COMMITTEE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST MINISTER AND DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER

Minutes of Proceedings
WEDNESDAY 19 December 2007
Room 144, PARLIAMENT bUILDINGS

Present:
Danny Kennedy (Chairperson)
Martina Anderson
Tom Elliott
Dolores Kelly
Stephen Moutray
Jim Shannon
Jim Wells

In Attendance:
Damien Martin (Assembly Clerk)
Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Lynda Mulholland (Clerical Supervisor)
Marion Johnson (Clerical Assistant)

The meeting opened at 2.04 p.m. in closed session.

1. Apologies

Naomi Long, Barry McElduff, Francie Molloy, Jimmy Spratt

2. Draft Programme for Government / Investment Strategy

The Committee agreed that the meeting would go into closed session to discuss the draft report.

The Committee considered the draft report which had been amended to take account of the discussion at the meeting of 12 December 2007. The Committee considered the main report:

Paragraphs 1-11, read and agreed
Paragraphs 12-35, read and agreed
Paragraphs 36-40, read and agreed

The Committee agreed that the following papers should be appended to the Committee’s report:

Minutes of Proceedings

Minutes of Evidence for the Committee evidence session on 14 November 2007

Statement to the Assembly by the First Minister and deputy First Minister
Official Report of the debate of 26 November 2007
Letter to the Chairpersons of Statutory Committees
Responses from Statutory Committees
Correspondence from the Office of the First
Minister and Deputy First Minister

The Committee ordered the report to be printed.

3. Chairperson’s business

Commissioner for Older People
The Chairperson advised members that he received a call from Junior Ministers to brief on the decision by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the case for a Commissioner for Older People. Members agreed a press release welcoming the announcement.

Meeting with Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education(NICIE)
The Committee noted the record of the meeting with Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education attended by the Chairperson.

Meeting with North Belfast Inter-Church Group
The Committee noted the record of the meeting the Chairperson had with the North Belfast Inter-Church Group.

4. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2007

The minutes of proceedings for Wednesday 12 December 2007 were agreed by the Committee.

5. Matters Arising

EU Gender Goods and Services
The Committee expressed concern following receipt of a letter from OFMDFM about proposals for implementing the EU Directive on Gender, Goods and Services and agreed to write seeking detailed clarification from the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Members agreed to issue a press release.

Victims’ Commissioner
The Committee noted the letter providing clarification on the First Minister’s answer during question time on the process to appoint a Victims’ Commissioner. The Committee agreed to seek further clarification on the issue.

Report on Capacity of the Public Sector
Members noted the full report requested by the Committee on the public sector’s capacity to deliver the Investment Strategy.

OFMDFM Response to letter from Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR)
The Committee noted the response and agreed to forward a copy of the response to FAIR.

Response from Children’s Commissioner
Members noted the response from the Commissioner on its outreach work and on the funding of legal cases in Wales.

Fair Employment and Treatment Order (FETO)
The Committee noted the response from OFMDFM on the application of FETO to private sector contactors engaged by public sector authorities.

December Monitoring Round
The Committee noted the response from OFMDFM to queries from the Committee on the December Monitoring round and agreed to forward the response on the North Belfast Community Action Unit to the DSD Committee.

Children’s Fund
The Committee discussed the response from OFMDFM on queries relating to the Children and Young People’s Funding Package. The Committee requested that further information regarding the adequacy of budgetary provision for children’s issues be sought from OFMDFM and that the matter be included in the Committee’s Forward Work Plan.

Race Relations ( Northern Ireland) Amendment Order
The Committee noted the clarification provided by OFMDFM on the Race Relations ( Northern Ireland) Amendment Order.

Freedom of Information
The Committee’s views were sought and were content to release of its response to OFMDFM on the EU Gender Goods and Services Directive under FOI by the Christian Institute and OFMDFM’s review of the Northern Ireland Commission for Children and Young People under FOI by Children in Northern Ireland.

Forward Work Plan
The Committee agreed to defer discussion on the Efficiency Review until the matter has been agreed by the First and deputy First Minister.

Members agreed to consider holding a full day of oral evidence presentations on 23 January 2008 at its meeting of 9 January 2008.

6. Child Poverty Inquiry

The Committee considered and agreed the draft interim report on Child Poverty.

Paragraphs 1-7, read and agreed
Paragraphs 8-51, read and agreed
Paragraphs 52-55, read and agreed

The Committee agreed that the following papers should be appended to the Committee’s report:

Minutes of Proceedings
Request for written submissions
List of written submissions
Written submissions
Research paper comparing child poverty levels in Northern Ireland with other regions
Extract from the Public Service Agreement

The Committee agreed to launch the report in early January.

The Committee ordered the report to be printed.

7. Any other business

Advisory Council for Infrastructure and Investment (ACII)

Following discussion the Committee agreed to write to OFMDFM regarding ACII.

8. Date of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 9 January 2008 at 2.00 p.m. in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.42 p.m.

Mr Danny Kennedy
Chairperson, Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister

12 December 07 / Menu