Chairpersons' Liaison Group Report on Strengthening Committee Scrutiny
Appendix B – Minutes of Proceedings
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CHAIRPERSONS’ LIAISON GROUP
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 5 MAY 2020
THE SENATE, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA
Ms Paula Bradley MLA
Ms Sinéad Ennis MLA (present by videoconference)
Mr Colm Gildernew MLA
Mr William Humphrey MLA
Mr Chris Lyttle MLA
Mr Declan McAleer MLA
Mr Colin McGrath MLA
Ms Michelle McIlveen MLA
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA (present by videoconference)
Mr Mervyn Storey MLA
Apologies: No apologies
In Attendance: Mr Keith McBride (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Trevor Allen (Senior Assistant Clerk)
5. RHI Inquiry Report recommendation on strengthening the scrutiny role of Assembly Committees
Chairpersons considered a paper on the implementation of the recommendations of the RHI Inquiry Report in relation to increasing and strengthening the scrutiny function of Assembly Committees.
Agreed: The Group agreed the paper’s Terms of Reference and that CAMS Office prepares a timetable for consideration at the next meeting.
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CHAIRPERSONS’ LIAISON GROUP
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 2 JUNE 2020
THE SENATE, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA
Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA
Ms Paula Bradley MLA
Ms Sinéad Ennis MLA, Deputy Chairperson (present by videoconference)
Mr Colm Gildernew MLA
Mr Paul Givan MLA
Mr William Humphrey MLA, Chairperson
Mr Chris Lyttle MLA
Mr Declan McAleer MLA
Mr Colin McGrath MLA
Ms Michelle McIlveen MLA
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA (present by videoconference)
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA
Mr Mervyn Storey MLA
Apologies: No apologies
In Attendance: Mr Keith McBride (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Trevor Allen (Senior Assistant Clerk)
5. CLG Priorities – Project timelines
The Group noted papers on Strengthening Committee Scrutiny and Innovative Practices in Committees.
2:04pm Mr Humphrey declared an interest as Chairperson to the Public Accounts Committee.
Agreed: The Group approved the timelines for both pieces of work and agreed to extend the Strengthening Committee Scrutiny scope to include the Public Accounts Committee and the Audit Committee.
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CHAIRPERSONS’ LIAISON GROUP
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2020
THE SENATE, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA
Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA
Ms Paula Bradley MLA (present by videoconference)
Ms Linda Dillon MLA
Ms Sinéad Ennis MLA, Deputy Chairperson
Mr Paul Givan MLA
Mr William Humphrey MLA, Chairperson
Mr Chris Lyttle MLA
Mr Declan McAleer MLA
Mr Colin McGrath MLA
Ms Michelle McIlveen MLA
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA
Apologies: Mr Colm Gildernew MLA
Mr Mervyn Storey MLA
In Attendance: Mrs Lesley Hogg (Clerk to the Assembly/Chief Executive)
Dr Kevin Pelan (Clerk Assistant)
Mr Keith McBride (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Trevor Allen (Senior Assistant Clerk)
Mrs Bronagh Irwin (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Peter Hall (Assembly Clerk) (Agenda Item 7)
Miss Angela Kelly (Examiner of Statutory Rules) (Agenda Item 8)
8. RHI Inquiry Report recommendation on strengthening the scrutiny role of Assembly Committees – Subordinate Legislation
Chairpersons noted a research paper on parliamentary scrutiny of delegated legislation and received a briefing from Miss Angela Kelly, Examiner of Statutory Rules, on the scrutiny of secondary legislation, including areas of best practice in other jurisdictions and how her team can input in terms of strengthening the scrutiny role of committees.
Mr P Givan left the meeting at 14:14
The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson thanked Miss Kelly for the briefing.
Agreed: Chairpersons agreed that the committee office should take forward further scoping work on the examples of best practice in secondary legislation scrutiny and this will inform the ongoing work of the group on strengthening the scrutiny role of Assembly Committees.
Chairpersons noted that the Assembly Commission’s Corporate Plan 2019-23 has a key action to develop proposals to strengthen the Assembly’s legislative, scrutiny, financial and budgetary oversight and representative roles and that there would need to be liaison between the Commission and Chairperson’s Liaison Group to take this action forward.
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CHAIRPERSONS’ LIAISON GROUP
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER 2020
THE SENATE, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA
Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA
Ms Paula Bradley MLA
Mr Colm Gildernew MLA
Mr Paul Givan MLA
Mr William Humphrey MLA, Chairperson
Mr Chris Lyttle MLA
Mr Colin McGrath MLA
Ms Michelle McIlveen MLA
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA
Mr Mervyn Storey MLA
Apologies: Ms Sinéad Ennis MLA, Deputy Chairperson
Mr Declan McAleer MLA
In Attendance: Mrs Lesley Hogg (Clerk to the Assembly/Chief Executive)
Dr Kevin Pelan (Clerk Assistant)
Mr Keith McBride (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Trevor Allen (Senior Assistant Clerk)
Mrs Bronagh Irwin (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Ray McCaffrey (Research Officer)
5. RHI Inquiry Report recommendation on strengthening the scrutiny role of Assembly Committees
Chairpersons agreed to defer the research briefing on this agenda item to the next meeting.
Chairpersons noted that the Assembly Commission is taking forward a peer-review exercise in relation to scrutiny and the Chairpersons’ Liaison Group will be kept informed of progress on this workstream.
