COMMITTEE FOR CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY 20 JANUARY 2011
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Declan O’Loan MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Lord Browne MLA
Mr David Hilditch MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Apologies:
Mr Thomas Burns MLA
Mr William Humphrey MLA
Mr Billy Leonard MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mr Pat Sheehan MLA
In attendance:
Ms Lucia Wilson (Clerk)
Miss Emma Patton (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Jonathan Lamont (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Chris Baird (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened at 10.40 a.m.
Agreed : The Committee agreed to allow photographs to be taken during the briefing session with the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure on the Olympics.
1. Apologies
The apologies are noted above.
2. Draft Minutes of 13 January 2011
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the Committee meeting of
13 January 2011
3. Matters arising
The Committee considered the letter from the Department in relation to the CBI Report: Time for Action.
Agreed : It was agreed to forward the response to the Committee for Finance and Personnel.
The Committee noted the response from the Department in relation to the Market Yard project, Coleraine.
The Committee considered the tabled Clerk’s report on an informal meeting with OFCOM held in Parliament Buildings on the 14 December 2010.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment via the ETI Committee on the poor quality of 3G mobile telephone coverage outside the Greater Belfast area.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the BBC on the advertisement of locally television productions.
The Committee noted the tabled invitation from OFCOM to attend its stakeholder Event 2011 which is due to take place on Wednesday 2 February 2011 at 11.00 am to 12.30p.m in the Gasworks.
The Committee considered the Minister’s response to the Deputy Chair’s letter on the draft Museum policy consultation.
Lord Browne rejoined the meeting at 10.45 a.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request that the Department urgently provides the Committee with copies of the consultation responses to the Museum’s Policy.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite the Minister to brief the Committee on the Museum’s Policy at the meeting of the 17 February 2011.
4.Briefing from regarding Olympics / Paralympics 2012
The Committee considered the department’s briefing paper and the department’s bid for capital spend for major sports facilities .
The following officials joined the meeting at 10.55a.m
Mick Cory, Director Sports, Museums and Recreation – DCAL
Lorraine Conlon, Head of 2012 & 2013 Games Legacy Unit – DCAL
Jonathan Edwards CBE, Deputy Chair of Nations & Regions Group – London Organising Committee for Olympic Games.
The officials briefed the Committee on the Olympics / Paralympics 2012 .
A question and answer session followed.
The officials left the meeting at 11.45 a.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department seeking clarification on the ‘Pre-games Camp Sub-Groups’ and Elite Sport Facilities.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the index of the Department’s spending bids priorities to Sport NI as requested.
Agreed : The Committee agreed to issue the press release on the briefing session as amended.
Mr Hilditch left the meeting at 12 noon.
5. Consideration of Department’s Savings Plans
The Committee considered the Department’s Savings Plans.
The Committee considered the memo and research paper on ‘Preventative Spending’.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the research paper to the Department for comment.
The Committee noted the memo from the Committee for Finance and Personnel on the extension of the deadline for Committees’ responses to DFP on their Departments Budgets.
The Committee considered the Clerks memo on the Department’s spending and saving plans.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department requesting that Members are given assurances that the Committee is given advance notice of the publication of key documents such as the budget .
6. Briefing from the ICTU regarding impact of budget 2011 – 2015 spending and savings plan
The Committee considered ICTU’s briefing paper.
The following representatives joined the meeting at 12.14 p.m.
Drew McFarlane, National Organiser, Scotland & NI (Equity)
Clare Moore, Education Officer (Congress)
The representatives briefed the Committee on their concerns regarding the impact of the Budget 2011-2015 on the Arts.
A question and answer session followed.
The representatives left the meeting at 12.40 p.m.
7. Briefing from NI Theatre Association regarding the impact of budget 2011 – 2015 spending and savings plan
The Committee considered the Northern Ireland Theatre Association’s briefing paper.
The following representatives joined the meeting at 12.41 p.m.
Stephen Beggs, NITA Chairperson & Manager Bruiser Theatre Co.
Eimear Henry, NITA Treasurer & Executive Director Replay Theatre Co.
Paula McFetridge, NITA Board Member & Artistic Director Kabosh Theatre Co.
The representatives briefed the Committee on their concerns regarding the impact of Budget 2011-2015 on the Arts.
A question and answer session followed.
The representatives left the meeting at 1.03 p.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to respond to the Committee for Finance and Personnel by 26 January 2011 on Budget 2011-2015.
8. Chairperson’s business
Members were advised that the Chairperson would be attending the Minister’s Sport reception for men and women from this region with outstanding achievements in 2010 on the evening of the Thursday 20 January 2010 in Parliament Buildings.
9. Correspondence
The Committee considered the letter from Libraries NI in relation to its Consultation - Stage 2 – Meeting the Demands for a Modern Public Library Service within Northern Ireland.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite Libraries NI to brief Members on its consultation.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for the Environment requesting that a DCAL led Ministerial Advisory Group give evidence to the Environment Committee on the Planning Bill.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the request to the Department.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to defer some items of correspondence to next week’s meeting.
10. Forward work programme
Members noted the forward work programme.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to issue the draft press release on the meeting and visit to Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey as amended.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that next week’s session with the Department on European Engagement and the Draft Museum’s policy are to be covered by Hansard.
11. Any other business
There was no other business.
12. Date and time of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure will take place on Thursday 27 January 2011 at 10.30am in the Spinning Room, Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.10 p.m.
Mr Barry McElduff, MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
27 January 2011
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