Official Report (Hansard)

Libraries Bill

7 February 2008

Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Francie Brolly
Lord Browne
Mr Nelson McCausland
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon

The Chairperson (Mr McElduff):
I direct members’ attention to the Committee’s draft report on the Libraries Bill. The Principal Clerk of Bills has had an opportunity to read the executive summary and the draft report. Do you wish to say anything, Mr Wilson?

The Principal Clerk of Bills:
The wording in paragraph 19 needs to be tweaked, but the Committee can deal with it when it reaches that point. The Committee will need to indicate whether it is satisfied with the drafting of each paragraph or whether it wishes to make amendments.

The Chairperson:
I suggest we go through each paragraph, after which I will ask members whether they are content with the paragraph as drafted.

The Committee should satisfy itself that it is content with the executive summary and the main report. After we have considered both, I will ask the Committee if it is content with the report as drafted, and order that it be printed. We will begin with the executive summary.

Executive Summary
Paragraphs 1 to 5 agreed to.
Main report
Paragraphs 1 to 4 agreed to.

Paragraph 5

The Principal Clerk of Bills:
Paragraph 5 includes a list of dates spanning 2007-08. I suggest that for clarity, “2007” is added after “13 December”, because “2008” is already included after the list of dates in January.

The Chairperson:
Are members content with the paragraph as amended?

Members indicated assent.
Paragraph 5, as amended, agreed to.
Paragraphs 6 to 9 agreed to.

Paragraph 10

The Principal Clerk of Bills:
I suggest that “2007” be added after the dates listed in paragraph 10.

The Chairperson:
Are members content with the paragraph as amended?

Members indicated assent.
Paragraph 10, as amended, agreed to.
Paragraph 11 agreed to.

Paragraph 12

Mr Brolly:
I suggest that “2008” be added after “24 January” in paragraph 12.

The Chairperson:
Are members content with the paragraph as amended?
Members indicated assent.
Paragraph 12, as amended, agreed to.
Paragraphs 13 to 19 agreed

Paragraph 20

The Chairperson:
Paragraph 20 is wrongly listed as a second paragraph 19. The second “19” in the draft report should be replaced with “20”.

The Principal Clerk of Bills:
The paragraph states:
“The Department proposed a number of technical amendments to Schedule 3…and to Schedule 4 (Repeals)”.
However, as the Department did not propose amendments to schedule 4, I suggest that the words “and to Schedule 4 (Repeals)” be deleted. As schedule 4 was not amended, I also suggest that the next sentence be amended to read:
“The Committee agreed Schedule 3 as amended and Schedule 4 as drafted.”
The entire paragraph would then read as follows:
“The Department proposed a number of technical amendments to Schedule 3 (consequential changes to other schedules). The Committee agreed Schedule 3 as amended and Schedule 4 as drafted.”

The Chairperson:
Are members content with the paragraph as amended?
Members indicated assent.
Paragraph 20, as amended, agreed to.

Paragraph 21

The Chairperson:
As regards paragraph 21, we will be replacing the “X” with today’s date. The paragraph will therefore read as follows:
“At its meeting of 7 February 2008, the Committee agreed its report on the Bill and agreed that it should be printed.”
Are members content with the paragraph as amended?
Members indicated assent.

The Chairperson:
The Committee has now reached agreement and is content with the report. The Committee orders that the report be printed. I thank members, the Principal Clerk of Bills and the Committee Clerk for their assistance during the process.