Committee of the Centre, Minutes, 19.09.01

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS: WEDNESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 2001

ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present: Mr Edwin Poots (Chairperson)
Mr Oliver Gibson (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs Jnr
Mrs Eileen Bell
Dr Esmond Birnie
Mrs Annie Courtney
Mr David Ervine
Ms Patricia Lewsley
Mr Eugene McMenamin
Mr Ken Robinson

In Attendance: Mrs Debbie Pritchard (Principal Committee Clerk)
Mr Hugh Farren (Committee Clerk)
Ms Stella McArdle (Committee Clerk)
Mr John Conlan
Mrs Gillian Lewis
Ms Laurie Roberts
Mr Tim Moore
Mr Hugh Widdis

Apologies: Mr James Leslie
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Conor Murphy
Mr Jim Shannon

The meeting opened at 1.37pm in public session.

Apologies

Apologies are listed above.

Chairperson's business

Mrs Bell joined the meeting at 1.38pm.

Letters of Sympathy: It was agreed that the Chairperson would write to the House Committee on International Relations, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Barbara Stephenson, US Consul General, expressing the Committee's sympathy on the recent tragic events in the USA. Action: Clerk

Approval of draft minutes from previous proceedings

The minutes from the previous meeting were agreed and signed by the Chairperson.

Matters arising

None.

Committee Forward Work Programme

Mr Ervine joined the meeting at 1.39pm
Mr Beggs joined the meeting at 1.40pm
Ms Lewsley joined the meeting at 1.41pm.

Briefing from OFMDFM Officials

The briefing session started at 1.42pm. Apologies were received on behalf of Mr Gerry Loughran, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Briefing on the current main areas of work within OFMDFM was provided by Mr Tony McCusker, Assistant Secretary to the Executive, Mr Will Haire, Head of Economic Policy and Public Service Directorate and Mrs Mary Bunting, Head of Equality Directorate.

Mrs Courtney joined the meeting at 2.04pm.
The Officials left the meeting at 2.35pm.

Committee's consideration of the Forward Work Programme

The Forward Work Programme options and issues were debated and fully considered by the Committee.

Mrs Courtney left the meeting at 2.41pm.
Ms Lewsley left the meeting at 2.44pm.
Mr McMenamin left the meeting at 2.45pm.

Options agreed:	The Forward Work Programme should be prioritised; The Committee would consider all primary and secondary legislation as its first priority; Only in exceptional circumstances would consideration be given to setting up a sub-Committee; It would not always be necessary to have an evidence session for every issue; Future consideration will be given to commissioning a research project into one of the major policy areas.
Current and forthcoming issues agreed and noted:	A briefing paper on the Corporate Strategic Framework for delivering government services electronically and Equality Impact Assessment will be provided for the Committee meeting on 26 September 2001; The Bill of Rights Consultation Document will be researched and a paper will be considered by the Committee at a later meeting; The Consultation Document prepared by the Department for Social Development on the Government's strategy for Support of the Voluntary and Community Sector was noted; A briefing paper for the Consultation on the Executive's response to the Disability Rights Task Force will be provided for the Committee; A Strategy for Victims will be considered by the Committee on 26 September 2001; The European Scrutiny Committee (House of Commons) will be advised that the Committee is not yet in a position to respond to its Inquiry into democracy and accountability in the EU and the role of national parliaments, as the Committee is about to commence its own EU Inquiry; The Review of Community Relations Policy will be considered by the Committee as a high priority; The request by the Equal Opportunities Committee, Scottish Parliament, to meet the Committee of the Centre to discuss equality issues was agreed but the date would need to be re-arranged; OFMDFM will be requested to inform Departments that MEP briefing papers should be forwarded to the relevant Statutory Committee. A list of all papers and those papers relevant to the Committee of the Centre should be forwarded to the Committee office staff periodically; The Business Plan for the Civic Forum was noted; The Consultation on the Beacon Scheme for the Northern Ireland Public Service was noted; The update on the OFMDFM Equality Scheme was noted; OFMDFM will be requested to provide timely information for the Committee in relation to future Monitoring Rounds; The Equality Impact Assessment for 'A Guide to Evacuation in Northern Ireland' relating to Emergency Planning was noted; The members asked for an update on the work of the Emergency Planning Unit. Mr Irvine asked for a copy of the Guide to Evacuation. Action: Clerk

Options agreed:

The Forward Work Programme should be prioritised;

The Committee would consider all primary and secondary legislation as its first priority;

Only in exceptional circumstances would consideration be given to setting up a sub-Committee;

It would not always be necessary to have an evidence session for every issue;

Future consideration will be given to commissioning a research project into one of the major policy areas.

Current and forthcoming issues agreed and noted:

A briefing paper on the Corporate Strategic Framework for delivering government services electronically and Equality Impact Assessment will be provided for the Committee meeting on 26 September 2001;

The Bill of Rights Consultation Document will be researched and a paper will be considered by the Committee at a later meeting;

The Consultation Document prepared by the Department for Social Development on the Government's strategy for Support of the Voluntary and Community Sector was noted;

A briefing paper for the Consultation on the Executive's response to the Disability Rights Task Force will be provided for the Committee;

A Strategy for Victims will be considered by the Committee on 26 September 2001;

The European Scrutiny Committee (House of Commons) will be advised that the Committee is not yet in a position to respond to its Inquiry into democracy and accountability in the EU and the role of national parliaments, as the Committee is about to commence its own EU Inquiry;

The Review of Community Relations Policy will be considered by the Committee as a high priority;

The request by the Equal Opportunities Committee, Scottish Parliament, to meet the Committee of the Centre to discuss equality issues was agreed but the date would need to be re-arranged;

OFMDFM will be requested to inform Departments that MEP briefing papers should be forwarded to the relevant Statutory Committee. A list of all papers and those papers relevant to the Committee of the Centre should be forwarded to the Committee office staff periodically;

The Business Plan for the Civic Forum was noted;

The Consultation on the Beacon Scheme for the Northern Ireland Public Service was noted;

The update on the OFMDFM Equality Scheme was noted;

OFMDFM will be requested to provide timely information for the Committee in relation to future Monitoring Rounds;

The Equality Impact Assessment for 'A Guide to Evacuation in Northern Ireland' relating to Emergency Planning was noted;

The members asked for an update on the work of the Emergency Planning Unit. Mr Irvine asked for a copy of the Guide to Evacuation. Action: Clerk

Any other business

Letter from the Chairperson of the Employment and Learning Committee: Members considered a letter from the Chairperson of the Employment and Learning Committee about recommendations from the Inquiry Report into 'Education and Training for Industry'.

Agreed: - the final sentence of Recommendation 13 should read 'The composition of Governing Bodies should reflect the communities which they serve'. Action: Clerk

Date and time of next meeting

The members agreed that the next meeting of the Committee would be held on Wednesday, 26 September 2001 at the normal time of 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.20pm.

Councillor Edwin Poots
Chairperson, Committee of the Centre
26 September 2001
12 September 2001 / Menu / 26 September 2001