Chairpersons' Liaison Group

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:

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)

 

The meeting commenced at 1:22 pm in closed session.

1. Apologies

As above.

2. Chairperson’s Business

Members noted that that Sinéad Ennis resigned as Chairperson of the Committee on Standards and Privileges and therefore is no longer a member of the Chairpersons’ Liaison Group (CLG); and that Carál Ní Chuilín has been nominated as the new Chairperson until the end of the mandate. Members thanked Sinéad for her contribution to the work of CLG. Members also welcomed Peter Weir, Jonathan Buckley and Linda Dillon to the Group and thanked Paul Givan and Michelle McIlveen for their contribution to the work of CLG.

Members also noted that, as agreed, Tuesdays at 1:15pm will be the regular day and time for meetings of the Group so as to best suit members’ availability.

Agreed: Members agreed the draft Forward Work Programme up to 14 December 2021.

3. Minutes of previous meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting of 27 May 2021, as circulated and agreed by correspondence, were noted.

4. Legislation and Committee Work Programmes

Mr Buckley, Mr Weir and Mr Gildernew joined the meeting at 1:31 pm

Chairpersons received a briefing from Dr Kevin Pelan, Clerk Assistant, and Dr Frank Geddis, Clerk Assistant, on the current pressures that committees, Members and committee staff are facing in the period up to the end of the mandate in March 2022. The presentation made specific reference to committees that have, or are likely to have, multiple bills at Committee Stage and asked Chairpersons to take this into consideration when prioritising committee work programmes.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

The Chairperson thanked Dr Pelan and Dr Geddis for their presentation.

Agreed: Chairpersons agreed to write to the First Minister and deputy First Minister to request that CLG is provided with a copy of the Executive’s Legislative Programme until the end of the current mandate. Chairpersons also agreed that Assembly officials should raise this matter with their counterparts in The Executive Office.

Agreed: Chairpersons agreed to write to the IS Office to request that connectivity issues are investigated, in order to make best use of video conferencing software to accommodate current and additional committee meetings.

Agreed: Chairpersons agreed that the Clerking and Member Support Office will explore options regarding the further expansion of streaming fully virtual meetings.

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.

6. Correspondence

Chairpersons considered correspondence from the Committee for Finance on the need for scrutiny processes for EU Regulations and received a briefing from Mr Paul Gill, Clerk Assistant.