COMMITTEE FOR CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2007
CENTRAL LIBRARY, BELFAST
Present:
Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
The Lord Browne MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
Apologies:
Mr Paul Maskey MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
In Attendance:
Mr Martin Wilson (Principal Clerk)
Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Alister Strain (Clerical Officer)
Mr Dara McGaughey (Research Service)
The meeting opened at 10.47am in public session.
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Draft minutes of the meeting held on 29 November 2007
Agreed – the draft minutes were agreed.
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Matters arising
The Chair referred members to the correspondence from the Old Museums Arts Centre regarding the arts allocation in the Draft Budget 2008 -2011.
The Clerk advised members that the Hansard transcript from 22 November 2007 concerning the Northern Ireland Events Company would be available from 1pm on Friday 7 December 2007, and would be forwarded to members.
Mr Shannon joined the meeting at 10.52am.
Agreed – the Committee agreed that its Christmas card would contain a greeting in English, Irish and Ulster Scots.
Agreed – the Committee agreed that the Chair would raise the issue of committee Christmas cards at the Chairpersons Liaison Group, and ask that other options for committees to mark the Christmas season be explored.
Mr McCausland left the meeting at 10.56am.
Mr McCausland rejoined the meeting at 10.59am.
The Chair advised members that a response to the Committee’s request for the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s historical spend was currently being prepared by the Department.
The Chair advised members that a response to the Committee’s request for the breakdown of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s Draft Budget allocations was currently being prepared by the Department.
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December monitoring
The following officials from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure briefed the Committee on the Department’s proposed return to the December monitoring round:
Mr Anthony Carleton
Ms Deirdre Lundy
Mr Phillips WilsonThis was followed by a question and answer session.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to ask how many posts were potentially covered by the Department’s bid for £980,000 to cover redundancies related to the establishment of the Northern Ireland Library Authority.
Lord Browne joined the meeting at 11.16am.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to request a breakdown of the capital and resource underspends for 2006-2007, along with an explanation for each underspend.
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Libraries Bill (NIA 5/07)
The following witnesses attended:
Mr Colin Jack (Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure)
Ms Julie Mapstone (Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure)
Mr Noel Kelly (Departmental Solicitors Office)The Committee continued its clause by clause scrutiny of the Bill.
Clause 2 – Duty of Authority to provide library service
‘Question put and agreed:
‘That the Committee agrees with the Minister’s proposal as described in his letter of 27 November 2007 which is before the Committee’.
Schedule 1 – The Northern Ireland Library Authority
Paragraph 2 (Membership)Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister with its proposal outlining the Committee’s views regarding the membership of the Library Authority.
Schedule 2 – Staff transfers
Paragraph 2 (Creation and apportionment of property, rights and liabilities etc.)
Agreed: that the Committee is content with the paragraph as drafted.
Paragraph 3 (Creation and apportionment of property, rights and liabilities etc.)
Agreed: that the Committee is content with the paragraph as drafted.
Paragraph 5 (Continuity)
Agreed: that the Committee is content with the paragraph as drafted.
Paragraph 6 (Continuity)
Agreed: that the Committee is content with the paragraph as drafted.
Paragraph 7 (Continuity)
Agreed: that the Committee is content with the paragraph as drafted.
Paragraph 8 (Continuity)
Agreed: that the Committee is content with the paragraph as drafted.
Paragraph 9 (Incidental provision)
Agreed: that the Committee is content with the paragraph as drafted.
Paragraph 10 (Interpretation)
Agreed: that the Committee is content with the paragraph as drafted.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure seeking his assurance that he is satisfied with the legal advice provided by Departmental Solicitors Office in relation to Schedule 2 (1) and Schedule 2 (4).
Schedule 3 – Amendments
‘Question put and agreed:
‘That the Committee accepts that this is a technical matter and that these amendments are necessary and consequent upon this legislation, and that the Committee is content to leave this with the Department and the draughtsman’.
Schedule 4 – Repeals
‘Question put and agreed:
‘That the Committee accepts that this is a technical matter and that these repeals are necessary and consequent upon this legislation, and that the Committee is content to leave this with the Department and the draughtsman’.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to invite the Chief Executive Designate of the Library Authority to brief the Committee on the proposed operational structure of the Library Authority on 17 January 2008.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to continue consideration of the Bill at its next meeting.
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Committee response to consultation on Strategy for Sport 2007 -2017
Mr Dara McGaughey from Research Service briefed the Committee on his paper on the Strategy for Sport 2007 – 2017. This was followed by a detailed discussion on the Strategy for Sport 2007-2017 consultation document.
Agreed – the Committee agreed that the Clerk would draft a response to the Strategy for Sport 2007 – 2017 based on the Committee’s discussions, for consideration at the next meeting of the Committee.
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Forward work programme
The Chair referred members to the forward work programme for January 2008 to June 2008.
Agreed – the Committee agreed consider the draft work programme and revisit the issue at its next meeting.
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Any Other Business
Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to Belfast Education and Library Board to thank it for hosting the Committee’s meeting at Belfast Central Library.
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Date and time of next meeting
Agreed: The Committee agreed to hold its next meeting on Thursday 13 December 2007 at 10.00am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.53pm.