COMMITTEE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST MINISTER AND DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY
2 April
2008
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Danny Kennedy (Chairperson)
Naomi Long (Deputy Chairperson)
Tom Elliott
Dolores Kelly
Barry McElduff
Francie Molloy
Stephen Moutray
Jim Shannon
Jim Wells
In Attendance:
Damien Martin (Assembly Clerk)
Antonia Hoskins (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Keith McBride (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Lynda Mulholland (Clerical Supervisor)
Marion Johnson (Clerical Assistant)
The meeting opened at 2.08 p.m. in public session
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Apologies
Martina Anderson, Jimmy Spratt.
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Chairperson’s Business
Letter from Junior Minister Donaldson
Members noted the response from Junior Minister Donaldson in reply to the Committee’s letter congratulating him on his appointment.Invite from the Workers’ Educational Association
The Chairperson advised Members that he had been invited to speak at the Creating Change Programme Conference organised by the Workers’ Educational Association. The Chairperson advised that he hoped to speak at the conference, subject to diary constraints.
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Draft minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2008
The minutes of proceedings for Wednesday 12 March 2008 were agreed by the Committee.
- Matters Arising
Responses from OFMDFM on Public Appointments
The Committee noted the responses received from OFMDFM concerning 3 rd Party Organisations, the draft Prerogative Order, Diversity and Statutory Nominations within Public Appointments.Draft Action Plan 2008-2011 for the Regional Innovation Strategy
Members noted the initial response from OFMDFM to the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee on the Draft Action Plan 2008-2011 for the Regional Innovation Strategy.Integrated Development Fund
Members noted the response from OFMDFM highlighting the confirmed projects where funding is committed beyond 2008. The response provides the lead departments’ comments, with regard to costs beyond the funding period and how they may be met. The Committee agreed to share the response with other relevant statutory committees.Response from OFMDFM on the Programme for Government and Investment Strategy
Members noted the responses from OFMDFM providing clarification on targets for fuel poverty and also providing a breakdown of OFMDFM’s spending on Central Services in 2006/07 and its budget for Central Service spending in the coming year.Response from OFMDFM on Children and Young People
Members noted the response from OFMDFM providing clarification on funding for Children and Young People and providing an update to the Committee on the first meeting of the Executive Sub-Committee on Children and Young People.
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Child Poverty Inquiry
Research Paper
The Chairperson drew Members attention to the Research Paper prepared as part of the Committee’s inquiry into Child Poverty. The Research Paper outlined the context in which decisions were made by the Scottish Executive to prioritise the well-being of children and young people. The Committee agreed to commission further research on the legislative base for ensuring effective inter-agency working to address the needs of children and young people.Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
The Chairperson asked Members to declare any relevant interests in advance of hearing oral evidence from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. No interests were declared.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development joined the meeting at 2.25 p.m.
Members took oral evidence from Pauline Keegan and Paul Donnelly from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). A question and answer session followed, at the end of which the officials undertook to provide written responses to a number of questions from Members. The Chairperson thanked the officials from DARD for attending the meeting.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report .
Officials from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development left the meeting at 2.58 p.m.
Department of Education
The Chairperson asked Members to declare any relevant interests in advance of hearing oral evidence from the Department of Education. Members declared interests as follows:-Mr Kennedy declared an interest as a Governor of Bessbrook Primary School and Newry High School;
Mrs Long declared an interest as a Governor of Sydenham Infant School and a member of the Interim Board of Governors for the amalgamation of Strand Primary School and Sydenham Infants School;
Mr Shannon declared an interest as a Governor of Glasty College;
Mr Molloy declared an interest as a Governor of Edendork Primary School.
Officials from the Department Education joined the meeting at 3.00 p.m.
Members took oral evidence from Katrina Godfrey, Louise Warde-Hunter, Mary Potter and Alan McMullan from the Department of Education (DE). A question and answer session followed, at the end of which the officials undertook to provide written responses to a number of questions from Members. The Chairperson thanked the officials from DE for attending the meeting..
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report .
Officials from the Department of Education left the meeting at 3.37 p.m.
