Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting began at 1.04pm.

1. Apologies

1.1 The Speaker welcomed Mr Pat Ramsey back to the Business Committee.

1.2 Apologies were noted from Mr Gerry Kelly, Mrs Karen McKevitt and Mr Robin Swann.  Mr Danny Kinahan attended as the UUP substitute.

2. Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 15 January 2013

2.1 The minutes were agreed and signed by the Speaker.

3. Matters arising

3.1 There were no matters arising.  

4. Finalisation of Order Papers for plenary meetings in week commencing 28 January 2013

Assembly Business

4.1 Members agreed to schedule a DUP motion to change Committee Membership.

Executive Business

4.2 Members noted that, in addition to Executive Business agreed previously,  two Ministerial Statements from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on the outcome of the EU December Fisheries Council 2012, and the NSMC meeting in Aquaculture and Marine sectoral format, were now provisionally scheduled for Monday 28 January. 

4.3 Members noted that there was no change to the Executive Business previously scheduled for Tuesday 29 January.

Committee Business

4.4 Members agreed to schedule a motion from the Committee for Social Development on Monday 28 January, to extend the Committee Stage of the Welfare Reform Bill until 19 February.

4.5 Members noted that the motion on the Ad Hoc Committee on Conformity with Equality Requirement’s report on the Welfare Reform Bill was now confirmed for Tuesday 29 January. The usual timings had been agreed previously.

Private Members’ Business  

4.6 Members noted that, after last week’s meeting, the Executive had advised that the Minister of Education was not available to respond to the previously chosen Adjournment Topic on the progress of the Education Campus at Lisanelly. The following Adjournment Topic had therefore been chosen:

• ‘Daisy Hill Plant Nursery in Newry’ (Mr M Brady).

4.7 Junior Minister Bell confirmed that all relevant Ministers were available to respond.

4.8 The draft Order Papers were agreed.

5. Provisional arrangements for plenary meetings in week commencing 4 February 2013

Executive Business

5.1 Members noted that, apart from Question Time to the Minister of the Environment, and the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, no further Executive business was scheduled for Monday 4 February.  

5.2 Members noted that, apart from Question Time to the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, and the Minister of Justice, no further Executive business was scheduled for Tuesday 5 February.

Committee Business

5.3 Members agreed to schedule a motion from the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety on ‘GP Annual Health Checks’, with the usual timings, for Monday 4 February.  

Private Members’ Business 

5.4 Members initially agreed to schedule three Private Members’ motions, one on the Monday and two on the Tuesday. Under the system of allocation, the party selections lay with Alliance, UUP and Sinn Féín. The first two slots were filled with the following motions:

• ‘Feasibility of Free School Transport for All Pupils’ (Mrs J Cochrane, Mr T Lunn, Mr S Dickson, Mr C Lyttle); and
• ‘Continuing High Rates of Fuel Poverty’ (Mr M Copeland, Mr R Swann).

On Mrs Overend’s proposal, it was agreed to include in business for Tuesday 5 February a cross-party motion to mark international ‘Safer Internet Day’.  The following motion was selected to fill the third slot:

• ‘Internet Safety for Children’ (Mrs S Overend, Miss M McIlveen, Mr M Durkan, Mr C Lyttle, Ms C Ruane).

Members then reconsidered the slots available and agreed that there would be scope to schedule a second motion on Monday 4 February, making four in total over both days. Sinn Féin selected the following motion:

• ‘Regulation of Social Networking Websites’ (Ms R McCorley, Mr R McCartney, Mr S Lynch).

It was agreed that the Alliance and UUP motions would be scheduled on Monday 4 February, and that the cross-party motion and the Sinn Féin motion would be scheduled on Tuesday 5 February.

5.5 Members agreed that up to 1 hour 30 minutes should be allocated for each debate, with the usual speaking times.

5.6 Members agreed to schedule an Adjournment Debate on Tuesday 5 February. Under the system of allocation, the selection lay with the DUP.  The following adjournment topic was selected:

• ‘The future of the Strangford Lough Fishery’ (Mr S Hamilton).

5.7 Junior Minister Bell confirmed that all relevant Ministers were available to respond to the selected debates.  

5.8 The provisional Order Papers were agreed.

6. Any other business          

6.1 The Speaker advised that, following the request from Mr Dickson before Christmas, annunciators have now been installed in rooms 21, 29, 30 and 144 to allow Members to follow the progress of plenary business if they are in Committee on a Monday or Tuesday.

7. Date and Time of next meeting

7.1 Members agreed to meet at approximately 12.30pm on Tuesday 29 January 2013 in Room 106.

The Speaker brought the meeting to a close at 1.12pm.

Mr Speaker
Chairperson