COMMITTEE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST MINISTER AND DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 02 July 2008
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT bUILDINGS
Present:
Danny Kennedy (Chairperson)
Naomi Long (Deputy Chairperson)
Martina Anderson
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 2.05 p.m. in public session
1. Apologies
Tom Elliott, Jimmy Spratt.
The Chairperson informed the Committee that Mr Elliot is currently absent due to ill health. Members sent him a message of goodwill, wishing him a speedy recovery.
2. Chairperson’s Business
Committee Freedom of Information Procedures
The Committee agreed to delegate authority, during summer recess, to the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson for the submission of views in response to Freedom of Information requests .
Meeting with the First Minister and deputy First Minister
The Chairperson advised Members that he and the Deputy Chairperson had met informally with the First Minister and deputy First Minister on Monday 23 June 2008 and that the First Minister and deputy First Minister had agreed to attend a meeting of the Committee early in the new session.
Visit to Europe
The Chairperson and Members commented on the very informative nature of their recent visit to Brussels and thanked the committee secretariat and the staff of Executive’s Office in Brussels for putting in place such a worthwhile programme. The Chairperson advised that a report on the visit and proposals for the establishment of an EU sub-committee would be brought to the Committee early in the next session.
EC-UK Forum
The Chairperson advised Members of his attendance at a meeting in Edinburgh of chairpersons of EU parliamentary committees within the UK, which took place on Monday 30 June 2008.
Ms Anderson joined the meeting at 2.10 p.m.
3. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2008
The minutes of proceedings for Wednesday 18 June 2008 were agreed by the Committee.
Mrs. Long joined the meeting at 2.12 p.m.
4. Matters Arising
Children and Young People’s Action Plan
The Committee noted the response from OFMDFM, which advised that the Committee would be updated on the implementation of the 2007/08 action plan when officials come to brief the Committee on the new draft action plan during the next session.
Staffing of the British-Irish Council (BIC) and the North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC)
Members noted the response from OFMDFM to the Committee’s inquiry regarding current staffing arrangements for the BIC, NSMC and the North/South East/West Team.
Public Appointments Prerogative Order
The Committee discussedthe response from OFMDFM which advised that the post of Boundaries Commissioner would not be added to the draft Public Appointments Prerogative Order 2008 and noted that details of the appointment had been announced on Monday 30 June.
Committee’s report on PFG/ISNI
The Committee noted the response from OFMDFM and agreed to defer the briefing on the response to the Committee’s report, including the PFG/ISNI process for future years, in the absence of Executive’s consideration of the performance management arrangements, until after the summer recess.
Council for Education in World Citizenship
The Committee discussed the response from OFMDFM to the letter from the Council for Education in World Citizenship Northern Ireland and asked to be advised of the Department of Education’s response on the issue.
Mr McElduff joined the meeting at 2.15 p.m.
Provision for sufferers of Autistic Spectrum Disorder within the Disability Discrimination Act
Members discussedthe response received by Ms Anderson to an Assembly Question on the lack of provision for sufferers of Autistic Spectrum Disorder within the Disability Discrimination Act. A similar question had been raised by Ms Anderson during the Committee meeting of 4 June 2008. The response advised that conditions and disorders on the autistic spectrum fall within the definition of disability included within the Disability Discrimination Act.
Delays in substantive business items coming before the Committee
The Committee discussed the response from OFMDFM regarding the delay in substantive business items coming before the Committee. Members agreed that the Clerk should work with officials during recess to improve the accuracy of timetables provided to the Committee. Members were advised that this matter had also been raised with the First Minister and deputy First Minister by the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson during their meeting on 23 June 2008.
Response on Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration
The Committee discussed the response from OFMDFM which advised that the draft Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration was still under consideration, would be presented to the Committee when the draft programme has been finalised by the First Minister and deputy First Minister and that decisions on funding continue to be made under existing policy. The Committee agreed to write to OFMDFM to seek clarification on delays in bringing forward the strategy and on whether there are any legislative constraints that would prevent the Programme for cohesion, sharing and integration extending beyond matters relating to good relations and race relations to address the needs of other groups identified in Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Older People’s Commissioner
Members noted the response from OFMDFM which provided clarification on the role of the proposed Older People’s Advocate and the report on “Examining the Case for a Commissioner for Older People”. Members sought clarification on a number of issues and were advised that the Committee would return to this issue during the next session.
The Lisbon Treaty and Nuclear Energy
The Committee noted a research briefing in response to a query on the implications of provisions within the EU Reform Treaty for policy relating to nuclear energy.
Response to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s Inquiry into Credit Unions
Members agreed the framework for the Committee’s response to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s inquiry into Credit Unions, based on the findings of the Committee’s child poverty inquiry.