Department for Employment and Learning
The Chairperson asked Members to declare any relevant interests in advance of hearing oral evidence from the Department of Employment and Learning. Members declared interests as follows:-Mrs Long declared an interest as a member of the board of the East Belfast Community Education Centre.
Officials from the Department for Employment and Learning joined the meeting at 3.38 p.m.
Members took oral evidence from June Ingram, Jan Harvey and Dave Rogers from the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL). A question and answer session followed, at the end of which the officials undertook to provide written responses to a number of questions from Members. The Chairperson thanked the officials from DEL for attending the meeting.
Hansard recorded the evidence session for publication in the Committee’s report .
Officials from the Department for Employment and Learning left the meeting at 4.07 p.m.
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Disability Discrimination (Transport Vehicles) Regulations
Members discussed correspondence from Junior Minister Donaldson and Junior Minister Kelly, which requested that the briefing from OFMDFM officials be rescheduled. Members agreed to discuss this issue after the evidence session from the Omnibus Partnership.
Research Paper
Ms Zoe Robinson, Assembly Researcher, briefed the Committee on the disparity in legislation between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the implications of this disparity for disabled people.
Francie Molloy left the meeting at 4.12 p.m.
Presentation by the Omnibus Partnership
Representatives from the Omnibus Partnership joined the meeting at 4.21 p.m.
Members took oral evidence from the Chair of the Omnibus Partnership, David McDonald, and fellow members of the Omnibus Partnership’s Committee, Barbara Fleming and Joe Bourke. The Omnibus Partnership highlighted the range of material impacts on disabled people, which resulted from not having these regulations in place. The Chairperson thanked the representatives from the Omnibus Partnership for attending the meeting, and commended them on their powerful presentation.
Tom Elliott left the meeting at 4.46 p.m.
Representatives from the Omnibus Partnership left the meeting at 4.50 p.m.
Members discussed the Research Paper and the oral evidence from the Omnibus Partnership and agreed to write to OFMDFM to insist that officials from OFMDFM attend the Committee on 16 April 2008 to brief Members on the progress of these regulations and to urge Ministers to immediately establish an interdepartmental working group to progress the regulations. The Committee also agreed to write to the Committee for Regional Development and the Committee for the Environment, to highlight the impact on disabled people of the absence of these regulations, and to ask that they carefully monitor the contribution of the relevant departments to the early development of the Disability Discrimination (Transport Vehicles) Regulations.
Barry McElduff left the meeting at 4.56 p.m.
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Commissioner for Older People
Members considered a response from OFMDFM providing information on the proposed interim arrangements for an Older People’s Advocate. The Committee agreed they were broadly supportive of the interim arrangements, but would wish to receive further information once the role of the Advocate is finalised by Ministers. The Committee agreed a response to OFMDFM’s pre-consultation on the case for a Commissioner for Older People.
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OFMDFM’s response to the Committee’s report on the Programme for Government and Investment Strategy
The Committee considered the memorandum of response from OFMDFM to the Committee’s report on the Programme for Government and the Investment Strategy. Members agreed that they would request a briefing on the response and on the Performance Management Framework, before publishing the memorandum.
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Correspondence
Varney 2 Review
Members noted the correspondence received from the Committee for Finance and Personnel on the Varney 2 Review.Women’s Resource and Development Agency
Members noted the correspondence from the Women’s Resource and Development Agency. The Committee agreed to notify the Women’s Resource and Development Agency that it has scheduled a briefing from OFMDFM officials on the programme for cohesion, sharing and integration for a shared and better future at next week’s meeting.
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Any Other Business
Forward Work Programme
The Committee briefly discussed the Forward Work Programme and agreed to schedule discussion of the Forward Work Programme at an early point of next week’s meeting.Bottled Water
Mr Wells stated that, in light of the Committee’s responsibilities in relation to sustainable development, he would be bringing forward a motion advocating that the Committee replace its use of bottled water with tap water. It was agreed this would be put on the agenda for next week’s meeting.
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Date of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 9 April 2008 at 2.00 p.m. in Room 144.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 5.10 p.m.