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CHAIRPERSONS’ LIAISON GROUP
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2021
THE SENATE, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA
Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA
Ms Paula Bradley MLA
Ms Sinéad Ennis MLA, Deputy Chairperson
Mr Paul Givan MLA
Mr William Humphrey MLA, Chairperson
Mr Chris Lyttle MLA
Mr Declan McAleer MLA
Mr Colin McGrath MLA
Miss Michelle McIlveen MLA
Apologies: None.
In Attendance: Mrs Lesley Hogg (Clerk to the Assembly/Chief Executive)
Mr Gareth McGrath (Director of Parliamentary Services)
Dr Kevin Pelan (Clerk Assistant)
Mr Jim McManus (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Trevor Allen (Senior Assistant Clerk)
Mrs Bronagh Irwin (Assistant Clerk)
Mrs Diane Bergeron (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Ray McCaffrey (Research Officer)
5. Strategic Priorities
Research Briefing on Committee Scrutiny
Chairpersons received a briefing from Mr Ray McCaffrey, Research Officer, on Committee scrutiny and engagement: areas of good practice and innovation in other legislatures.
The Chairperson thanked Mr McCaffrey for his briefing.
Agreed: Chairpersons agreed that the paper should be included in the Group’s work-stream on strengthening committee scrutiny.
Strategic Priorities Briefing on Improving Scrutiny in Committees
Chairpersons received a briefing from Mr Trevor Allen, Senior Assistant Clerk to the CLG, on the Group’s considerations to date and next steps on its work-stream in relation to improving scrutiny in committees.
Due to technical difficulties, conclusion of this briefing was deferred to later in the meeting.
[…]
5. Strategic Priorities (Continued)
Strategic Priorities Briefing on Improving Scrutiny in Committees (continued)
Chairpersons discussed the next steps in the work-stream.
Agreed: Chairpersons agreed that the Clerking and Member Support Office should request a further research paper on the issues raised in the briefing and that the office would take forward consultation with members, party support staff and secretariat staff and report back at the CLG meeting in April 2021.
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CHAIRPERSONS’ LIAISON GROUP
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY 27 MAY 2021
MEETING LOCATION: VIRTUAL MEETING VIA STARLEAF
Present by Video or Teleconference:
Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA
Ms Paula Bradley MLA
Ms Sinéad Ennis MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Chris Lyttle MLA
Mr Declan McAleer MLA
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA
Apologies: Mr Colm Gildernew MLA
Mr Paul Givan MLA
Mr William Humphrey MLA
Miss Michelle McIlveen MLA
In Attendance by Video or Teleconference:
Mrs Lesley Hogg, Clerk to the Assembly/Chief Executive
Dr Gareth McGrath, Director of Parliamentary Services
Dr Kevin Pelan, Clerk Assistant
Ms Stella McArdle, Clerk
Mr Trevor Allen, Senior Assistant Clerk
Mrs Bronagh Irwin, Assistant Clerk
Mrs Diane Bergeron, Clerical Supervisor
Ms Aisha O’Reilly, Senior Programme Officer
6. Strengthening Committee Scrutiny
This agenda item was deferred until the next meeting.
7. Correspondence
Chairpersons considered correspondence received from Mr Jim Allister MLA in response to the distribution of its questionnaire on proposals for strengthening Committee scrutiny.
Agreed: Chairpersons agreed to write to Mr Allister to highlight Standing Order 48(2).
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CHAIRPERSONS’ LIAISON GROUP
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2021
MEETING LOCATION: VIRTUAL MEETING VIA STARLEAF
Present by Video or Teleconference:
Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA
Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA
Ms Paula Bradley MLA
Mr Jonathan Buckley MLA
Mr Colm Gildernew MLA
Mr William Humphrey MLA
Mr Chris Lyttle MLA
Mr Declan McAleer MLA
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA (Chairperson)
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA
Mr Mervyn Storey MLA
Mr Peter Weir MLA
Apologies: Ms Linda Dillon MLA
In Attendance by Video or Teleconference:
Mrs Lesley Hogg, Chief Executive/Clerk to the Assembly
Dr Kevin Pelan, Clerk Assistant
Ms Stella McArdle, Committee Clerk
Mr Trevor Allen, Senior Assistant Clerk
Mrs Bronagh Irwin, Assistant Clerk
Dr Frank Geddis, Clerk Assistant (agenda item 4)
Mr Ray McCaffrey, Research Officer (agenda item 5)
Miss Angela Kelly, Examiner of Statutory Rules (agenda item 5)
Mr Paul Gill, Clerk Assistant (agenda item 7)
5. Strengthening Committee Scrutiny
Chairpersons received a briefing from Mr Ray McCaffrey, Research Officer, on pre- and post-legislative scrutiny, specifically the consideration of approaches in other legislatures.
The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson thanked Mr McCaffrey for the presentation.
Dr Archibald left the meeting at 1:55 pm
Mr Gildernew left the meeting at 1:59 pm
Chairpersons received a briefing from Miss Angela Kelly, Examiner of Statutory Rules (ESR), on the role and remit of the ESR.
The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson thanked Miss Kelly for the presentation.
Agreed: Chairpersons agreed that, based on the work undertaken to date, that a proposal paper be brought forward in the autumn, for consideration by CLG, outlining potential practical solutions that could be adopted within Assembly Committees to strengthen pre-and-post legislative scrutiny.
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