Proceedings of the Committee on the Preparation for Government

11 August 2006

Minutes of the meeting held on Friday, 11 August 2006 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

In the Chair: Jim Wells

Present: Michael Copeland
Michael Ferguson
Arlene Foster
Patricia Lewsley
Naomi Long
Alban Maginness
Lord Morrow
Kieran McCarthy
Alan McFarland
Dermot Nesbitt
Patricia O’Rawe
Edwin Poots

In Attendance: Martin Wilson (Principal Clerk)
Christine Darrah (Committee Clerk)
Joanne Adair (Assistant Clerk)
Jim Beatty (Assistant Clerk)
Pauline Innes (Clerical Officer)
Patricia Casey (Senior Researcher)

Observing: Francie Molloy (Chairperson)

Brian Barrington (SDLP researcher)
Stephen Farry (Alliance researcher)
Chrissie McAuley (Sinn Fein researcher)
Clive McFarland (DUP researcher)
Mark Neal (UUPAG researcher)

The meeting commenced at 10.04 am.

1. Apologies

Mr Durkan MP (Mrs Lewsley attended the meeting as SDLP representative in place of Mr Durkin MP)

Dr Farren (Mr Maginness attended the meeting as SDLP representative in place of Dr Farren)

Mr Ford (Mr McCarthy attended the meeting as Alliance representative in place of Mr Ford)

Ms Gildernew MP (Mr Ferguson attended the meeting as Sinn Fein representative in place of Ms Gildernew MP)

Dr McCrea MP (Mr Poots attended the meeting as DUP representative in place of Dr McCrea MP)

Mr McNarry (Mr Copeland attended the meeting as UUPAG representative in place of Mr McNarry)

Ian Paisley, Jnr (Ms Foster attended the meeting as DUP representative in place of Mr Paisley)

Mr Murphy MP (Ms O’Rawe attended the meeting as Sinn Fein representative in place of Mr Murphy MP)

Ms Foster joined the meeting at 10.06 am.

2. Previous Minutes

The minutes of the meeting of 4 August 2006 were agreed.

Mr Nesbitt asked whether it would be possible for Hansard to record the ‘comings and goings’ of Members in the Official Record’. The Chairman agreed to seek a response from the Editor of Debates on this matter.

3. Revised List on Rights, Safeguards, Equality Issues and Victims

Members noted the revised list of issues agreed at the meeting held on 4 August. It was agreed that the heading ’Dealing with the Past and its Legacy’ should be revised to read ‘The Past and its Legacy’.

4. Letter from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Consortium

The Committee considered a letter from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Consortium in relation to the establishment of a Round Table on a Bill of Rights. It was agreed not to move beyond the Committee’s original decision that submissions and evidence from the various bodies with an interest in human rights, etc. would be sought only if and when it became necessary to do so.

5. Discussion on Rights and Safeguards

Bill of Rights/Human Rights

Each party gave a short presentation on the issues of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland and Human Rights.

It was agreed that the Committee supported the creation of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.

Patricia Lewsley proposed that the Committee should support the formation of a Round Table Forum to help establish the creation of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. It was agreed to defer a vote on this proposal to the meeting on Friday, 18 August 2006.

The meeting was suspended at 12.23 pm.

The meeting reconvened at 12.50 pm

Mr Copeland joined the meeting at 12.50 pm. Mr Copeland declared an interest as a member of the Loyal Orange Institution.

Lord Morrow rejoined the meeting at 12.52 pm.

It was agreed that a paper should be prepared for the Committee on the introduction of the European Convention for Human Rights (ECHR) into domestic legislation in the Republic of Ireland.

Mr McCarthy left the meeting at 1.31 pm.

6. Parades

Each party gave a short presentation on the issues of Parades.

It was agreed to accept an offer by the DUP to share its paper ‘Parades, A Step in the Right Direction’.

Mr McCarthy rejoined the meeting at 2.04 pm.

It was agreed that the Committee should give further consideration to the DUP paper on Parades.

7. Revised Committee Work Programme

The Committee noted the revised work programme.

8. Next Meeting

The Committee will next meet at 10.00am on Monday 14 August 2006 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings to discuss Institutional issues. This will be an all-day meeting with lunch provided.

The meeting adjourned at 2.49pm.