COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS:
WEDNESDAY 3 JULY 2002
SENATE CHAMBER AND ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Edwin Poots MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Oliver Gibson MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs Jnr MLA
Mrs Eileen Bell MLA
Dr Esmond Birnie MLA
Mrs Annie Courtney MLA
Mr Danny Kennedy MLA
Ms Patricia Lewsley MLA
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MLA
Mr Eugene McMenamin MLA
Mr Pat McNamee MLA
Dr Dara O'Hagan MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies:
Mr David Ervine MLA
In Attendance:
Ms Stella McArdle (Committee Clerk)
Mr Hugh Farren (Committee Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis
Ms Victoria Surplus
Ms Laurie Roberts
The meeting opened at 11.15am in public session in the Senate Chamber.
1. Apologies
Apologies are listed above.
2. Reinvestment and Reform Initiative
Ministerial Breifing
The briefing session began at 11.16am.
Mr McMenamin joined the meeting at 11.17am.
Dr McDonnell joined the meeting at 11.17am.
Briefing on the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative was taken from Mr Mark Durkan MLA, the Deputy First Minister, Dr Andrew McCormick, Second Permanent Secretary, DFP, and Mr Colin Jack, Economic Policy Unit, OFMDFM. The Deputy First Minister apologised that the First Minister had been unable to attend the meeting and gave an update on the progress of the Initiative, after which there was a question and answer session when members were able to raise issues of concern.
Dr McDonnell left the meeting at 11.35am.
Mr McNamee joined the meeting at 11.42am.
Mrs Courtney left the meeting at 11.43am.
Mr Gibson joined the meeting at 11.47am.
Mr McMenamin left the meeting at 11.49am.
Mr Shannon joined the meeting at 11.52am.
Dr McCormick left the meeting at 12.06pm.
Dr Birnie left the meeting at 12.08pm.
Mr McNamee left the meeting at 12.34pm.
The Deputy First Minister agreed that the Committee should receive progress reports from the Project Board as and when they become available.
Action: Clerk
The Deputy First Minister and Mr Jack left the meeting at 12.40pm.
The meeting was suspended at 12.40pm.
The meeting reconvened at 2.11pm in Room 144.
Mr Robinson joined the meeting at 2.11pm.
Dr Birnie rejoined the meeting at 2.17pm.
3. Chairperson's business
(a) New appointments to the Committee: The Chairperson informed members that Mr Pat McNamee and Dr Dara O'Hagan have replaced Mr Alex Maskey and Mr Conor Murphy on the Committee.
(b) Commissioned research: Members agreed that the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson could endorse the decision of the evaluation panel in relation to the recommended tenders for commissioned research.
Action: Clerk
4. Approval of draft minutes
The minutes from the previous meeting held on 26 June 2002 were agreed and signed by the Chairperson.
5. Matters arising
Review of Independent Economic Advice: Members considered and debated the proposal in the report of the Steering Group on the Review of the Northern Ireland Economic Council (NIEC) and the Provision of Independent Economic Advice and Research. Members also considered the responses received by the NIEC and Northern Ireland Economic Research Centre (NIERC) and noted the copies of responses to the Review from the Committee for Finance and Personnel, and Enterprise, Trade and Investment. Dr Birnie declared an interest in this issue having been employed for about ten years with the NIERC.
Mr Beggs left the meeting at 2.33pm.
Mrs Bell joined the meeting at 2.35pm.
The Committee deliberated on the issues raised in the correspondence and agreed that the Clerk should draw up a response based on the discussions.
Action: Clerk
Dr Birnie left the meeting at 2.50pm.
Ms Lewsley joined the meeting at 2.50pm.
6. Correspondence
(a) Correspondence from the Junior Ministers regarding the Executive Programme Fund for Children: Members noted the correspondence and commented that the application form was too large and complicated and that smaller groups could be disadvantaged.
(b) OFMDFM update on Freedom of Information: Members noted the correspondence.
(c) Letter from DHSSPS informing the Committee of the launch of the "Investing for Health" Strategy: The Committee noted the letter.
(d) Response from OFMDFM regarding the Position Report: Members welcomed the positive response about the secondments policy and agreed to keep a watching brief on this issue.
(e) Information on EU issues: Members noted that on 25 June 2002, MSPs will be addressed by Commissioner Chris Patton on the topic 'Should there be a European Foreign Policy?'
