Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened at 11.05am in public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held on 15 December 2008

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2008.

3. Matters arising

There were no matters arising.

11.09am Mr Attwood joined the meeting.

4. Devolution of Policing and Justice Matters

In relation to the issue of the devolution of policing and justice matters, the Chairperson declared the following interests:

• Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board

The Chairperson invited Members to declare their relevant interests.

Members declared the following interests:

Nelson McCausland

• Member of Belfast District Policing Partnership

Alex Maskey

• Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board

Ian Paisley Jnr

• Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board

Members then turned their attention to, and considered, the following issues on the Category 1 List.

5.1.C What would be the status of the Minister’s position in, and relationship with, the Executive Committee; and would the Minister be required to bring significant, or controversial, matters to the Executive Committee?

There was some discussion on Issue C.

Agreed: Members agreed to return to Issue C during its consideration of the Category Two List of Issues.

5.1.G To which Department should the Public Prosecution Service be attached, and associated with?

There was some discussion on Issue G.

Agreed: Members agreed to return to Issue C during its consideration of the Category Two List of Issues.

6. Committee Briefing Paper 21/08/09 – Terms of the Draft Motion

Members considered a Committee Briefing Paper containing suggested wording for a motion to have the Committee’s report debated in plenary on 20 January 2009.

On a proposal from Mr Attwood that the draft motion be re-worded:

“That this Assembly, recognising the differences of views amongst the political parties, notes the First Report of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee on the arrangements for the devolution of policing and justice matters.”

Question put: That the draft motion be amended to read “That this Assembly, recognising the differences of views amongst the political parties, notes the First Report of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee on the arrangements for the devolution of policing and justice matters.”

The Committee divided, Ayes 3; Noes 7.

The proposal accordingly fell.

Mr Hamilton proposed that the following motion be tabled for consideration by the Business Committee.

“That this Assembly approves the First Report of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee on the arrangements for the devolution of policing and justice matters.”

The Committee divided, Ayes 7; Noes 1; Abstentions 2.

Abstentions

Danny Kennedy Alan McFarland

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request that the debate be scheduled for 20 January 2009.

Agreed: Members agreed to suspend the meeting to allow the Clerk to re-draft the report and to re-convene to consider a fourth, and final, version of the report at 1.00pm.

The Chairperson suspended the meeting at 11.27am.

The Chairperson resumed the meeting, in closed session, at 1.03pm with the following Members also present:

Mr Raymond McCartney (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr Danny Kennedy
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr John O’Dowd

7. Consideration of the draft report

Members considered a final draft of its first report on the arrangements for the devolution of policing and justice matters.

Agreed: Pages 8 – 28.

• Paragraphs 1 to 13, read and agreed.
• Paragraph 14, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 15, read and agreed.
• Paragraph 16, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 17, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraphs 18 and 19, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 20, read and agreed.
• Paragraph 21 and 22, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 23, read and agreed.
• Paragraphs 24 to 27, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 28 and 29, read and agreed.
• Paragraph 30 read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 31, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraphs 32 and 33, read and agreed.
• Paragraph 34, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 35, read and agreed.
• Paragraph 36, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 37, read and agreed.
• Paragraph 38 to 40, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 41, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 42, read and agreed.
• Paragraph 43 to 45, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 46, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraph 47, read and agreed, as amended.
• Paragraphs 48 to 50, read and agreed.

Agreed: Summary of Recommendations – Pages 3 – 7, read and agreed subject to a proposal from Mr Hamilton that the final three sentences on Page 7 be deleted:

The Committee divided, Ayes 5; Noes 3.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to delete the final three sentences on Page 7.

Agreed: Executive Summary – Page 2, read and agreed.

Agreed: The inclusion of Appendices 1 to 8 was agreed.

2.10pm Mr Maskey joined the meeting.
2.10pm Mr McCausland left the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to authorise the Chairperson to sign the minutes of today’s meeting in order for them to be included in the report.

A transcript of the minutes of evidence from the morning session of the Committee’s meeting was tabled for the attention of Members.

Agreed: Members agreed to provide any suggested changes to the transcript by midday on Wednesday 7 January in order to allow for it to be included in the report.

Agreed: Members agreed that two copies of the Committee’s report would be placed in the Business Office by the ‘close of play’ on 6 January 2009.

The Chairperson reminded Members that the debate was planned for 20 January 2009, and encouraged all Members to attend.

Agreed: Members agreed that copies of the report should be sent to a range of organisations on Monday 19 January 2009, under strict embargo, until the commencement of the debate in plenary on 20 January 2009.

Agreed: Members agreed that the report would be released to Members of the Stormont Correspondents Association on Monday 19 January 2009, under strict embargo, until the commencement of the debate, in plenary, on 20 January 2009.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson could do pre-recorded interviews with the media, on the understanding that the media respect the embargo on the report.

2.21 Mr Kennedy left the meeting.

8. Correspondence

8.1 Letter from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Members noted a response from the Secretary of State, dated 14 December 2008, to the Committee’s letter of 10 December.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to respond to the letter from the Secretary of State.

8.2 Letter to the Northern Ireland Office and other policing and justice organisations.

Members noted draft letters to the Northern Ireland Office and other policing and justice organisations about the provision of financial information.

Agreed: The Committee suggested some amendments and requested that the revised drafts be circulated, and that Members would respond with any further changes.

Agreed: Members agreed the list of organisations to which the letters should be sent.

2.31pm Mr Attwood left the meeting.

8. Appointment of a Specialist Adviser

The Chairperson reported that the Sub-Committee had given initial consideration to two bids which had been received, and that the Sub-Committee had decided to seek clarification on some aspects of those bids.

9. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 at 11.00am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 2.32pm.

Mr Jimmy Spratt
Chairperson, Assembly and Executive Review Committee
7th January 2008