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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST MEETING Present: Dr E Birnie (Chairman) In Attendance Mr J Torney Mrs S Murphy Apologies: Rev R Coulter, Mr W Hay, Mrs M Nelis
1. Chairman’s Introduction (i) The Chairman welcomed the members of the Committee to the first meeting and introduced the Clerk and his staff. He outlined the wide-ranging powers and responsibilities of the Committee which enabled it to consider and advise on the Department’s budget and annual plans, to take the Committee Stage of primary legislation and approve relevant secondary legislation. The Committee also has an investigative role, it can call for persons and papers, and can initiate enquiries and make reports. It can also consider and advise on matters raised by the Minister. (ii) The Chairman outlined some of the areas of responsibility the Committee may wish to investigate: (1) Questions relating to funding and resources including University and FEC funding; (2) Student access, with reference to student support funding levels; (3) Various institutional questions; (4) Equality of opportunity in Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment with particular reference to age, sex, religion and socio-economic status.
Agreed: That the Committee would consider and identify a number of key issues for enquiry, and a programme of visits to educational institutions and training organisations. The Chairman told the Committee that the Minister had appointed a civil servant, to be the point of contact between Committee Members and the Department. (iii) Agreed: The Committee would seek to identify a long-term strategy that would assist the Minister in achieving agreed objectives. 2. Declaration of Interests The Chairman advised members that they were required to declare any pecuniary or other interests to the Committee Clerk. Each member had received a Members’ Interests Registration Form and he requested that they complete the form as soon as possible if they had not already done so. The Clerk was available to provide advice if required.
3. Draft Press Release
Agreed: That the draft press release would be given the normal circulation by the Assembly Information Office.
4. Draft Work Programme Members identified a range of topics that may be the subject of formal enquiry by the Committee in due course. It was agreed that further consideration would be given to specific terms of reference in respect of any enquiry.
Agreed: (i) The Clerk will invite the Permanent Secretary and senior officials from the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment to the next meeting of the Committee to give a presentation on the work of the Department, its current funding allocation, its key priorities and issues requiring attention; (ii) Arrangements will be made for the Minister to address the Committee; (iii) Arrangements will be made for presentations to the Committee by, among others, the T&EA, CCEA and student representative bodies; (iv) The Northern Ireland Economic Council has offered to give a short informal presentation to the Committee. The Clerk will make arrangements for this; (v) Members were asked to give their responses to the Department of Education consultation document "Learning for Tomorrow’s World (Towards a New Strategic Plan for Education Services in Northern Ireland 2000-2006)" to the Clerk. The possibility of obtaining an extension of the deadline of 14 January 2000 for receipt of comments on the consultation document will be investigated.
5. Primary Legislation The Chairman outlined the Committee’s role in taking the Committee Stage of primary legislation.
6. Subordinate Legislation Agreed: In accordance with the recommendation in Annex 5 of the Agenda, it was agreed that the Committee would retain the right to scrutinise all Statutory Rules and the Examiner of Statutory Rules would be invited to examine the technical aspects of rules and report his findings to the Committee.
7. Date of Next Meeting The second meeting of the Committee will be held at 2.30 pm on Thursday 13 January in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.
8. Any Other Business Agreed:
(i) The Chairman informed members that the Clerk of Committees was in the process of examining the current schedule of Statutory Committee meetings. If possible, meetings will be rescheduled, taking account of certain members’ dual membership of Committees, to eliminate the problem of meetings "clashing". (ii) The Committee hoped to receive a listing of the public engagements of the Minister both retrospective and prospective. (iii)That the Department should inform the relevant Assembly Members when the Minister was to make a Departmentally-related visit to their constituency.
DR ESMOND BIRNIE |