COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS:
WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2001.
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
1. Apologies
2. Chairperson's Business
3. Approval of Draft Minutes of Previous Proceedings
4. Correspondence
5. Evidence on Section 75 Statutory Duty Unit
6. Evidence on Anti Discrimination Divisions
7. Burden of Proof Consultation Paper
8. Any Other Business
9. Date and Time of Next Meeting
Present: Mr Edwin Poots (Chairperson)
Mr Oliver Gibson (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs Jnr
Dr Esmond Birnie
Mrs Eileen Bell
Mr Fred Cobain
Mrs Annie Courtney
Mr David Ervine
Ms Michelle Gildernew
Ms Patricia Lewsley
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Eugene McMenamin
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
In Attendance: Mrs Debbie Pritchard (Principal Committee Clerk)
Mr Hugh Farren (Committee Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis
Mr Tim Moore
Ms Laurie Roberts
Apologies: Mr James Leslie MLA
Mr Conor Murphy MLA
The meeting commenced at 2:08pm in public session.
1. Apologies
The apologies are listed above.
2. Chairperson's Business
Meeting with Mr Hank Naughton, Massachusetts Representative: The Chairperson informed the members of his meeting with Mr Naughton.
Meeting with Mr Denis Haughey, Mr Dermot Nesbitt, Junior Ministers, OFMDFM, and Mr Gerry Loughran, Head of the Civil Service: The Chairperson informed the members of his meeting with Mr Haughey, Mr Nesbitt and Mr Loughran and that meetings with Junior Ministers would take place bi-monthly. A note of the meeting will be circulated by the Principal Clerk. Action: Clerk
Mr Beggs joined the meeting at 2.08pm.
Dr Birnie joined the meeting at 2.10pm.
3. Approval of draft minutes from previous proceedings
The minutes from the previous meeting were agreed and signed by the Chairperson.
4. Correspondence
The Committee noted the list of projects in which BT(NI) are currently engaged with Public Sector organisations.
The Committee also noted the letter from the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development regarding detection of spinal cord in beef exported from Germany.
Mr McMenamin joined the meeting at 2.13pm.
Mrs Courtney joined the meeting at 2.13pm.
The Committee noted the comments from Mr Des McConaghy regarding Public Service Agreements and agreed to acknowledge his letter. Action: Clerk
Mrs Bell joined the meeting at 2.17pm.
5. Evidence on Section 75 Statutory Duty Unit
The evidence session began at 2.18pm. Evidence on Section 75 Statutory Duty Unit was taken from Mrs Mary Bunting, Ms Maggie Smith and Mr Ray Morrison from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
Ms Lewsley joined the meeting at 2.26pm.
Mr Shannon joined the meeting at 2.30pm.
Mr Maskey joined the meeting at 2.38pm.
Mr Cobain joined the meeting at 2.40pm.
Mr Ervine left the meeting at 3.24pm.
Mrs Bunting agreed to provide further information to the Committee on the Impact Assessment of the Strategy Plan for Victims.
The Officials left the meeting at 3.26pm.
6. Evidence on Anti Discrimination Divisions
The evidence session began at 3.27pm. Evidence on the Anti Discrimination Divisions was taken from Mrs Patricia McAuley, Mrs Deirdre Kenny, Mr Ken Walker and Mrs Roberta Mercer from the Anti-Discrimination Units of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
Mr McMenamin left the meeting at 3.42pm.
Dr Birnie left the meeting at 3.45pm.
Mr Cobain left the meeting at 3.47pm.
Mr Ervine re-joined the meeting at 3.50pm.
Ms Lewsley left the meeting at 3.50pm.
Mr Shannon left the meeting at 3.54pm.
Mrs McAuley agreed to raise with the Northern Ireland Office the question of National Security vetting under the Fair Employment and Treatment Order 1998. Mrs McAuley also agreed to provide to the Committee data and statistics on employment trends and forward a copy of the House of Lords ruling in relation to Preston and others v. Wolverhampton Healthcare NHS Trust and others.
Mr Maskey left the meeting at 3.59pm.
Mrs Bell left the meeting at 4.01pm.
Mrs Courtney left the meeting at 4.19pm.
The Officials left the meeting at 4.19pm.
7. Burden of Proof Consultation Paper
The Committee considered its response to the consultation paper on Burden of Proof as follows:
Question 1(a): The Committee agreed this proposal with the comment - "The Committee believes that the current legal concept of indirect discrimination is overly complex and the inclusion of a definition of what is and what is not discrimination could assist in meaningfully reducing gender inequality".
Question 1(b): The Committee agreed this proposal with the comment - "We welcome the introduction of the word 'practice' in the definition of 'indirect discrimination' as this will open up a range of employment matters that are or may be indirectly discriminatory".
Question 2: The Committee agreed this proposal with the comment - "The Committee recognises that the proposed change will make very little difference in practice".
Comments on Equality Impact Assessment: The Committee agreed the comment - "The Committee is content that the proposals in relation to implementation of the Burden of Proof directive will have no adverse impact on any of the S75 groups".
The Committee noted that it would have an opportunity to comment on the Equal Pay section of the consultation paper at the next meeting.
8. Any other business
The Committee had a brief discussion on whether work on Section 75 should be raised when the First Minister and Deputy First Minister next attend the Committee meeting. As the Committee has no definitive view on the subject it was agreed that it would not be appropriate to raise it at this time.
9. Date and time of next meeting
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Committee would be on Wednesday, 28 February 2001 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 4.30pm.
Councillor Edwin Poots MLA
Chairperson, Committee of the Centre
28 February 2001
14 February 2001 / Menu / 28 February 2001