BUSINESS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 3 OCTOBER 2006
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
MINUTES
The meeting began at 12.40 pm
Present: The Speaker (Chair)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr J Dallat
Mr K McCarthy
Mr D McClarty
Dr W McCrea
Mr P McGuigan
Mr C Murphy
Mr I Paisley Jnr.
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 F Leneghan Assistant Private Secretary to
the Speaker
Observers: Mr I Kerr NIO
Mr A Rogers OFMDFM
- Minutes of the meeting held on 26 September 2006
1.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 26 September were agreed and were signed by the Speaker.
- Matters Arising
2.1 There were no matters arising.
- Arrangements for forthcoming plenary meetings
3.1 The Committee noted the Secretary of State’s letter of 27 September to the Speaker, in which he stated his intention not to refer any business to the Assembly for the weeks commencing 9 and 16 October.
3.2 The DUP proposed that the motion on the Review of Public Administration (RPA) should be recommended for debate during the week commencing Monday 9 October. The UUP supported this proposal, adding that the motion might, as an alternative, be referred for debate during week commencing 16 October.
3.3 Sinn Féin did not support the proposal for debate. The SDLP agreed with the Secretary of State that the focus should be on Scotland and that a debate on RPA (and perhaps rates) could take place later in October. The Alliance party suggested that there would be little point in making a recommendation as proposed, given the Secretary of State’s stated views.
- Any Other Business
4.1 The Speaker reminded members that the cost involved in posting reports from the Preparation for Government Committee had been raised during the Business Committee meeting held on 14 September. The Committee had agreed distribution arrangements for reports required for plenary debate in the following week and on two subsequent occasions. The Speaker advised members that the issue had been raised at a meeting of the Speaker’s Advisory Group on 21 September, when the significant costs incurred through posting out documents from Civil Service Departments to Members was also discussed.
4.2 The Speaker outlined a suggestion from the Speaker’s Advisory Group that, as an interim measure, all such documents (including any further PFG reports which may be the subject of debate) would be delivered to party offices in Parliament Buildings, for collection by Members. Members indicated that they were content with this arrangement.
- Date, Time and Venue of Next Meeting
5.1 Members discussed whether or not the Business Committee should meet on 10 October. The DUP proposed that the Business Committee should meet as normal. The Alliance party had no objections to such a meeting. The UUP suggested that the Committee should meet if business emerged from the Preparation for Government Committee, and the SDLP had no objections to that suggestion. Sinn Féin’s view was that there was no point in meeting on 10 October. The Speaker undertook to inform members as soon as possible whether or not she intended to convene a meeting of the Committee for that day.
5.2 Notwithstanding the possibility of a meeting on 10 October, the Committee agreed to meet on Tuesday 17 October 2006 at 12.30 in Room 106, Parliament Buildings, in order to consider recommendations for business for the week commencing 23 October.
The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 1.00 pm.
The Speaker
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