Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2010/2011
Date: 25 January 2011
Venue: Room 144
The meeting opened at 11.04am in public session.
1. Apologies
None.
2. Minutes of Proceedings of meeting held on 18 January 2011
The Chairperson informed members that he had authorised the minutes of the 18 th January to ensure timely publication of the Committee’s report.
Members noted one factual change to the minutes which had been authorised by the Chair. This was to record that the report was the First Report of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee to the Assembly in the 2010/2011 session.
Members noted this action.
Agreed: Minutes agreed
3. Matters arising
(i) Further to Mr Alan McFarland’s concern about consistency in recording his attendance at Committee meetings, the Chairperson informed members that Hansard had amended their records to reflect Mr McFarland’s attendance.
(ii) In relation to the Forward Work Programme, the Chairperson informed members that the Committee must ‘Report on the operation of Ministerial arrangements in a Policing and Justice Department’ no later than 2 years and 10 months from the date at which policing and justice was devolved. Members were content to factor this into the Forward Work Programme.
(iii) The Chairperson informed members that the Committee must report on its review of the arrangements for judicial appointments and removals by 30 April 2012.
Agreed: It was agreed to commence work on the review of the arrangements for judicial appointments and removals. The Clerk was asked to draft Terms of Reference for the review, for consideration at the meeting scheduled for 8 February 2011.
11.10am Simon Hamilton joined the meeting.
4. Correspondence
(i) Members considered a letter from Lord Browne, Chairperson of the Committee on Procedures, on the operation of Petitions of Concern.
Agreed: To incorporate consideration of the Petition of Concern mechanism into the Committee’s Forward Work Programme.
The Clerk was asked to draft a response from the Chairperson to Lord Browne in relation to this matter.
(ii) Members considered a letter from the Secretary of State dated 12 January 2011, in relation to the Committee’s review of the o peration of sections 16A to 16C of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Agreed: To include the letter from the Secretary of State dated 12 January 2011, in the appendices to the Committee report.
Agreed: To insert the following paragraph at the end of the Executive Summary in the Committee report: “ In accordance with the Committee’s position on the executive selection amendments, the Secretary of State confirmed that he would not make an order to reverse the effect of these amendments.”
The Chairperson informed members of the distribution arrangements for the Committee report, and that the report would be embargoed until commencement of the debate in plenary, which was scheduled for 31 January 2011.
Agreed: The Clerk was asked to draft a press release for issue following the debate in plenary. The Chairperson asked members to provide the Clerk with any comments on the draft press release that would be circulated.
Agreed: To write to the First Minister and deputy First Minister in relation to the debate on the Committee report.
5. Forward Work Programme
Other than the items of business referred to above at 3(ii) and 3(iii), members did not raise any other issues that should be addressed in the time remaining in this mandate.
6. Any other Business
None.
7. Date, time and place of next meeting
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Committee would take place on 8 February 2011, at 11.00am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.29am.
