COMMITTEE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST MINISTER AND DEPUTY
FIRST MINISTER
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 17 JUNE 2009
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mrs Naomi Long (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Martina Anderson
Mr Tom Elliott
Mr Ian McCrea
Mr Barry McElduff
Mr Francie Molloy
Mr Stephen Moutray
Mr Jim Shannon
In Attendance:
Ms Cathie White (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Linda Gregg (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Colin Wilson (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Stephen Magee (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Marion Johnson (Clerical Officer)
2.09 p.m. The meeting opened in public session.
1. Apologies
Mr Danny Kennedy (Chairperson) and Mr Jimmy Spratt
The Clerk advised members that as the Chairperson and deputy Chairperson were not present, members should elect a temporary Chairperson to take charge of the meeting.
Mr Shannon proposed Mr Molloy and Ms Anderson seconded the proposal, the Committee agreed that Mr Molloy assume the position of temporary Chairperson.
2. Chairperson’s Business
The temporary Chairperson advised members that to enable governance arrangements for handling FOI requests for Committee papers duringrecesses, the Committee need to agree to delegate authority to the Chairperson and deputy Chairperson to submit views on the releasing or withholding of information in any non-routine/contentious FOI requests.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to delegate authority to the Chairperson and deputy Chairperson.
The temporary Chairperson advised members that the UK Borders Agency have contacted the Committee office regarding the proposed visit to the holding premises at Dungavel in Scotland.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to arrange a visit on either 9 th or 16 th of September 2009 with one representative to be nominated from each of the political parties.
3. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 10 June 2009
Agreed: The draft minutes of proceedings of 10 June 2009 were agreed by the Committee.
4. Briefing on European Economic Recovery Plan
2.15 p.m. Departmental Officials Mr D Prince and Mr B Clulow joined the meeting.
2.15 p.m. Mr Moutray joined the meeting.
Mr D Prince and Mr B Clulow briefed the Committee on the European Economic Recovery Plan. This was followed by a question and answer session.
2.17 p.m. Mr McElduff joined the meeting.
2.31 p.m. Mrs Long joined the meeting.
2.40 p.m. Departmental Officials Mr D Prince and Mr B Clulow left the meeting.
2.41 p.m. Mrs Long took over the role of Chairperson.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request a copy of information the Department obtained from banks regarding drawdown and allocation of funding from the European Investment Bank.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request details from the other devolved institutions on the drawdown of funding from the European Investment Bank.
5. Consideration of European Issues
The Clerk advised members that Mrs E Kelly a desk officer within the NI Executive Office in Brussels who was to brief the Committee as part of the inquiry into the consideration of European issues was now unable to attend. The Clerk added that the Department are to write to the Committee explaining Mrs Kelly’s non-appearance before the Committee.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to await the Department’s letter on Mrs Kelly’s attendance.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to formally request Mrs E Kelly to appear before the Committee at a later date.
6. Matters arising
Report on meeting with Saxony-Anhalt Parliament .
The Committee noted the report of the meeting with members of the Saxony-Anhalt Parliament, held in Edinburgh on 7 May 2009.
Response from Stephen Timms MP on Tax Credit & Child Care.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the First Minister and deputy First Minister to request that the Childcare Voucher Scheme is put on the agenda for the next meeting of the North South Ministerial Council.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Social Development to request further information of families in Northern Ireland in receipt of working tax credit.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Social Development to request that they consider carrying out a pilot exercise in Northern Ireland similar to that being carried out in England.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety regarding the Childcare Voucher System.
2.50 p.m. Mr McCrea left the meeting.
Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Network response to request for further information.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the correspondence from the Anti-Poverty Network to the First Minister and deputy First Minister for information.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the correspondence from the Anti-Poverty Network to the Assembly All Party Group on Children for information.
Buddy Bear Trust request for urgent meeting with the Minister for Education.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the letter to the Department and copy to the Committee for Education and the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety for information .
Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma and Transformation briefing paper.
2.59 p.m. Mr McCrea joined the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the briefing paper to the Department with a covering letter advising that the Committee recognises the good work being carried out by NICTT and that the Department should give consideration to the workable models in dealing with issues of the past and traumatic stress in the Victim’s Service structure.
Draft Code of Practice for Ministerial Public Appointments in Northern Ireland – Consultation Responses.
The Committee noted the consultation responses to the draft Code of Practice for Ministerial Public Appointments.
Department of Education response on Afasic Post Primary Project
The Committee noted the response from the Department of Education regarding the Afasic Northern Ireland Post Primary Project.
Response to Committee for Social Development on Impact of Fuel Poverty.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the impact of fuel poverty to the Committee for Social Development.
Response to Committee for Social Development on Sustainable Development Strategy.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the Sustainable Development Strategy to the Committee for Social Development.
Response to Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on Inquiry into Funding of the Arts in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the Inquiry into Funding of the Arts in Northern Ireland to the Committee for Culture, Arts a nd Leisure.
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development response on Match Funding.
Agreed: The Committee noted the response from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on EU Match Funding and agreed that the information will be added to the Committee’s EU inquiry.
Committee for Employment and Learning response on Tribunal Reform.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward details of progress on Tribunal Reform to the Committee for Employment and Learning when it becomes available.
Departmental response on Child Poverty Initiatives.
The Committee noted the response from the Department providing details of any initiatives or policies regarding obesity in relation to child poverty.
Implementation Arrangements for Investment Strategy – Launch of Web Portal.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request details of publicity undertaken by the Strategic Investment Board in relation to the Web Portal.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Committee for Finance and Personnel to request details of what information is currently provided by the Central Procurement Directorate in relation to the Capital Works Programme.
Claw Back of EU Grants Update.
The Committee noted the update paper provided by the Department of Finance and Personnel on the clawback of EU grants.
8. Any other Business
The deputy Chairperson advised members that the use of mobile phones continues to cause problems both to Hansard and the recording equipment and asked that all mobile phones are switched off for the duration of Committee meetings.
The Committee noted the work undertaken at both Ministerial and Departmental official level in response to the incidents in Belfast over the previous 48 hours. The Committee voiced it’s thanks to the First Minister and deputy First Minister and to the Junior Ministers and Departmental officials for their prompt action taken in the aftermath of the attacks.
9. Date of next meeting
The next meeting will be held in Room 144 on Wednesday 24 June 2009.
3.11 p.m. The deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting.