The Chairperson (Mr Nesbitt): We move on to our consideration of the Children's Services Co-operation Bill. When we were last briefed by the Department, officials indicated a number of areas for proposed amendments to the Bill, and Committee members can find an outline of those in their pack.
In a subsequent discussion, the Committee indicated that it is broadly supportive, in principle, of the direction that OFMDFM appears to be going in, subject to sight of the text of the proposed amendments. We previously noted correspondence from the Bill sponsor, Steven Agnew, who has also indicated that he is generally supportive in principle of the direction being taken by OFMDFM. However, he advises that he will also need to see final proposals before deciding whether he believes that further amendments are required. His correspondence is in your pack.
Unfortunately, the draft amendments from the Department are still under consideration there, so the text of them is not available for us to consider today. We now have a very tight timeline in which to report to the Assembly, and, if I can draw members' attention to their pack, they will see that timeline. We have to agree the final report on 1 July. Today, we were supposed to be considering draft amendments ahead of clause-by-clause scrutiny next week. However, it is our understanding that the Department is very close to agreeing its amendments, and, as we are supportive in principle of the direction of travel, there is an option of calling an extraordinary meeting as soon as the amendments come out or as soon as is practicable thereafter. For example, if they were to come out on Friday, we might try for a meeting next Monday. Are members content with the approach that, if the amendments come out between now and next Wednesday, we go for a meeting as soon as we can practicably organise it?