Draft Workplan [Working Version of 28 May Sub-Plenary Committee]

Workplan for Strand 1

1. It is envisaged that the underlying issues will be comprehensively aired during the initial plenary session(s) of strand one. This should be by written statements to which parties can speak and on which they can be questioned.

2. It is expected that common themes will emerge which will form the basis for further discussions. At the forefront among these are likely to be Northern Ireland's constitutional status and relationships within the Northern Ireland community.

3. Following [the outcome of the initial discussions], there is general agreement that the workplan for the remaining elements of the workplan will need to cover [sic] the following [sic] areas and in the order suggested:

(i) range of responsibilities;

(ii) extent of powers to be transferred;

(iii) means of exercising these responsibilities;

(iv) nature and extent of the roles of representatives of the two parts of the community, and possible safeguards for any or all sides of the community;

(v) type of institution (including if appropriate method of election);

(vi) legislative arrangements for transferred and non-transferred matters (procedures in Northern Ireland, procedures at Westminster?);

(vii) arrangements for the protection of individual and community rights;

(viii) security matters (extent of local political influence over law and order matters);

(ix) financial arrangements and resources;

(x) relationship with other bodies (District Councils, Boards, etc);

(xi) EC matters;

(xii) relationship with the Secretary of State and UK Government system;

(xiii) role of UK Government and Parliament in respect of matters which are not transferred;

(xiv) arrangements for validating the outcome of the talks process as a whole insofar as the issues for discussion in strand one are concerned.

[Editor's Note: Some conflation of the points in paragraph 3 is agreed, but the exact form is not specified in the minutes and is perhaps left to officials preparing the next draft.]