Proceedings of the Committee on the Preparation for Government

30 October 2006

Minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 30 October 2006 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

In the Chair: Jim Wells

Present: P J Bradley
Dr Sean Farren
David Ford
Danny Kennedy
Alan McFarland
Michael McGimpsey
Alban Maginness
John O’Dowd
Edwin Poots
Peter Robinson MP
Caitriona Ruane

In Attendance: Nuala Dunwoody (Clerk Assistant)
Christine Darrah (Assembly Clerk)
Jim Beatty (Assistant Clerk)
Pauline Hunter (Clerical Officer)

Observing: Richard Bullick (DUP researcher)
Stephen Farry (Alliance researcher)

The meeting commenced at 2.37pm.

1. Apologies

Mark Durkan MP (Mr Maginness attended the meeting as SDLP representative in place of Mr Durkan MP.)

Michelle Gildernew MP (Mr O’Dowd attended the meeting as SF representative in place of Ms Gildernew MP.)

Naomi Long

Dr William McCrea MP (Mr Poots attended as DUP representative in place of Dr McCrea MP.)

Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP (Mr Bradley attended as SDLP representative in place of Dr McDonnell MP.)

Martin McGuinness MP (Ms Ruane attended as SF representative in place of Mr McGuinness MP.)

Lord Morrow (Mr Robinson MP attended as DUP representative in place of Lord Morrow.)

Conor Murphy MP

David McNarry (Mr McGimpsey attended as UUP representative in place of Mr McNarry.)

Ian Paisley Jnr 

2. Previous Minutes

The Committee agreed the minutes of the meetings of 23 October 2006 and 25 October 2006.

3. Matters Arising

(a) The Committee noted that a reply had not been received regarding its letter of 18 October 2006 to the Secretary of State requesting copies of all the additional papers circulated to one or more parties during and since the St Andrews discussions.

(b) The Committee considered a paper from the Clerk to the sub-group, dated 27 October 2006, which provided an update on the preparatory work for the meeting between the parties and the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 1 November 2006 and reported on the oral evidence session with the Consumer Council.

(c) The Chairperson proposed that the Committee support the recommendation of the sub-group that, as part of a proposed economic package:

• the public services funding gap caused by a delay in the water reform legislation, and
• the capital backlog, or at least a significant percentage of it

be paid for by Government as additional funding.

There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

(d) The Chairperson proposed that the Committee give the sub-group the authority to commission, if it so wished, an independent study to accurately determine the costs associated with a delay in implementing the water reform legislation. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

(e) The Chairperson proposed that the deadline for the sub-group submitting its third report to the Committee should be extended to 13 November 2006. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

(f) The Chairperson proposed that the Committee should write to the Secretary of State to request details of the financial package agreed in 2005 between the Secretary of State and the Treasury. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

4. Committee draft response to the Secretary of State on Annex A to the Agreement at St Andrews

It was agreed that the Committee’s deliberations on the draft response to the Secretary of State would be included in Hansard.

The Committee considered and agreed paragraphs 1 – 4 of the draft response.

Mr O’Dowd proposed that the following paragraph should be inserted as a new paragraph 5:

‘This response in no way interferes with, or negates, the rights of individual parties to respond to the St Andrews proposals, following the conclusion of each party’s internal consultation.’

There was not consensus and the proposal fell. Alliance, DUP and Sinn Fein supported the proposal and SDLP and UUP objected.

The Committee considered and agreed, as amended, paragraphs 6 –15 of the draft response.

Mr Kennedy left the meeting at 3.25pm.

The Committee considered and agreed paragraphs 16 – 17 of the draft response.

Mr Bradley left the meeting at 3.29pm.

The Committee considered and agreed, as amended, paragraphs 18 – 39 of the draft response.

Mr Kennedy rejoined the meeting at 3.35pm.

The Committee considered and agreed, as amended, paragraphs 40 – 47 of the draft response.

Ms Ruane left the meeting at 3.45pm.

The Committee considered and agreed, as amended, paragraphs 48 – 49 of the draft response.

Ms Ruane rejoined the meeting at 3.47pm.

The Committee considered and agreed, as amended, paragraphs 50 – 91 of the draft response.

Mr McFarland joined the meeting at 4.02pm.

The Committee considered and agreed, as amended, paragraphs 92 – 99 of the draft response.

Mr Robinson left the meeting at 4.05pm.

Mr McGimpsey left the meeting at 4.05pm.

The Committee considered and agreed paragraphs 100 – 101 of the draft response.

Mr McGimpsey rejoined the meeting at 4.08pm.

The Committee considered and agreed, as amended, paragraphs 102 – 105 of the draft response.

The Committee agreed to insert, as the final paragraph, the proposal made by Sinn Fein at the meeting on 25 October 2006 about the equality duties under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and the use of the words ”he” and “she” in the St Andrews Agreement.

The Chairperson proposed that the response should be printed and sent to all Members of the Assembly. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

The Chairperson proposed that the response should be made available on the Assembly website for the public and press. There was consensus and the proposal was agreed.

The Chairperson proposed that the Committee issue a press release on the response. There was not consensus and the proposal fell. Alliance, DUP and SDLP supported the proposal and Sinn Fein and UUP saw no need for a press release.

5. Next Meeting

The Committee will next meet at 10.00am on Wednesday, 15 November 2006 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting adjourned at 4.22pm.