5. Victims and Survivors Strategy
The Committee considered correspondence from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the draft strategic approach on Victims and Survivors.
Officials from OFMDFM Good Relations and Reconciliation Division joined the meeting at 2.43 p.m.
Colin Jack and John Clarke from OFMDFM’s Good Relations and Reconciliation Division updated the Committee and answered a number of questions on the outline draft strategic approach and on the roles and relationships between the Commission for Victims and Survivors and the Victims and Survivors Service. O fficials also briefed the Committee on the interim funding arrangements for 2008-09 for victims and survivors.
Mr Wells joined the meeting at 3.18 p.m.
Officials from the OFMDFM Good Relations and Reconciliation Division left the meeting at 3.28 p.m.
Following discussion, Members noted the changes made following the Committee's previous consideration of the draft strategy and agreed to write seeking OFMDFM’s view on how the work of the Consultative Group on Dealing with the Past links with the draft strategic approach for victims and survivors.
Members agreed that the creation of new structures should not result in resources being taken away from victims and survivors. The Committee therefore agreed to request that, within the consultation on the draft strategy, the financial implications of new structures, such as the Victims and Survivors Service, are made clear. The Committee also agreed to seek information on the number of individuals who have been supported by the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund.
6. Disability Discrimination (Transport Vehicles) Regulations (NI) 2008
Officials from OFMDFM Equality Division joined the meeting at 3.35 p.m.
Gerry Mulligan, Martina Campbell and Linda Girvan from OFMDFM’s Equality Division provided an update to the Committee and answered questions on the progress to develop the Disability Discrimination (Transport Vehicles) Regulations (NI) 2008 .
Officials from OFMDFM Equality Division left the meeting at 3.41 p.m.
7. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Committee considered a research paper on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee has requested a report from OFMDFM on the outcome of the UN hearing in relation to the implementation of the Convention in Northern Ireland and agreed to take account of the research and the response from OFMDFM when considering the Children and Young People’s Action Plan in the autumn.
8. Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service
Sir Nigel Hamilton joined the meeting at 4.01 p.m.
Sir Nigel Hamilton, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service addressed the Committee in advance of his retirement. The Chairperson on behalf of the Committee thanked Sir Nigel Hamiltonfor his engagement with the Committee and wished him well in his retirement.
Sir Nigel Hamilton left the meeting at 4.06 p.m.
9. Forward Work Programme
Members were briefed by the Clerk on the issues that are expected to be on the Committee work programme in the early part of the next session and sought Members’ views on substantive matters that they would wish to see included in the Forward Work Programme. The Committee agreed that the Clerk should liaise with officials to develop a detailed work programme for consideration at the beginning of next Assembly session.
10. Correspondence
Northern Ireland Marine Task Force
Members noted correspondence the Northern Ireland Marine Task Force, inviting the Committee to attend a boat trip on the ‘St Brendan’ in Strangford Lough on 4 September 2008. Members are asked to advise the Clerk if they wish to attend.
Foyle School & Employer Connections
Members noted the correspondence from Foyle School & Employer Connectionsrequesting an opportunity to give evidence to the Committee and that a copy of this correspondence has also been sent to the Committee for Employment and Learning.
Letter from the Clerk to the Committee for Finance and Personnel
The Committee considered the copycorrespondence from the Clerk to the Finance and Personnel Committee to the Department for Finance and Personnel regarding the lack of timely information on departmental monitoring rounds. Members were informed that OFMDFM has provided their information on monitoring rounds in a relatively timely fashion.
Letter from the Committee for Social Development
The Committee agreed to forward correspondence to OFMDFM from the Chairperson of the Committee for Social Development asking for the continuation of the Executive Programme Fund for Children and Young People.
Copy letter from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister
Members notedthe copy correspondence from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to the Chairperson of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee, on the efficiency review panel and the role of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee.
Correspondence from the Clerk to the Public Accounts Committee
The Committee noted a letter from the Clerk to the Public Accounts Committee enclosing correspondence relating to Committee’s report on the Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland.
Thank you note from Save the Children
The Committee welcomed the correspondence from Save the Children thanking the Committee for the thoroughness with which it conducted its inquiry into child poverty and commending the quality of the report produced.
11. Any other business
Change in immigration status for non EU nationals – work permits
Mr Shannon highlighted the implications of proposed changes to immigration rules, which may prevent people from entering the UK to seek employment in the farming, food and fishing industries within Northern Ireland. Members noted the potential implications of this decision for the Programme for Government targets relating to economic development.
The Chairperson thanked Members and the Committee Secretariat for their contribution during the session.
12. Date of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 3 September 2008 at 2.00 p.m. in Room 144.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.17 p.m.