two reviews would not necessarily prevent a working group from being set up in accordance with the Assembly resolution of 23 May, given the wider remit referred to in the resolution. She cautioned, however, that such a group would need to exercise care in debating matters relating to PPS 14, and that legal advice would be sought regarding sub judice implications should further motions be tabled on the issue. No further views were expressed on the establishment of this working group.
2.4 In a matter arising from paragraph 3.5 of the minutes, the Speaker reported that the Secretary of State had sought the Business Committee’s views on the timing of the Assembly’s summer recess. The UUPAG and DUP were content that recess would run from Friday 7 July until week commencing Monday 4 September (with Committees, including the Business Committee, meeting in the previous week).
2.5 The SDLP expressed “no problem in principle” with this approach, although this was dependent on progress with the Preparation for Government Committee. The Alliance party voiced no objection to this approach, while expressing frustration at the lack of plenary business to date. Sinn Fein advocated that the Assembly in plenary should not operate beyond the 6-week period which the Secretary of State had previously indicated, that 6-week period having begun on 15 May.
2.6 The Speaker advised that the parties’ views would be forwarded to the Secretary of State.
3. Arrangements for forthcoming plenary meetings
3.1 Mr Murphy confirmed that his party’s position on plenary debates remained unchanged. In the absence of a referral from the Preparation for Government Committee, members representing the other four parties agreed that the business proposed at the previous week’s meeting should be resubmitted to the Secretary of State and that their views on each of the motions remained unchanged.
4. Motions and Amendments – draft guidance
4.1 Members agreed that discussions on the draft guidance should be deferred for one week, noting that new arrangements for tabling amendments and on the currency of motions over a summer recess would not be put into operation until the Committee had adopted the guidance.
5. Any Other Business
5.1 The Speaker informed members that the Business Office had made enquiries regarding the issue of Order Papers through Royal Mail. This followed difficulties encountered by some Members and raised in earlier meetings of the Committee. Members agreed that current arrangements did not offer value for money and that, in future, papers would issue by first class post. In addition, the Committee agreed that copies would be placed in pigeon holes and sent to Members by e-mail.
6. Date, Time and Venue of Next Meeting
6.1 An additional meeting of the Business Committee was provisionally agreed for 21 June, at 12.30, in the event that the Preparation for Government Committee provided a response to the Speaker’s letter on the working group on the economy, or that it had referred any business for debate in plenary.
6.2 Whether or not the additional meeting was necessary, the Committee agreed to meet on Tuesday 27 June 2006 at 12.30 in Room 106, Parliament Buildings.
The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 1.25 pm.
The Speaker |
