BUSINESS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 16 JANUARY 2007
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
MINUTES
The meeting began at 12.40 pm
Present: The Speaker (Chair)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr J Dallat
Mrs D Dodds
Mr K McCarthy
Mr D McClarty
Mr J O’Dowd
Present (secretariat): Mr A Moir The Clerk
Mr J Reynolds Deputy Clerk
In attendance: Mr P Moore Clerk of Business
Mr H Widdis Legal Adviser
Mr R Good Adviser to the Speaker
Ms F Leneghan Assistant Private Secretary to
the Speaker
Observers: Mr F Molloy Deputy Speaker
Mr J Wells Deputy Speaker
Mr N Jackson OFMDFM
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 9 January 2007
1.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 9 January were agreed and were signed by the Speaker.
2. Matters Arising
2.1 The Speaker, referring to paragraph 3.1 of the minutes (Chamber etiquette), said that Members seemed to be ignoring Speaker’s rulings on the use of mobile phones and other communication devices in the Chamber. The Speaker asked that whips remind their colleagues once more that such devices should be switched off.
2.2 The Speaker drew members’ attention to a paper on public access to the Galleries, which had been provided in response to discussions recorded at paragraph 5.1 of the minutes. Following consideration of the paper, members agreed to defer the implementation of changes to access arrangements (for a trial period) until after the election.
3. Report from the subgroup on Standing Orders for the Northern Ireland Assembly
3.1 The Speaker reported that the subgroup had agreed its report (by majority vote) the previous day. Members were advised that the Business Committee had a number of decisions to make. These included the following:
- Whether or not to adopt the report;
- Whether to publish it formally or distribute it to Members (in full or in part);
- Whether the report should be the subject of a motion for debate; and
- Whether previous NIA Standing Orders be adopted as a draft, with amendments then proposed as recommended by the subgroup or if the previous Standing Orders should be amended to reflect the recommendations and the amended version adopted as the draft;
Members were further advised that MLAs would be able to table further amendments to whichever draft was adopted, and were reminded that all Assembly decisions on Standing Orders would be taken on a cross-community basis.
3.2 Members agreed to defer decisions on the subgroup’s report until the next meeting. It was further agreed that the Deputy Clerk would provide members with a paper giving further information about the various options and decisions before the Committee, and that whips could contact the Deputy Clerk if they required further information.
3.3 Mr O’Dowd pointed out that the Transitional Assembly has up to 24 March to approve Standing Orders, and that the work could therefore be carried out after the election.
3.4 Members noted, without comment, that the subgroup had decided not to proceed with further work on Standing Orders, despite having sought and secured the Business Committee’s agreement that it could do so.
4. Arrangements for plenary meetings during week commencing 22 January 2007
4.1 The Speaker reported her understanding that the Programme for Government Committee would not be forwarding any motion for debate in relation to the draft Policing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order.
4.2 Members agreed that the number of days’ sittings and start times and the number of motions for debate in week commencing 22 January should be unchanged from the previous week.
4.3 In considering the no day named list of motions, the Speaker drew members’ attention to the motion, tabled by the Chairs of the Programme for Government Committee, relating to a report on Workplace 2010 and public sector jobs location. The Speaker reminded members that it was convention that Committee motions were scheduled for debate. It was agreed that the motion should be scheduled for debate on the morning of Tuesday 23 January.
4.4 In line with discussions at the previous meeting of the Business Committee, members agreed that the motion on the Bain Report, in the name of Mr McNarry, should be scheduled for debate as the first business on Monday 22 January
4.5 Mrs Dodds proposed that the motion on the Equality Commission, in the names of Mr Campbell and Mr McCausland, should be scheduled for debate.
4.6 Mr O’Dowd proposed that the motion on the Welfare Reform Bill, in his own name, should be scheduled for debate.
4.7 Mr Dallat proposed that the motion on North-South co-operation, in the names of Dr Farren and Ms Ritchie, be scheduled for debate.
4.8 It was agreed unanimously that, on the understanding that the motion on North-South co-operation would be scheduled for debate during the following week, the other two motions should be scheduled for 22/23 January.
4.9 Members agreed to allocate 2½ hours each on Monday 22 January to the debates on the Bain Report and the Equality Commission, commencing at noon. Members further agreed that the motions on Workplace 2010 and the Welfare Reform Bill should be debated for two hours each on Tuesday 23 January, commencing at 10.30 am and 2 pm respectively.
4.10 Members agreed that speaking times should remain unchanged from the previous two weeks; that is 15 minutes for the Member proposing and winding each motion, and 10 minutes for all other contributions.
5. Any Other Business
5.1 Members agreed to consider dates for the Assembly’s Easter recess, taking into account the desire to provide certainty for members’ and secretariat staff, and the limited time that would be available to the Northern Irelnad Assembly’s Business Committee to take a decision following restoration. Following discussions, members agreed that, in accordance with precedent, recess should run from 31 March to 15 April inclusive. Mrs Dodds asked that her concern that this decision was somewhat premature be recorded in the minutes.
5.2 The Speaker reminded members that guidance for Members during an election campaign was being launched at an event on 10.30 am on Thursday 18 January in Room 106, to which all whips had been invited.
6. Date and time of next meeting
6.1 The Speaker reported her understanding that the Programme for Government Committee intended to meet on the afternoon of Tuesday 23 January, and that it was possible that a motion or motions for debate, arising from the work of the Committee and its subgroups, may emerge from that meeting. In light of this information, members agreed that the next meeting of the Business Committee should be deferred until 1.30pm on Wednesday 24 January 2007 in Room 106.
The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 1.20 pm.
The Speaker