2.9 SSRB Members considered the Standing Orders Committee recommendation to increase the membership of the Commission and agreed that the key issue is Party representation and the implications for voting, but that there was also a need to address any misunderstanding about the role of the Commission. It was agreed that individual Commission Members should update Parties on the work of the Commission, minutes of Commission meetings to be circulated to Party Whips and a joint meeting of CAPO, Standing Orders Committee and the Commission to be arranged. A guide on the role of Committees will be circulated to Members for inclusion in the Members' Handbook. Staffing 3.1 Members noted the progress made in filling priority vacancies, agreed the composition of the selection panels for the forthcoming recruitment competitions and endorsed the proposal to introduce pre-appointment character and health checks. 3.2 Mr Rogers reported that the FEC and EOC had advised that the generic equal opportunities statement in the draft job advertisements covered all the key variables.
Further work is required on the issue of positive action advertising statements.
It was agreed that the Commission should not authorise the payment of expenses from the Assembly vote and that the Parties, who had raised the issue, should be advised that there is a difficulty. The Initial Presiding Officer also agreed to go back to Mr Murphy. The Minister would not agree to pay OCAs in six month blocks due to the 30 June deadline but has written to confirm that the Assembly can pass a bill to enable the Assembly to determine and pay Party Allowances. NIO Officials will advise who the Commission should approach to resolve this issue. The Commission may wish to mirror Westminster arrangements where elected Members are entitled to one trip to a European capital each year.