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Business Committee |
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Meeting Venue: |
Committee Room 4 - Ty Hywel |
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Meeting date: |
Wednesday, 25 May 2011 |
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Meeting time: |
08:30 |
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Minutes: |
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Committee Members: |
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Peter Black Rosemary Butler (Chair) Jocelyn Davies Jane Hutt Nick Ramsay |
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Committee Staff: |
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Anna Daniel (Clerk)
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Others in attendance: |
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Adrian Crompton, Director of Assembly Business Marion Stapleton, Welsh Government Sulafa Thomas, Head of Assembly Committees Sian Wilkins, Head of Legislation and Chamber Services
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1 Apologies & announcements
The Committee resolved to exclude the public from the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 17.42(ix).
2 Business Committee
2(i) Business Committee - Ways of Working
The Business Committee considered its ways of working and agreed:
· to meet at 8.30am on Tuesdays during sitting weeks;
· to meet in private for the duration of the Fourth Assembly, in accordance with Standing Order 17.42(ix) and to meet in public on an ad hoc basis, to consider procedural issues; and
· to publish minutes of private meetings in English and Welsh within 1 week of their being agreed by the Committee.
3 Organisation of Business
3(i) The Assembly Timetable
The Business Committee agreed to publish a provisional Assembly timetable, outlining:
· the time available for meetings of political groups;
· the following confirmed recess dates:
Whitsun – Mon 30 May – Sun 5 June 2011
Summer – Mon 18 July – Sun 18 Sept 2011
Autumn – Mon 24 Oct – Sun 30 Oct 2011
· the following provisional recess dates:
Christmas – Mon 12 Dec 2011 – Sun 8 Jan 2012
Spring – Mon 13 Feb – Sun 19 Feb 2012
· the dates for oral questions.
The Business Committee agreed that the times available for committee meetings would be published when the committee system is agreed.
The Business Committee agreed to consult their groups on:
· the allocation of time between Government and Assembly business; and
· proposals for the use of Assembly time.
3(ii) This Week's Business
The Business Committee agreed to table a motion to appoint the Assembly Commission for consideration in Plenary on Wednesday.
The Business Committee agreed that voting time on Wednesday would take place after the last item of business.
3(iii) 3 Week Timetable of Government Business
The Committee noted the 3 Week Timetable of Government Business.
The Business Committee agreed that, exceptionally, Plenary would start at 9.30am on Wednesday 8 June 2011.
3(iv) Assembly Business for the remainder of the term
The Business Committee agreed that Short Debates would be scheduled between 14th June and the end of term, and that a ballot should be held to select the names of Members who may table topics for debate until the end of June. The dates that the Short Debates would be taken would be determined by the Business Committee on 8th June.
Business Managers agreed to consider further the use of Assembly time for the remainder of the term on 8th June.
4 Committees
4(i) Establishment and Remits of Committees
The Business Committee considered a paper outlining initial options for the establishment of a committee system for the Fourth Assembly, for further discussion with their groups. The paper would be discussed again on 14th June.
The Business Committee agreed in principle that committees to consider petitions and subordinate legislation should be established as soon as possible and requested further information on possible remits and membership for the 8th June meeting. Further consideration of the committee system as a whole would take place at the 14th June meeting.
5 Legislation
5(i) Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum: Education Bill
5(ii) Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum: Localism Bill
The Business Committee considered two papers from the government regarding supplementary Legislative Consent Memoranda (LCM) for amendments tabled to the Education Bill and the Localism Bill. As there are no committees established to consider the LCMs, the Business Committee agreed under Standing Order 29.4, that they would not be referred for committee consideration and therefore may be tabled for debate in Plenary.
5(iii) Arrangements for Scrutinising Subordinate Legislation
The Business Committee noted a paper concerning a number of Statutory Instruments laid in the days immediately before the end of the Third Assembly. The Committee agreed to circulate a special merits report from the former Constitutional Affairs Committee to Assembly Members to draw their attention to these Statutory Instruments.
6 Other Business
6(i) Oral Assembly Questions: Ballot procedure
The Business Committee agreed a new practice for tabling Oral Questions to reflect changes to Standing Orders, whereby the Presiding Officer firstly conducts a ballot to select the names of those members who may then table Oral Questions. The committee agreed to review the process at the end of the summer term.
6(ii) Motion to Appoint the Assembly Commission
The Business Committee agreed to table a motion to appoint the Assembly Commissioners, for the agreement of the Assembly on Wednesday.
6(iii) Next meeting
The Business Committee agreed to hold the next meeting at 8.30am on 8 June.