Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill
10:30 am
Mr Des Browne (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Northern Ireland Office; Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Labour)
I beg to move,
That —
(1) during proceedings on the Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill the Standing Committee do meet on Tuesdays at half-past Ten o'clock and at half-past Four o'clock and on Thursdays at half-past Nine o'clock and at half-past Two o'clock;
(2) the proceedings shall be taken in the following order, namely Clauses 1 and 2, Schedule 1, Clause 3, Schedule 2, Clauses 4 and 5, Schedule 3, Clauses 6 to 11, Schedule 4, Clauses 12 and 13, Schedule 5, Clauses 14 to 20, Schedule 6, Clauses 21 and 22, New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 1, Clauses 23 to 29, Schedule 7, Clauses 30 to 44, New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 2, Clause 45, Schedule 8, Clauses 46 to 50, Schedule 9, Clauses 51 and 52, New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 3, Clauses 53 to 62, Schedule 10, Clause 63, Schedule 11, Clauses 64 and 65, New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 4, Clauses 66 to 80, New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 5, Clauses 81 to 83, Schedule 12, Clause 84, Schedule 13, Clauses 85 to 91 and remaining New Clauses and New Schedules;
(3) the proceedings on Clauses 1 and 2, Schedule 1, Clause 3, Schedule 2, Clauses 4 and 5, Schedule 3, Clauses 6 to 11, Schedule 4, Clauses 12 and 13, Schedule 5, Clauses 14 to 20, Schedule 6, Clauses 21 and 22 and New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 1 (so far as not previously concluded) shall be brought to a conclusion at 11.25 a.m on Thursday 31st January 2002;
(4) the proceedings on Clauses 23 to 29, Schedule 7, Clauses 30 to 44 and New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 2 (so far as not previously concluded) shall be brought to a conclusion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday 31st February 2002;
(5) the proceedings on Clause 45, Schedule 8, Clauses 46 to 50, Schedule 9, Clauses 51 and 52, New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 3, Clauses 53 to 62, Schedule 10, Clause 63, Schedule 11, Clauses 64 and 65 and New Clauses and New Schedules relating to Part 4 (so far as not previously concluded) shall be brought to a conclusion at 1 p.m. on Tuesday 12th February 2002;
(6) the remaining proceedings on the Bill (so. far as not previously concluded) shall be brought to a conclusion at 5 p.m. on Thursday 14th February 2002.
My first task is to ask the Committee to approve the Programming Sub-Committee's resolution. Copies of the resolution have been distributed to all members of the Committee.
Before proceeding to that task, however, I take this opportunity to welcome you, Mr. Conway, to our proceedings. The members of the Programming Sub-Committee had the pleasure earlier this morning of sitting under the chairmanship of your co-Chairman, Mr. Pike, who informed us that it is intended that you will chair the morning sittings and that he will chair the afternoon sittings. I have not previously had the pleasure of being a member of a Committee chaired by you, Mr. Conway, but I welcome you in the knowledge that you have a reputation for being fair and knowledgeable. I undertake, as far as I am able, to keep myself well and truly in order, and I hope not to trouble you too much.
The programme motion provides for the proceedings of the Committee to take place over three weeks, with four sittings each week. The Government's initial estimate, before the recent consultation, was that the Committee would require between 12 and 16 sittings. However, in the light of the considerable pressures on the legislative programme and as a consequence of the consultation, we are content to proceed on the basis set out in the programming motion. We accept that an appropriate balance has been struck.
The motion also sets out the time available for consideration of the various parts of the Bill. It is important that the Committee has adequate time to consider the important matters contained in the latter parts of the Bill, such as the provisions on youth conferencing and community safety. It would be in no one's interest to allow proceedings to become bogged down on earlier provisions at the expense of the other equally important issues later in the Bill, which is why the time has been divided as it has.