Official Report: Minutes of Evidence

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Having completed our formal clause-by-clause consideration of the Dilapidation Bill last Thursday, we have reached the end of the Bill's Committee Stage. All that remains now is to finalise the Committee's report on the Bill. A draft report was issued to members on Friday by email. I want to thank our support team for that; it was a really good turnaround. There has been a high level of deliberation on and scrutiny of the Bill. We had some weekend reading, which was much appreciated. The report was tabled again yesterday for today's meeting.

Today, we are going to run through the Committee report, section by section, and, in some cases, by groups of paragraphs. We will confirm whether we are content or whether any changes are needed. The report on the Dilapidation Bill is in your tabled pack. We will focus solely on the text of the report, as any typographical or formatting errors will be amended by the team at the final proofreading stage. It will then be sent to the Business Office by our deadline of Friday 15 May, which is the end of this week. However, if you see any spelling or grammar errors, please email those to the Committee team.

Are members content to start?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): OK. Are members content that the title page, contents page, Committee powers and membership page, and list of abbreviations and acronyms used in the report, stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): I refer members to the "Executive Summary", paragraphs 1 to 23 of the report.

The Committee Clerk: Chair, those are the paragraph numbers in the tabled papers version in case anybody [Inaudible.]

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): OK. Are members content that the "Executive Summary", paragraphs 1 to 23, stands part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): OK, members, thank you. We will now move to the "Introduction" of the report, paragraphs 24 to 52. Are members content that the introduction, paragraphs 24 to 52, stands part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Thank you, members. The "Consideration of the Bill" section of the report covers the summary of evidence that we considered. The actual deliberations are covered in the section after this. We will work through the "Consideration of the Bill" section in clause groupings to align with the format of the Bill, as introduced, and the various notice types. Members, please refer to paragraphs 53 to 63, which deal with the introductory paragraphs of this section, and clauses 1 to 3, which relate to the maintenance notice. Are members content that paragraphs 53 to 63 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): OK, thank you. I refer you to paragraphs 64 to 72, which deal with clauses 4 to 6, which relate to the dilapidation notice. Are members content that paragraphs 64 to 72 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): OK, thank you. Members, please now refer to paragraphs 73 to 79, which detail clauses 7 to 9, which relate to the dangerous structure notice. Are members content that paragraphs 73 to 79 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Paragraphs 80 to 82 deal with clause 10, "Emergency action". That is a relatively easier read. Are members content that paragraphs 80 to 82 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Paragraphs 83 to 86 deal with clause 11, "Defective premises notice". Are members content that paragraphs 83 to 86 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Paragraphs 87 to 96 deal with clauses 12 to 15, which are under the heading "Liability for costs, etc." Are members content that paragraphs 87 to 96 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Paragraphs 97 to 110 deal with clauses 16 to 20, which are under the heading "Miscellaneous functions of district councils". Are members content that paragraphs 97 to 110 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Paragraphs 111 to 118 deal with clauses 21 to 23, which are under the heading "General procedural matters etc". Are members content that paragraphs 111 to 118 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Paragraphs 119 to 120 deal with clauses 24 and 25, which are under the heading "Interpretation".

Mr Wilson: There is a typo under the paragraphs that deal with clause 17. After paragraph 100, it goes to 88, which should probably be 101. You have probably seen that.

The Committee Clerk: Yes, OK.

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): I am sorry; what have you got there, Gareth?

The Senior Assistant Assembly Clerk: After paragraph 100, it goes back to paragraph 88. It just needs to be renumbered there.

The Committee Clerk: OK.

The Senior Assistant Assembly Clerk: We will pick that up.

The Committee Clerk: It goes back to normal after that.

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): OK. Thanks for that, Gareth.

Are members content that paragraphs 119 and 120 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Paragraphs 121 to 127 deal with clauses 26 to 28, which are under the heading "Supplementary". Are members content that paragraphs 121 to 127 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Paragraphs 128 to 133 deal with clauses 29 to 32, which are under the heading "Final". Are members content that paragraphs 128 to 133 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Thank you, members. Please refer to paragraphs 136 to 141, which deal with schedules 1 and 2. Are members content that paragraphs 136 to 141 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Thank you, members.

I will now go through the sections on our detailed deliberations by grouping them according to sections of the Bill. Please refer to paragraphs 142 to 167 covering the introductory paragraphs to this section and clauses 1 to 3.

OK, members. Are you content with paragraphs 142 to 167, and that they stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): I refer you to paragraphs 168 to 191, which deal with our deliberations on clauses 4 to 6. Are members content that paragraphs 168 to 191 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Members, please now refer to paragraphs 192 to 207, which deal with our deliberations on clauses 7 to 9. Are members content that paragraphs 192 to 207 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): I refer you to paragraphs 208 to 214, which deal with our deliberations on clause 10. Are members content that paragraphs 208 to 214 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Please refer to paragraphs 215 to 222, which deal with our deliberations on clause 11. Are members content that paragraphs 215 to 222 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): I refer members to paragraphs 223 to 237, which deal with our deliberations on clauses 12 to 15. Are members content that paragraphs 223 to 237 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Thank you, members. OK, please look at paragraphs 238 to 272, which deal with our deliberations for clauses 16 to 20. Are members content with paragraphs 238 to 272, and that they stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): I refer members to paragraphs 273 to 285, which deal with our deliberations for clauses 21 to 23. Are members content with paragraphs 273 to 285, and that they stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Will you please refer to 286 to 293, which deal with our deliberations on clauses 24 to 25? Are members content that paragraphs 286 to 293 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Will members please refer to paragraphs 294 to 298, which deal with our deliberations on clauses 26 to 28? Are members content with paragraphs 294 to 298, and that they stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): I refer members to paragraphs 299 to 306, which deal with our deliberations on clauses 29 to 31. Are members content that paragraphs 299 to 306 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): I refer members to paragraphs 307 to 315, which deal with our deliberations for schedules 1 and 2. Are members content that paragraphs 307 to 315 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Thank you, members. Members, we are now going to move on to the "Proposed Ministerial Amendments" section of the report. [Interruption.]

Sorry, members. I refer you to paragraphs 316 to 320, which look at our deliberations on the proposed new clause "Review and Reporting". That is very important. Good work by this Committee. Are members content that paragraphs 316 to 320 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Thank you, members. The "Proposed Ministerial Amendments" are a section of the report, and that is at paragraphs 321 to 323. Are members content that paragraphs 321 to 323 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Thank you, members. I refer you to the "Committee Recommendations" section of the report, at paragraph 324. Are members content that paragraph 324 stands part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): Thank you, members. We come to the clause-by-clause scrutiny of the Bill. Members, please refer to the "Clause by Clause Scrutiny of the Bill" section of the report, paragraphs 325 to 361. Are members content that paragraphs 325 to 361 stand part of the report?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): The appendices section is at page 85 of the report. It will be updated in due course with today's minutes of proceedings and minutes of evidence when published. Are members content that the appendices stand part of the report, pending the addition of today's meeting minutes and minutes of evidence?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): The report on the Dilapidation Bill is the fifth report in the 2022-27 mandate from the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. I seek members' agreement for the report to be laid in the Business Office and published on the Committee web page. A copy of the Bill report will go to the AERA Minister in advance of the Bill's Consideration Stage. Are members content?

The Chairperson (Mr Butler): That concludes the Committee Stage of the Dilapidation Bill. I thank you for all your contributions throughout the scrutiny process.