Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2011/2012
Date: 22 November 2011
Venue: Room 106
1. Introduction and Apologies
1.1 Apologies were noted from Ms Jennifer McCann and Mr Stewart Dickson. The Speaker welcomed Ms Anna Lo as the Alliance substitute member.
2. Minutes of the meeting held on 15 November 2011
2.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 15 November were agreed and signed by the Speaker.
3. Matters arising
3.1 There were no matters arising.
4. Finalisation of Order Papers for Week Commencing 21 November 2011
Executive Business
4.1 Members noted that in addition to the Executive business already scheduled, a motion to affirm the Rates (Payments by Owners by Agreement) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 had been scheduled for Monday 28 November 2011.
4.2 Members noted that in addition to the Executive business already scheduled, two Ministerial Statements had been scheduled for Tuesday 29 November 2011; the first from the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the NSMC meeting in Plenary Format, and the second from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure on the British Irish Council meeting on minority languages.
Committee Business
4.3 Members confirmed the motions to amend Standing Orders for Monday 28 November 2011; and the motion from the Assembly and Executive Review Committee on the ‘Report on the Review of the Initial Ministerial provision in relation to the Department of Justice and the arrangements from 1 May 2012’ for Tuesday 29 November 2011, as agreed at the previous meeting. No other Committee business had been requested.
Private Members’ Business
4.4 Members agreed to schedulethe presentation of a public petition by Mr Dominic Bradley on the reduction in opening hours of community libraries on Monday 28 November 2011.
4.5 Members confirmed the following Private Members’ motions for Monday 28 November:
- ‘School Closures in the SEELB Area’; and
- ‘Retention and Release of Information from Police Officers’.
Members agreed to increase the time for debate on the first motion to two hours, to allow more Members to participate, and confirmed the usual timings for the second motion.
4.6 Members agreed to schedule the presentation of a public petition by Mr Kieran McCarthy on the impact on local residents of reduced funding for community pharmacies on Tuesday 29 November 2011.
Mr McCallister advised Members that he wished to present a public petition on the reduction in opening hours of the Bronte Library in Rathfriland. Members agreed to schedule the presentation of the public petition on Tuesday 29 November 2011.
4.7 Members confirmed the following Private Members’ motion for Tuesday 29 November with the usual times:
- ‘Sentencing for Crimes Against Older and Vulnerable People’.
Members also confirmed the Adjournment topic:
- ‘Lack of funding for the West Belfast and Greater Shankill Employment Services Board’.
4.8 Junior Minister Anderson confirmed that all relevant Ministers were available to respond.
5. Provisional arrangements for Plenary meetings in week commencing 5 December 2011
Executive Business
5.1 Members noted that, in addition to Question Time to the Minister for Employment and Learning and the Minister for Regional Development, a statement from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on the NSMC Meeting in Aquaculture and Marine Sectoral Format had been scheduled on Monday 5 December 2011.
Members noted that motions from the Department for Employment and Learning to approve the Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011, and the Draft Labour Relations Agency (Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures) (Jurisdictions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 had also been scheduled on Monday 5 December 2011.
5.2 Members noted that, apart from Question Time to the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, the Minister for Social Development, and the Assembly Commission, no further Executive business had been scheduled for Tuesday 5 December.
Committee Business
5.3 Members noted that there was no Committee business requested.
Private Members’ Business
5.5 Members agreed to schedule two Private Members’ Motions on Monday 5 December and two on Tuesday 6 December.
Under the system of allocation for Private Members’ motions the selections lay with the Sinn Féin, SDLP, Alliance and the UUP.
The following motions were proposed:
- ‘Community Transport Scheme’ (Mr O McMullan, Mr S Lynch, Mr P Doherty, Mr C Ó hOisín);
- ‘Public Sector Pensions’ (Mr M Durkan, Mr C Eastwood, Mrs D Kelly, Dr A McDonnell);
- ‘Hydraulic Fracturing’ (Mr S Agnew, Ms A Lo, Mr C Lyttle, Mr S Dickson); and
- ‘Call for a Legislative Programme’ (Mr T Elliott, Mr M Nesbitt, Mr J McCallister).
5.6 Members agreed that up to 1 hour 30 minutes should be allocated for all the debates, with the usual speaking times.
5.7 Members agreed to schedule an Adjournment Debate on Tuesday 5 December. Under the system for allocating Adjournment Debates, the selection lay with the DUP.
The DUP selected the following topic:
- ‘The regeneration of Portavogie’.
Members agreed to schedule the topic as the Adjournment Debate on Tuesday 5 December.
5.8 Junior Minister Anderson advised that all relevant Members were available to respond.
6. Any Other Business
6.1 There was no other business.
7. Date and Time of next meeting
7.1 Members agreed to meet at approximately 12.30pm on Tuesday 29 November 2011 in Room 106.
The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 12.47pm.
