Present:
Mrs Dolores Kelly MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Bell MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Sydney Anderson MLA
Mr Paul Butler MLA
Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA
Mr Chris Lyttle MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA
Mr Peter Weir MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Peter Hall (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Sheila Mawhinney (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Miss Pauline Devlin (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Bill Kinnear (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
None

The meeting opened in closed session at 10.08 am.

Apologies

There were no apologies.

1. Briefing from the Chairperson of the Higher Education Review

Sir Graeme Davies, Chairperson of the Higher Education Review Steering Group, and Fergus Devitt and Patricia McVeigh from the Department for Employment and Learning, updated the Committee on the progress of the on-going Review and also introduced the public consultation on the Review. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

10.49 am Mrs Dolores Kelly, Chairperson, left the meeting and Mr Jonathan Bell, Deputy Chairperson, took the chair.

10.59 am The meeting moved into public session

10.59 am Rev Dr Robert Coulter left the meeting

2. Minutes of the meeting held on 12 January 2011

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

3. Matters Arising

• Committee response to the 2011 - 2015 Budget

Agreed: Members considered a draft response on the DEL Budget proposals and agreed that an amended version should be forwarded to the Finance and Personnel Committee for inclusion as an interim response. The Committee further agreed to write to the Department for any additional information which is now available on the Budget

• DSD Statutory Rule

Agreed: The Committee considered the proposed Statutory Rule, The Social Security (Work-focused Interviews, etc.) (Equalisation of State Pension Age) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011, forwarded by the Social Development Committee, and agreed that it was content for the Statutory Rule to be made.

• Widening Participation in Higher Education

Agreed: Members considered a consultant’s report on the review of the strategy on Widening Participation in Higher Education, and agreed to write to the Department for further information on the development of a strategy in this area

11.08 am Mr Chris Lyttle left the meeting

• Student Non-continuation Rates

Agreed: The Committee considered a paper from Assembly Research, together with information supplied by Queen’s University, on student non-continuation, or ‘drop-out’, rates at local universities. The Committee agreed to write to the Department for comment on this issue.

• Employment Services Board response to DEL briefing

Agreed: The Committee considered correspondence on the Department’s proposals regarding modification to the LEMIS programme from the Employment Services Board, one of the providers of the programme, and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Minister for his response

4. Briefing from Departmental officials on the Review of Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

Members received a briefing from Fergus Devitt and John Neill from the Department for Employment and Learning, and Eve Stewart from the Department of Education, on the outcome of recent consultants’ report on the review of the EMA scheme. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11.20 am Mr Chris Lyttle rejoined the meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed to hold an additional meeting to discuss this issue on Tuesday 25 January 2011.

5. Subordinate Legislation

The Committee considered SR 2011 No. 1, The Student Fees (Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011, which has been laid in the Assembly.

Agreed: Members agreed to defer further consideration of the Rule until its next meeting on Tuesday 25 January 2011

6. Chairperson’s Business

The Chairperson provided a brief outline of her attendance at informal meetings and events, and drew members’ attention to various invitations received.

11.47 am Mr Paul Butler left the meeting

7. Departmental Press Notices

Members noted a number of recent Departmental and other press releases.

8. Any Other Business

• Employability Scheme for Care Leavers
  
  The Committee noted a DEL written briefing on this scheme and on inter-departmental provision for care-leavers.
• Essential Skills Enrolments and Outcomes
  
  The Committee noted the DEL statistical bulletin for December 2010 on Essential Skills Enrolments and Outcomes.
• Budget 2012-2015
  
  Members noted an update on the Committee scrutiny of the Executive Budget 2012 – 2015 from the Finance and Personnel Committee
• Forward Work Programme
  
  Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for January and February 2011, and in particular the proposed study visit to the Farm Lodge campus of the Northern Regional College on 26 January 2011

9. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 at 1.00 pm in Room 29, Parliament Building

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.50 am

Mrs Dolores Kelly
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
25 January 2011

12 January 11 / Menu