COMMITTEE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST MINISTER AND DEPUTY
FIRST MINISTER
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2010
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Danny Kennedy (Chairperson)
Ms Martina Anderson
Mr Allan Bresland
Mr Trevor Clarke
Mr Tom Elliott
Mrs Dolores Kelly
Mr Barry McElduff
Mr Francie Molloy
Mr George Robinson
Mr Jimmy Spratt
Apologies:
Dr Stephen Farry (Deputy Chairperson)
In Attendance:
Mrs Cathie White (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Keith McBride (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Stephen Magee (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Marion Johnson (Clerical Officer)
Mr Michael Potter (Research Officer) Item 5 only
The meeting opened in public session at 2.00 p.m.
1. Apologies
As above.
2. Chairperson’s Business
Declaration of Interests
The Chairperson sought any declarations of interest from Members in relation to items of business being discussed.
Mr Bresland declared his interests as per what is held on the Assembly’s Register of Interests. Mr Bresland also declared an interest as a Member of the Northern Ireland Memorial Board.
Mr Clarke declared his interests as per what is held on the Assembly’s Register of Interests.
3. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2010
Agreed: The draft minutes of proceedings of 15 September 2010 were agreed by the Committee.
4. First Minister and deputy First Minister
Mr McElduff joined the meeting at 2.03 p.m.
The First Minister, deputy First Minister, junior Minister Kelly and junior Minister Newton joined the meeting at 2.03 p.m.
Mr Elliott joined the meeting at 2.15 p.m.
Mr Kennedy and Mr Clarke declared an interest in relation to the Presbyterian Mutual Society.
The First Minister, deputy First Minister, junior Minister Kelly and junior Minister Newton briefed the Committee on the work of the Department in the past year and priorities for this year. A question and answer session followed.
Junior Minister Kelly left the meeting at 3.02 p.m.
Mr Spratt left the meeting at 3.04 p.m.
The First Minister, deputy First Minister and junior Minister Newton left the meeting at 3.06 p.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a briefing from Departmental officials on the Annual Report and Resource Accounts for 2009/10.
Mr Spratt re-joined the meeting at 3.07 p.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to seek further information in relation to the programme Removing Barriers to Community Prosperity, to ask if when developing the criteria for the programme if funding will be allocated based on objective need and to seek answers to questions raised by Mrs Kelly that were not answered.
5. Commissioners for Victims and Survivors
Mr Michael Potter of the Assembly’s Research and Library Service briefed the Committee on his research paper on Dealing with the Past.
The Commissioners for Victims and Survivors joined the meeting at 3.13 p.m.
Mr Elliott left the meeting at 3.30 p.m.
Mr Clarke declared an interest as a member of a victims group
The Commissioners for Victims and Survivors, Mr Brendan McAllister, Ms Patricia MacBride and Mrs Bertha McDougall briefed the Committee on their paper on Dealing with the Past. A question and answer session followed.
Mr Clarke left the meeting at 4.07 p.m.
The Commissioners for Victims and Survivors left the meeting at 4.10 p.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request a written briefing from the Department on what progress has been made to date on the establishment of the Victims and Survivors Service.
6. Proposed Legislation to provide for a Public Services Ombudsman for Northern Ireland Agreed: The Committee agreed to the public notice and that it should be placed in the local newspapers. The Committee also agreed to issue an invitation to provide written evidence on the proposed legislation to a list of stakeholders provided by the Assembly’s Research and Library Service and to all MLAs, political parties and the International Ombudsman’s Institute.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to a number of amendments to the consultation document on proposed legislation to update and reform the Office of the Northern Ireland Ombudsman.
7. Matters Arising
Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
The Committee considered a response from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment concerning better regulation.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward relevant extracts of the response to the Northern Ireland Independent Trade Retail Association.
8. Correspondence
Quinn Insurance
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward a response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister concerning Quinn Insurance to the Committee for Employment and Learning.
Committee for the Environment
The Committee noted a memo from the Committee for the Environment advising that it had forwarded correspondence concerning the Strategic Investment Board’s Delivery Tracking System to the Minister for the Environment.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request from the Department an update on the effectiveness of the Delivery Tracking System.
Committee on Procedures
The Committee noted a memo from the Committee on Procedures advising that it is carrying out an inquiry into how the Attorney General will interact with the Assembly.
Department of Justice
The Committee noted a copy of the Department for Justice’s consultation on bribery prevention procedures for commercial organisations.
Committee for Finance and Personnel
The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel, which included a copy of the Executive’s Budget Process Action Plan and the Department for Finance and Personnel’s response to the Committee’s second Budget Scrutiny Inquiry Report.
9. Any Other Business
The meeting moved into closed session at 4.24 p.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to seek advice from the Assembly’s Legal Services in relation to a legal issue.
10. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held in Room 30 on Wednesday 29 September 2010 at 2 p.m.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.30 p.m.
Mr Danny Kennedy
Chairperson,
Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister
15 September 10 / Menu |
