Proceedings of the Committee on the Preparation for Government

19 June 2006

Minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 19 June 2006 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

Chairperson: Jim Wells

Present: John Dallat 
Diane Dodds
Dr Sean Farren
David Ford
Michelle Gildernew MP
Naomi Long
David McClarty
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP
Alan McFarland
Michael McGimpsey
Martin McGuinness MP
Maurice Morrow
Conor Murphy MP

In Attendance: Nuala Dunwoody (Clerk Assistant)
Debbie Pritchard (Principal Clerk)
Jim Beatty (Assistant Clerk)
Pauline Innes (Clerical Officer)
Peter Gilleece (Senior Researcher)

Observing: Francie Molloy (Chairperson)

The meeting commenced at 2.33pm.

1. Apologies

Mr Paisley

Mr Durkan MP (Mr Dallat attended the meeting as SDLP representative in place of Mr Durkan MP)

Dr McCrea (Mrs Dodds attended the meeting as the DUP representative in place of Dr McCrea)

Mr Kennedy (Mr McClarty attended the meeting as UUAG representative in place of Mr Kennedy)

2. Minutes of Last Meeting

1. Mrs Dodds proposed that the notes taken by the Clerks at the meeting on 16 June 2006 should be copied to members of the Committee

There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

2. Mrs Dodds asked that it be noted that she was disappointed with the response from the Committee.

3. Mr Morrow proposed that the Committee suspend for 15 minutes.

There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

Mr McGimpsey left the meeting at 3.03pm.

Meeting suspended at 3.06pm.

Mr McGuiness left the meeting at 3.06pm

Meeting reconvened at 3.22pm.

Mr McGimpsey rejoined the meeting at 3.22pm.

4. Dr McDonnell proposed that the minutes be considered paragraph by paragraph.

There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

5. The attendance list and the list of apologies in the draft minutes were agreed.

6. The reference to the minutes of the meeting on 13 June was agreed.

7. The reference in the draft minutes that the meeting on 16 June should remain closed was agreed, subject to the following amendment –

Insert ‘The DUP asked that it be noted that it was content for all meetings to be held in public.’

8. The first four paragraphs under Chairperson’s business and the notes on members who left and joined the meeting were agreed. 

Dr McDonnell left the meeting at 4.00pm.

Mr McClarty left the meeting at 4.01pm.

Dr McDonnell rejoined the meeting at 4.06pm.

Dr McDonnell left the meeting at 4.08pm.

Dr McDonnell rejoined the meeting at 4.15pm.

Dr McDonnell left the meeting at 4.31pm.

Dr McDonnell rejoined the meeting at 4.40pm.

9. It was proposed that the next three paragraphs in the draft minutes should be referred to the Clerk to the Assembly for advice as soon as possible.

There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

10. The remainder of the draft minutes were agreed.

3. Recording by Hansard

Mr Ford proposed that a Hansard record should be made of each meeting of the Committee on a private basis beginning with the meeting on 20 June, and that the minutes would record the decisions taken by the Committee.

There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

4. Paper on Committee procedures

Mrs Dodds proposed that the Clerk be asked to prepare a paper on Committee procedures for discussion at the meeting on 20 June 2006.

There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

5. Next meeting

1. It was agreed that the Committee would meet on 20 June from 10.00am to 12.30pm and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm to hear the presentations from the parties. These would be taken in alphabetical order starting with the Alliance party. Each presentation was to last no more than 20 minutes and would then be followed by questions.

2. Mr Ford proposed that the meeting on 20 June should be held in public.

There was not consensus and the proposal fell.

The meeting adjourned at 4.50pm.