PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT
Minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 22 January 2007 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
In the Chair: Jim Wells
Present: Alex Attwood
Jeffrey Donaldson MP
Sir Reg Empey
Michelle Gildernew MP
Danny Kennedy
Mitchell McLaughlin
David McNarry
Conor Murphy MP
Margaret Ritchie
Peter Robinson MP
In Attendance: Debbie Pritchard (Principal Clerk)
Damien Martin (Assembly Clerk)
Jim Beatty (Assistant Clerk)
Pauline Hunter (Clerical Officer)
Observing: Stephen Barr (UUP Researcher)
Brian Barrington (SDLP Researcher)
Richard Bullick (DUP Researcher)
Emma Lyttle (DUP Researcher)
Aidan McAteer (SF Researcher)
Grainne McEvoy (SDLP Researcher)
Dara O’Hagan (SF Reseracher)
The meeting commenced at 1.15pm.
1. Apologies
Gerry Adams MP (Mr Murphy MP attended as the SF representative in place of Mr Adams MP.)
Mark Durkan MP (Mr Attwood attended as SDLP representative in place of Mr Durkan MP.)
David McClarty (Mr McNarry attended as the UUP representative in place of Mr McClarty.)
Martin McGuinness MP (Mr McLaughlin attended as SF representative in place of Mr McGuinness MP.)
Ian Paisley Jnr
2. Previous Minutes
The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting of 15 January 2007.
Sir Reg Empey joined the meeting at 1.19pm
3. Matters Arising
(a) Freedom of Information
The Committee noted a letter from the Clerk to the Assembly, in response to the recent request for information under the Freedom of Information Act, advising that he will be informing the Head of the Information Unit that the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply in this instance. Consequently, no information will be disclosed in response to the request.
(b) Meeting with Irish Government and HMT
The Committee wrote to the Taoiseach’s Office on 9 January 2007 about a meeting to discuss the Irish Government’s proposed financial package for Northern Ireland. A response was received today and considered by the Committee. As it was unlikely that the matter could be progressed by the Committee within the time available, Mr McLaughlin proposed that an all party group, comprising party advisers, should be set up to take forward work on the development of an economic package.
It was agreed to discuss the issue at the next meeting when further information had been received on what support might be available to assist advisers in their work.
4. Ministerial Code
Rosalie Flanagan, Stewart Johnston and Tom Watson, officials from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, joined the meeting at 1.48pm to update the Committee on proposed changes to the Ministerial Code.
Mr McLaughlin left the meeting at 1.48pm.
The officials answered questions from the Committee.
The Chairperson proposed that meetings between party advisers and the officials should continue after dissolution and that a paper should be submitted to the Committee outlining further proposals by 8 March 2007. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed. Officials agreed to return to the Committee to discuss these proposals. The officials left the meeting at 2.05pm.
5. Report from the sub-group on Schools Admission Policy
Stella McArdle (Assembly Clerk) joined the meeting at 2.06pm.
The Committee discussed the report from the sub-group.
The Chairperson proposed that the Committee should accept the report. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.
Mr McNarry proposed that the report should be published. In agreeing, Mr Robinson proposed that the report should indicate that further work was needed before a restored Executive could decide on the way forward. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.
Sir Reg Empey left the meeting at 2.19pm.
The Chairperson proposed that the Committee should write to the Secretary of State urging him to consider and implement recommendation 1 of the report. It was agreed that, without prejudice to the issue of whether academic selection should or should not continue to be available, and to inform an incoming Executive’s consideration of this issue, the letter should include a request for research on alternatives to the 11+ as well as on other matters such as transfer at aged 14.
Mr Kennedy joined the meeting at 2.24pm.
As there have been recent debates on education matters, the Chairperson proposed that the report should not be debated in plenary. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.
Mr Attwood joined the meeting at 2.30pm.
Ms McArdle left the meeting at 2.31pm
6. Report from the sub-group on Policing and Justice
Martin Wilson (Principal Clerk) and Christine Darrah joined the meeting at 2.32pm.
David McNarry left the meeting at 2.32pm.
The Committee considered the report from the sub-group.
Sir Reg Empey joined the meeting at 2.36pm.
The Chairperson proposed that the Committee should accept the report. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.
The Chairperson proposed that the report should be published. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.
Mr Attwood proposed that the Committee should write to the Secretary of State to seek further information on issues that arose during the evidence session on 9 January 2007. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.
The Chairperson proposed that the report should not be debated in plenary. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.
7. AOB
(a) Report on Workplace 2010 and Public Sector Jobs Allocation
The Committee noted that this report was to be debated in plenary on Tuesday, 23 January 2007. Mr Molloy, Chairperson, would move the motion and Mr Poots, in his capacity as Chairperson of the sub-group, would wind on behalf of the Committee.
(b) Clerk’s Paper
The Committee noted that the Clerk will provide a paper summarising the work of the Committee for the meeting on 29 January 2007.
(c) Response from the Secretary of State on Water Reform
The Committee agreed to defer consideration of the response from the Secretary of State until discussion had taken place on the report from the sub-group on CSR and Programme for Government; Rates Charges and Water Reform.
8. Next Meeting
The Committee will next meet at 12.30pm on Tuesday, 23 January 2007 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting adjourned at 2.55pm.