Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2009/2010
Date: 02 March 2010
Venue: Room 21
The meeting opened at 11.09 am in public session.
1. Apologies
None.
2. Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held on 25 February 2010
Members noted the Minutes of Proceedings of the meeting held on 25 February 2010, which had been approved and signed previously by the Chairman for the purposes of being included in the Committee’s Second Report on the Arrangements for the Devolution of Policing and Justice Matters.
3. Matters arising
Members noted there were no further developments on the release of John Larkin QC’s paper or the response to it from the First Minister and the deputy First Minister.
Members noted the arrangements for distributing the Committee’s Second Report on the Arrangements for the Devolution of Policing and Justice Matters.
4. Chairperson’s Business
None.
5. Correspondence
Outgoing correspondence
Members noted:
- A memo to the Clerk of the Business Office, providing two copies of the Committee’s report to the Business Office.
- A memo to the Clerk of the Finance and Personnel Committee, providing a copy of the Finance section of the Committee’s report.
Incoming correspondence
Members noted:
- An acknowledgement from the First Minister and deputy First Minister of the Committee’s letter of the 23 February 2010.
- A letter from the Speaker, notifying the Committee of the documentary style film of the Assembly.
Members also noted that the Chairman had accepted an invitation, from the Northern Ireland Ombudsman, to attend the launch of a commemorative booklet to mark the 40 th Anniversary of the Office of the Northern Ireland Ombudsman on Wednesday 24 March 2010 at 1pm.
6. The Local Government (Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill
This session was recorded by Hansard
11.14 am Raymond McCartney joined the meeting
The Chairperson declared the following interest:
- Member of the Castlereagh County Council.
The Chairperson invited Members to declare their relevant interests.
Members declared the following interests:
Alex Maskey
- Member of Belfast City Council.
John O’Dowd
- Member of Craigavon Council
11.15 am Simon Hamilton joined the meeting.
Simon Hamilton
- Member of Ards Borough Council
Members discussed the fact that the Second Stage of the Local Government (Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill was scheduled for 9 March 2010.
Members noted that the Bill shall stand referred to the Environment Committee if it passes its Second Stage, unless the Assembly shall order otherwise.
Agreed: Members agreed not to seek to have the Local Government (Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill referred to the Committee.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Chairperson was not required to speak on behalf of the Committee and that each political party would represent its own position.
11.18 am Mr Danny Kennedy joined the meeting.
7. Second Report on the arrangements for the devolution of policing and justice matters
The Chairperson declared the following interest:
- Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
The Chairperson invited Members to declare their relevant interests.
Members declared the following interests:
Alex Attwood
- Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
Alex Maskey
- Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
Members discussed the media handling arrangements in relation to the publication of the Committee’s Second Report on the Arrangements for the Devolution of Policing and Justice Matters.
Agreed: Members agreed the distribution arrangements for the report, as amended.
Agreed: Members agreed arrangements for the Chairman to brief the media, prior to the publication of the report.
Agreed: Members reaffirmed their previous decision to provide the report, under strict embargo, to the media on Monday, 8 March, 2010.
Agreed: Members reaffirmed their previous decision to publish the report officially, and make it available on the website, on Tuesday, 9 March 2010.
Agreed: Members agreed the terms of the revised draft press release and the timing of its issue.
8. Any other business
None.
9. Date, time and place of next meeting
The Committee agreed that the next meeting would take place on Tuesday, 16 March 2010 at 11.00 am, in Room 21.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.28 am.
