Official Report: Minutes of Evidence

The Chairperson (Ms Maeve McLaughlin): I seek Committee members' agreement to instruct the Bill Office to draft the amendments, as was discussed. Are we agreed to do that?

The Chairperson (Ms Maeve McLaughlin): The Questions on the clauses will be put formally at next week's meeting, which is on 27 January, and discussions will take place on only the draft amendments at that point.

Mrs Dobson: I declare an interest again as the proposer of the Bill. Chair, I raised with you last week how it will be important to have the Department's view and its amendments, because they will help to inform the discussions. The Minister said that he was giving the issue his fullest consideration — I think that that was before Christmas — so can we write to him yet again, because of the timescale? We are now a week away from the clause-by-clause deliberations.

The Chairperson (Ms Maeve McLaughlin): We made a request and have not received anything to date. I am happy to raise the matter again with the Department, but we still await the amendments.

Mrs Dobson: Thanks, Chair.

The Chairperson (Ms Maeve McLaughlin): Obviously, they are critical to moving the process on.