COMMITTEE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST MINISTER AND DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 12 December 2007
Room 144, PARLIAMENT bUILDINGS
Present:
Danny Kennedy (Chairperson)
Naomi Long (Deputy Chairperson)
Martina Anderson
Dolores Kelly
Barry McElduff
Stephen Moutray
Jim Shannon
In Attendance:
Damien Martin (Assembly Clerk)
Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Keith McBride (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Lynda Mulholland (Clerical Supervisor)
Marion Johnson (Clerical Assistant)
The meeting opened at 2.03 p.m. in public session.
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Apologies
Jimmy Spratt, Jim Wells.
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Chairperson’s business
Washington Visit
Members noted the report on the visit by the Chairperson to Washington DC to promote the investment conference. The Committee agreed to write to the Northern Ireland Bureau in Washington to thank them for their efforts in organising the Washington programme .
Meeting with North Belfast Inter Church Group
Members noted the time and place of the meeting with the Inter Church Group from North Belfast.
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Draft minutes of the meeting held on 5 December 2007
The minutes of proceedings for Wednesday 5 December 2007 were agreed by the Committee.
Barry McElduff joined the meeting at 2.11 p.m.
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Matters Arising
Maze Long Kesh / EU Gender Directive
The Committee noted the response from OFMDFM in relation to a request for an update on the progress and timescales for Maze Long Kesh and EU Gender Goods and Services Directive.
Members agreed to write to OFMDFM to request a revised indicative timetable on the Maze Long Kesh project.
Members also agreed to ask the Committee for Finance and Personnel about the timetable for the introduction of the new procurement guidelines “Equality of Opportunity and Sustainable Development in Public Sector Procurement” which are referred to in the Draft Investment Strategy.
Members also agreed to write to OFMDFM seeking further clarification on the implications of the assertion included in the response to the Committee, that the “First Minister is not agreeable to the explicit inclusion of reference to transgender or gender reassignment in the EU Gender Goods and Regulations”.
Report from the British Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body (BIIPB)
The Committee noted the Report from Committee D of the BIIPB on “The Irish Community in Britain” and agreed to forward the report to OFMDFM for comment.
Victims and Survivors
The Committee noted the response from OFMDFM and agreed to schedule consideration of the Victim’s Strategy for January 2008.
Members agreed also to write to the First Minister to seek clarification on his comments during OFMDFM question time on Monday 10 December on the process to appoint the Victims Commissioner.
Letter from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Committee noted the response from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Committee’s letter in relation to support for victims killed or injured by semtex or weapons supplied by Libya.
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Disability Discrimination Regs
Question put to and agreed:
That the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister have no objections to the following rules;
The Disability Discrimination (Premises) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
The Disability Discrimination (Questions and replies) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007
The Disability Discrimination (Service Providers and Public Authorities Carrying Out Functions) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
Members agreed to write to OFMDFM to seek clarification on the implications of not having introduced the Disability Discrimination Transport Vehicles Regulations, to request that the introduction of these regulations be brought forward and seek information on educational initiatives associated with the implementation of disability legislation.
Members also requested a research paper on approaches to protecting the rights of disabled people, including the possibility of having a Commissioner for Disabled Persons.
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Transfer of Functions
The Committee noted proposals from OFMDFM for a Statutory Rule relating to the transfer of the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI) from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) to the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP).
The Committee agreed to write to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure and the Committee for Finance and Personnel to seek their views on the matter.
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Draft Programme for Government / Investment Strategy
The Committee agreed that the meeting would go into closed session to discuss the draft report.
The meeting moved into closed session at 2.50 p.m.
Following discussion, t he Committee considered and agreed its response on the draft Programme for Government/draft Investment Strategy.
Members agreed to request a briefing on Delivery Plans before publication of the Programme for Government and Investment Strategy.
The Committee also considered the responses from statutory committees on the draft Programme for Government and the draft Investment Strategy and commented on the draft report to be completed by the Committee.
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Child Poverty Inquiry
The Committee considered and agreed the framework for the Interim report on Child Poverty. Members agreed to publish the report in early January.
Jim Shannon left the meeting at 3.55 p.m.
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Correspondence
Response to Social Development Committee’s inquiry into Town Centre Regeneration
The Committee noted the response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister and agreed to forward the response to the Social Development Committee.
Response to Employment and Learning Committee on the establishment of a student complaints body
The Committee noted the response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister and agreed to forward the response to the Employment and Learning Committee.
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Any other business
Mrs Kelly undertook to share with the Committee an audit conducted by the Scottish Executive of economic and social conditions in Scotland.
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Date of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 19 December 2007 at 2.00 p.m. in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.58 p.m.