Minutes of Proceedings

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 5 June 2007

1.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 5 June were agreed and signed by the Speaker.

2. Matter Arising

2.1 The Speaker referred to paragraph 4.1 of the minutes (attendance of Junior Ministers at the Business Committee) and members considered a draft letter to the First Minister and deputy First Minister. Having agreed the contents of the letter, members were unable to reach a consensus on when the arrangements to allow attendance should commence. It was agreed to consider the matter further at the next meeting.

2.2 Members were referred to paragraph 4.3 of the minutes (visit by the First Minister of Scotland) and advised that the programme allowed only an afternoon slot for Mr Salmond to address Assembly Members. Members agreed to schedule business which should allow the Assembly’s adjournment at 4pm on Monday 18 June.

2.3 The Speaker advised that information available from the National Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Parliament and the Dail was that ordinarily guests did not address the Parliament or Assembly during a formal sitting. Members agreed to apply this convention (and precedent during the earlier Assemblies) and that such guests should, where possible, address Members in the Senate Chamber.

2.4 On matters arising from the Assembly sitting on Monday 11 June:

• Lord Morrow suggested that the Business Committee should take greater care over its decisions on limiting contributions (particularly a Minister’s) during important debates;
• Whips acknowledged that difficulties arising from Members not being in their places when called to contribute, or to ask supplementary questions, were for whips to address;
• There was further discussion about the inappropriate use of first names in the Chamber (which had been covered at paragraph 4.4 of the minutes of the 5 June meeting);
• There was discussion on a dress code for Members, particularly in warm conditions, and the Speaker noted that problems with the heating system for the Chamber would, hopefully, be addressed over the summer recess; and
• The Speaker encouraged Whips to make arrangements with the Clerks to attend a session in the Chamber which would offer advice on whips’ duties in the Chamber and cover a range of issues arising from the first few sittings of the Assembly.

3. Arrangements for plenary meetings in week commencing 18 June

3.1 Members were referred to draft Order Papers for Monday 18 June and Tuesday 19 June.

Executive Business

3.2 The Business Committee agreed to schedule the Consideration Stages of the Welfare Reform Bill and the Budget Bill on the Order Paper for Monday 18 June.

3.3 Members also agreed to schedule the Second Stages of the Libraries Bill and the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill on the Order Paper for Tuesday 5 June, along with the Further Consideration Stages of the Welfare Reform Bill and the Budget Bill.

3.4 Members noted that neither debates nor Members’ contributions on any of the Bill Stages would be time-limited. However, indicative timings were agreed for planning purposes.

3.5 Members were advised that with the two Further Consideration Stages being taken one day after the Bills’ Consideration Stages (under accelerated passage) no amendments, other than ‘tidying-up’ amendments, were likely to be tabled for debate.

3.6 Members noted that the order of Ministers attending Question Time on 18 June had been changed in accordance with the Business Committee’s decision on 5 June.

Committee Business

3.7 Members noted that no Committee business had been tabled. However, Mr McNarry gave notice that he may seek the inclusion of a ‘change to Committee membership’ motion on the Order Paper for either Monday or Tuesday.

Private Members’ business

3.8 Members agreed that one motion should be scheduled for debate on Monday 18 June, and two on Tuesday 19 June.

3.9 Members considered and voted on four possible motions. Votes in favour of each being debated were as follows:

• Racial Equality Strategy (A Lo, N Long, S Farry) 9 votes
• Teacher induction year (A Ross, M McIlveen) 53 votes
• Pay parity… Further Education lecturers (P Butler, M Brady) 81 votes
• Classroom Assistants’ dispute (D Bradley) 53 votes

It was agreed that the motion on pay parity be scheduled for Monday, with those on the teacher induction year and Classroom Assistants’ dispute scheduled (in that order) for Tuesday. It was also agreed that each motion would be allocated up to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

3.10 Members also agreed an Adjournment debate for 19 June – Car parking problems at Daisy Hill Hospital, Newry (Mr D Kennedy).

3.11 Ms Ní Chuilín queried whether the topic: ‘Upgrading the Belfast-Derry/Londonderry Railway’ was sufficiently constituency-related to accord with guidance issued to Members and Business Office advice on the subject matter for Adjournment debates. Dr McDonnell explained that the issue was about poor rail quality along part of the route. Members noted that topics proposed should clearly identify the issue.

4. Any Other Business

4.1 The Speaker reported that he had received a request from the First Minister and deputy First Minister that the Speaker should consider the introduction of an amendment to Standing Orders to provide a facility for written Ministerial statements. The Speaker advised that he had forwarded this request to the Chairperson of the Committee on Procedures.

4.2 The Speaker indicated that Members should be cautious about ‘trailing’ motions, amendments or questions in the media before they had been tabled in, and accepted by, the Business Office, as the final item may differ from the original following consideration for admissibility.

4.3 Members’ attention was drawn to a draft rota for Question Time from September to December 2007. The Speaker asked members to consider the rota and accompanying papers with their party groups, in order that decisions could be taken at the next meeting. Members were asked to pay particular attention to the arrangements proposed for the first two Question Times after summer recess, in terms of the time available to Members to table questions, and the notice available to departments to answer them.

5. Date and Time of next meeting

5.1 Members agreed to meet immediately following the lunchtime suspension on Tuesday 19 June in Room 106, and that the suspension should run from 1pm to 2.30pm.

5.2 Mr Maskey noted that his attendance as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment was inhibited when the Business Committee meeting continued past 2pm. The Speaker reminded members of his view that it was for Committees to decide when to meet.

The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 2.15 pm.

William Hay
The Speaker