BUSINESS COMMITTEE
TUESDAY 20 MARCH 2007
IN ROOM 106, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
MINUTES
The meeting began at 5.10 pm
Present: The Speaker (Chair)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr K McCarthy
Mr D McClarty
Mr I McCrea
Lord Morrow
Mr C Murphy
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
Observer: Mr A Rogers OFMDFM
In calling the meeting to order, the Speaker welcomed Mr McCrea to his first meeting of the Business Committee.
1. Minutes of the Whips’ meeting held on 12 March 2007 and the Business Committee meeting held on 13 March 2007
1.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 12 March were agreed and were signed by the Speaker, who reminded members that the meeting had not been a formal Business Committee meeting and that the minutes would not therefore be published on the Assembly website.
1.2 The minutes of the meeting held on 13 March were agreed and were signed by the Speaker.
2. Matters Arising
2.1 Referring to paragraph 3.1 of the 12 March minutes (familiarisation sessions for Members) the Speaker reported that eleven new Members had availed of the sessions provided by the Business Office, and thanked members for encouragement they may have given to their colleagues.
2.2 Referring to paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of the 12 March minutes (nominations to the offices of First Minister and Deputy First Minister), the Speaker reminded members that the issue had been overtaken by events, the Secretary of State having provided a direction amending the Transitional Assembly Standing Orders.
2.3 Further to references in paragraphs 1.1 to 1.5 of the 13 March minutes, the Speaker reported that Mr Brian Wilson and Dr Kieran Deeny had confirmed, in writing, that they were formally taking the Alliance party whip in the Assembly. The Speaker advised members that, in accordance with Standing Order 13(d), the Alliance party’s voting strength in the Business Committee was now nine. The Speaker went on to explain that she had not yet spoken to the relevant members and was not, therefore, in a position to comment on any other implications of the recent, or previous, correspondence.
3. First meeting of a restored Northern Ireland Assembly – 26 March
3.1 The Speaker assured members that the inclusion of this agenda item made no assumptions about the intentions of any political party, nor about the intentions of the Secretary of State, but that it reflected the need to prepare for the eventuality that the Secretary of State makes a restoration order as provided for in legislation.
3.2 The Speaker explained that legislation provided that persons could not take up office (as First Minister and deputy First Minister) until each had affirmed the terms of the Pledge of Office. The Speaker reminded members that legislation also required ministerial offices to be filled on 26 March. Members agreed that both matters should appear on the Order Paper for the first meeting.
3.3 Members also agreed that the Clerk should issue a Notice to Members on Thursday 22 March, to the effect that the Northern Ireland Assembly would meet at noon on Monday 26 March 2007 if the Secretary of State has made a restoration order. Members noted that an Order Paper may not be available until immediately before the start of that meeting.
4. Consideration of further business
4.1 Following discussions, members agreed that the following business should also be conducted on 26 March:
- Election of Speaker and deputy Speakers (with the current Speaker having presided over the statutory business and also presiding over the election of Speaker);
- Approval of Business Committee membership (with the Business Office liaising with Whips over the provision of names by close-of-play on Friday 23 March); and
- Approval of membership of the Assembly Commission (with Whips again providing names to the Business Office by 23 March).
4.2 Members further agreed that, subject to the Assembly’s approval of the Business Committee membership motion, and the Business Committee’s subsequent approval of a draft Order paper, the following items of business should be dealt with at a plenary sitting beginning at 10.30am on Tuesday 27 March 2007:
- Appointment of Chairs and deputy Chairs of Statutory Committees; and
- Appointment of Chairs and deputy Chairs of Standing Committees.
4.3 Members noted that [Statutory] Committees must be established by motion prior to appointments of Chairs and Deputy Chairs, and that the Business Committee should bring forward the relevant motion[s].
4.4 Members further agreed that the sitting on Tuesday 27 March should be suspended after the appointment of Chairs and deputy Chairs in order that the Business Committee might meet to agree the membership of Statutory and Standing Committees. Members agreed that after Committee membership discussions had been concluded, the Assembly sitting would be resumed in order that the Assembly might formally approve:
- the membership of each Statutory Committee; and
- the membership of each Standing Committee.
Members were content that delay in conclusion of the membership discussions may result in the suspension continuing overnight, with the sitting being resumed on Wednesday 28 March.
4.5 It was agreed that a paper should be circulated to members providing information on the numbers of Committees for which Chairs and deputy Chairs were to be appointed, and the numbers of seats within those Committees that were to be allocated to Members.
4.6 Members were reminded that there was uncertainty about the Standing Order relating to membership of the Business Committee. This was because the draft Standing Order allowing membership to be a maximum of thirteen (as agreed during the sitting on 20 March) might not necessarily be included in the Standing Orders that were now to be provided by the Secretary of State (following the Assembly’s failure to approve Standing Orders with cross-community support). Following discussions, members agreed that the membership arrangements would ensure that the Alliance party was afforded the opportunity of having its votes cast in the Business Committee by a substitute member.
5. Any Other Business
5.1 The Speaker reported that a motion had been tabled by a number of Members, and that a copy had been supplied with members’ papers. Members were advised that there was no opportunity for a further sitting of the Transitional Assembly at which such a motion might be scheduled for debate. Members were also reminded that motions tabled in the Transitional Assembly would fall on the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
6. Date and time of the next meeting of the Business Committee
6.1 Members agreed to meet (as the formal Business Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly, provided that membership of the Business Committee has been approved earlier by the Assembly) thirty minutes after the Assembly is adjourned on Monday 26 March 2007.
7. Tributes to the Speaker
7.1 Mr McCarthy offered his party’s thanks to the Speaker for her efforts during her time in office. Representatives of the DUP, UUP, SDLP and Sinn Féin indicated, on behalf of their parties, complete agreement with the sentiments expressed, and all members wished the Speaker well in the future.
Having thanked members for their good wishes, the Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 5:40 pm.
The Speaker