Minutes of Proceedings

Session: 2011/2012

Date: 15 November 2011

Venue: Room 144

The meeting opened at 11.03 a.m. in public session

1. Apologies

Apologies were received on behalf of Pat Sheehan, Gregory Campbell and Sandra Overend.

2. Minutes of the last meeting

Agreed:The Committee agreed the minutes of the Committee meeting held on Tuesday 8 November 2011.

11.05 amMr Hamilton joined the meeting.

3. Matters Arising

No matters were raised.

4. Review of the Initial Ministerial Provision in relation to the Department of Justice and recommendations relating to the arrangements from 1 May 2012.

The Chairperson reminded Members that the purpose of the meeting was to agree a Committee final position on this Review and also to agree a motion for debate of the Committee’s Report of its Review in Assembly Plenary - to be requested for 29 November 2011.

The Chairperson advised Members that the Committee would need to approve its Report of this Review at its meeting the following week, i.e. 22 November 2011.

The Clerk summarised the background to the current position in relation to the Review.

Representatives from each Political Party represented on the Committee then spoke briefly to their Party’s submission.

The Committee noted correspondence from the First Minister and deputy First Minister in relation to the Review.

The Clerk summarised the submissions of other Stakeholders not represented on the Committee.

The Committee had a discussion in relation to the Terms of Reference of the Review and what the Assembly has mandated the Committee to report on.

11.26 am The meeting moved into closed session to consider legal advice.

11.56 am The meeting moved back into open session.

The Clerk provided Members with a summary of the Stakeholders’ positions.

Mr Hamilton proposed the following:

“ that the Committee draft a report that outlines all the different opinions, summarises the consultation outcome, all the options, who endorsed which option and why, and any other comments”

Agreed: The Committee agreed to this proposal and requested that the draft Report be presented to the Committee Members for approval at its meeting on 22 November 2011.

No other proposals were raised.

The Committee considered a draft Motion for the debate of its Report in Assembly Plenary.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the wording of the draft Motion should be revised and presented to the Committee at its meeting on 22 November 2011 for final approval.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request that its Report of the Review be debated in Assembly Plenary on 29 November 2011 – for the standard 1 ½ hours.

5. Review of Parts III and IV of the Northern Ireland Act

The Chairperson reminded the Committee that the purpose of this agenda item was for the Committee to consider and agree its work programme in relation to its immediate Review of Parts III and IV of the Northern Ireland Act and to receive a further briefing from Assembly Research and Information Service on the subject of the Size of the Assembly.

The Clerk briefed the Committee

The Chairperson reminded the Members that the deadline for submissions from Political Parties in relation to this Review was 7 November 2011 and requested that Members should do all within their power to get Party responses to the Committee Secretariat as soon as possible.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to defer the planned Research Briefing on the subject of the Size of the Assembly to the Committee’s meeting of 22 November 2011.