(f) Response from OFMDFM to the issues on the Corporate and Business Plan: Members noted the response. Members requested a financial audit of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, and the Civic Forum.
Action: Clerk
7. Committee Stage of the Commissioner for Children and Young People Bill
The Commissioner for Children and Young People Bill, having received its Second Reading on 2 July 2002, is now referred to the Committee for Committee Stage. In order that the Committee can begin its consideration of the Bill in the autumn members agreed that the Clerk should undertake some initial preparation over the summer recess:
Agreed
- The Public Notice inviting views on the proposals in the Bill should be placed in the press as soon as possible.- Those individuals and organisations that gave evidence to the Commissioner for Children Inquiry should be invited to comment on the provisions of the Bill.
- Appropriate oral evidence sessions will be arranged for the Committee meetings in the autumn including an invitation to the Commissioner for Children in Wales.
Action: Clerk
8. Review of Public Administration
Members considered and debated options on the way forward in relation to the Committee's scrutiny of the Review of Public Administration.
Agreed
- The Statutory Committees will be informed of the co-ordinating role of the Committee of the Centre in the Review of Public Administration.- A robust scrutiny of the Review will be conducted, research commissioned, best practice elsewhere considered, and a report produced by the end of 2002.
Action: Clerk
Mr Kennedy left the meeting at 3.00pm.
Mr Gibson left the meeting at 3.05pm.
The meeting was suspended at 3.05pm.
Dr O'Hagan joined the meeting at 3.22pm.
Mr Shannon rejoined the meeting at3.22pm.
Mr Gibson rejoined the meeting at 3.22pm.
The meeting reconvened at 3.22pm.
9. EU Affairs Sub Committee
Members approved and agreed that the EU Affairs Sub Committee should proceed as follows in looking at the remit and workload of a proposed Standing Committee on EU Affairs:
Agreed
- The Sub Committee will consider the type of membership for a Standing Committee on EU Affairs.- The Sub Committee should report to the Committee of the Centre by January 2003.
- The Terms of Reference are:
"To consider the remit, procedures and workload of a Standing Committee on EU Affairs"
- The key questions for consideration were agreed.
- The Public Notice was approved and agreed that it should be placed in the press as soon as possible.
- Oral evidence should be taken from academia, civic society, regional and national parliaments, and OFMDFM between September 2002 and November 2002, and written submissions invited from those organisation who contributed to the EU Inquiry.
- Members agreed that a best practice visit should be postponed.
- The Sub Committee report should be completed, agreed by the Committee of the Centre, and passed to the Procedures Committee in early February 2003.
Members also considered the response from OFMDFM to the recommendations of the Committee in its recent EU Report and agreed that the Sub Committee should invite OFMDFM officials to explain the rationale behind the rejection of some of the recommendations. The Sub Committee should also write to OFMDFM asking for an explanation as to why there has been little development in re-opening communication between the department and the Northern Ireland Centre in Europe.
Action: Clerk
10. Children's Strategy
Briefing by OFMDFM officials
The briefing session began at 3.30pm. Briefing on the proposed Children's Strategy was taken from Mr Chris Stewart, Head of Community Relations, Human Rights and Victims Division, Mrs Heather Stevens and Ms Nichola Drennan from the Human Rights Unit.
Dr O'Hagan left the meeting at 3.47pm.
The officials left the meeting at 4.01pm.
Members noted a letter from Sure Start about the Children's Strategy and agreed to invite representatives from the organisation to brief the Committee during its consideration of the strategy.
Action: Clerk
11. Any other business
Staff changes: The Chairperson informed the Committee that Ms Laurie Roberts will be leaving the Committee staff to take up a permanent position elsewhere and wished her well. Members also congratulated the Clerk, Ms Stella McArdle, on her forthcoming marriage.
Conference Invitation: Members considered a letter from OFMDFM about the annual UK-Italy bilateral conference, The Pontignano Conference, to be held 20 to 22 September 2002. Any member who would wish to represent the Committee at the Conference was asked to contact the Committee staff.
Action: Clerk
12. Date and time of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 4 September 2002 at 2.00pm in Room 144 Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.03pm.
COUNCILLOR EDWIN POOTS MLA
Chairperson, Committee of the Centre
3 July 2002