Minutes of Proceedings

ASSEMBLY AND EXECUTIVE REVIEW COMMITTEE

Minutes of Proceedings

TUESDAY, 20 November 2007
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present: Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson, MP (Chairperson) 
Mr Raymond McCartney (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Alex Attwood 
Mrs Carmel Hanna 
Mr Danny Kennedy 
Mr Nelson McCausland 
Mr Ian McCrea 
Mr Alan McFarland 
Mr John O’Dowd 
Mr George Robinson

In Attendance: Mr Stephen Graham (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Sinead Nash (Assistant Clerk) 
Mr Keith McBride (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Officer)

Apologies: Ms Carál Ní Chuilín

The meeting opened at 11:04am in public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held on 6 November 2007

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 2007.

3. Chairperson’s Business

3.1 Cancellation of meeting

Members acknowledged the decision to cancel the meeting which was to have been held on 13 November 2007.

3.2 Format of today’s meeting

Members noted that one of the items on today’s agenda is to agree the priority list of expert witnesses, who will be invited advise the Committee on the governance and accountability arrangements for any new Department of policing and justice.

Agreed: That this part of the meeting will be conducted in closed session.

3.3 Update from NIACRO briefing

Members received a summary of the matters which were discussed at the ‘Political Briefing’ by Dr Lesley McAra on the impact of devolution on criminal justice in Scotland.

3.4 Christmas Cards

Members noted the proposed Christmas card list and selection of cards.

Agreed: That Christmas cards will be sent to the list of witnesses and to the Chairperson of the NI Affairs Committee.

4. Matters Arising

4.1 Multiple mandates

Members noted the responses received to date from the parties on the issue of multiple mandates and that a paper is expected from the SDLP later today.

The Chairperson confirmed that he had tabled a series of questions at Westminster enquiring about plans the government might have to deal with the issue of multiple mandates.

Agreed:

• That the Committee will return to the issue of multiple mandates at the next meeting.
• That, on receipt of the response from the SDLP, the Clerk will prepare a summary of the responses.

4.2 Correspondence with OFMdFM

Members noted the continued absence of a response from OFMdFM regarding their preparations for the devolution of policing and justice.

Agreed: That, in the continued absence of a response from OFMdFM, the Chairperson should write to request at least an initial response which should include information on the progress of OFMdFM in relation to:

• Appointment of the Attorney General
• Efficiency Review Panel - Number of Departments/Ministers
• Responsibility for the Public Prosecution Service

5. Inquiry into the Devolution of Policing and Justice

The following interests were declared:

Jeffrey Donaldson:

• Member, Her Majesty’s Privy Council
• Member , Northern Ireland Policing Board

Ian McCrea:

• Member, Cookstown District Policing Partnership

George Robinson:

• Member, Limavady District Policing Partnership

This session was recorded by Hansard.

5.1 Independent Monitoring Commission

Members noted the latest report of the Independent Monitoring Commission on ‘Normalisation’ published on 17 September.

5.2 Chief Constable, PSNI

• Members discussed the possibility of inviting the Chief Constable to provide
• evidence to the Committee.

11:27 Danny Kennedy left the meeting 
11:28 George Robinson joined the meeting

Agreed:

• That the Chief Constable will be invited to provide evidence to the Committee on either 8 or 15 January 2008.
• That members will consider, in time for next week’s meeting, whether there are further witnesses who they wish to invite in order to inform their deliberations with regard to ‘timing’ and ‘confidence’ issues.

6. Departmental structure

6.1 Party Papers

Members discussed progress in relation to the preparation of party papers on the governance and accountability mechanisms which should exist within any new department of policing and justice.

11:32 Alex Attwood joined the meeting 
11:34 Carmel Hanna joined the meeting

Agreed: That the parties will submit papers after hearing from the expert witness/witnesses regarding governance and accountability mechanisms.

The meeting moved to closed session at 11:39 am

6.2 Expert Witness

Members noted the list of potential expert witnesses and the specification document which sets out the issues which the witness/witnesses may be expected to address.

11:48 George Robinson left the meeting

Agreed:

• Members agreed the list of expert witnesses, with one addition, and ranked them in order of preference.

11:51 George Robinson joined the meeting

• That the Clerk will contact the potential expert witnesses, in order of preference, to invite up to three witnesses to provide advice to the Committee.
• That the expert witness/witnesses will be requested to make a written submission by 5 December 2007 and appear before the Committee on either 11 or 18 December.
• That witnesses may be entitled to ‘out of pocket’ expenses only.

6.3 Forward work plan

Members discussed the Inquiry timeline and the agenda for meetings up until January 2008.

Agreed:

• That Members will return to the outstanding issues in relation to the ‘matters to be transferred’ at next week’s meeting.
• That the Committee may meet on 18 December depending on the outcome of the invitations to expert witnesses to appear before the Committee.
• That there will be no Committee meeting on 4 December.

7. Draft Press Release

Members agreed the terms of the press release, subject to one amendment.

8. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 27 November at 11.00am in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12:09 pm.

RT HON JEFFREY DONALDSON, MP
Chairperson, Assembly and Executive Review Committee

27 November 2007.