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

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2010
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Danny Kennedy (Chairperson)
Mr Stephen Farry (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Allan Bresland
Mr Trevor Clarke
Mr Tom Elliott
Mrs Dolores Kelly
Mr Francie Molloy
Mr George Robinson
Mr Jimmy Spratt

Apologies:
Ms Martina Anderson
Mr Barry McElduff

In Attendance:
Mrs Cathie White (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Keith McBride (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Stephen Magee (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Marion Johnson (Clerical Officer)
Mrs Nuala Dunwoody (Clerk Assistant) Item 1 only

The meeting opened in closed session at 2.00 p.m.

1. Legal Advice

The Committee considered correspondence from the Director of the Assembly’s Legal Services.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Assembly Commission concerning a legal issue.

The meeting moved into public session at 2.08 p.m.

2. Apologies

As above.

3. Chairperson’s Business

Declaration of Interests

The Chairperson sought any declarations of interest from Members in relation to items of business being discussed.

4. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 22 September 2010

Agreed: The draft minutes of proceedings of 22 September 2010 were agreed by the Committee.

5. Resource Accounts

Departmental officials joined the meeting at 2.10 p.m.

Departmental officials Mrs Jackie Kerr and Mrs Nicky Brady briefed the Committee on the Department’s Resource Accounts 2009/10. A question and answer session followed. Officials undertook to provide the Committee with further information.

Departmental officials left the meeting at 2.37 p.m.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to seek further information in relation to the Resource Accounts.

6. Commissioner for Older People Bill

The Committee considered the long title of the Commissioner for Older People Bill.

Question put and agreed: The Committee is content with the Long Title as drafted.

The Committee considered its draft Report on the Commissioner for Older People Bill.

Agreed: The Committee read and agreed paragraphs 1-12: Introduction.

Agreed: The Committee read and agreed paragraphs 13-15: Committee Stage Scrutiny.

Agreed: The Committee read and agreed paragraphs 16-25: Consideration of the Bill.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to include appendices 1-5 in the Report.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to order the Report to be printed.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that an extract from the Minutes of Proceedings of today’s meeting should be included in Appendix 1 of the report and are content that the Chairperson agrees the minutes to allow the extract to be included in the printed report.

Agreed: The Committee agreed a draft press release and that it should be issued when the Report is received back from the printers.

The Committee noted a letter of thanks from AGE NI, thanking the Committee for its work on the Commissioner for Older People Bill.

The Chairperson and all parties represented on the Committee congratulated Mr Elliott on his election to leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.

7. Matters Arising

Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association

The Committee considered a response from Department concerning recommendations made by the Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the response to the Northern Ireland Independent Trade Retail Association.

Committee for Social Development

The Committee noted a copy of the Committee for Social Development’s response to the Department’s consultation on the Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration.

8. Correspondence

Committee for the Environment

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward correspondence from the Committee for the Environment concerning the Interdepartmental Marine Co-ordination Group to junior Minister Newton.

Rainbow Project

The Committee considered a request from the Rainbow Project and Women’s Aid Federation to brief the Committee on its response to the consultation on the Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule in the briefing when the Committee next considers the Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration following the public consultation.

Fair-trade

The Committee considered a copy of a letter from the Chair of the Fair-trade Belfast Committee to junior Ministers concerning the promotion of fair-trade.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request that it be copied into any response from junior Ministers.

9. Forward Work Programme

The Committee considered its Forward Work Programme from October to December.

Agreed: The Committee agreed its Forward Work Programme for October to December 2010. The Committee agreed to schedule a briefing from Northern Ireland’s MEPs on Monday 1 November 2010 at 11.15 a.m.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request from the Assembly’s Research and Library Service a paper providing an update on child poverty.

10. Any Other Business

No other business

11. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held in Room 30 on Wednesday 6 October 2010 at 2 p.m.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 2.45 p.m.

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

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