COMMITTEE FOR CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE
THURSDAY 5 JUNE 2008
ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley MLA
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Apologies:
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA
In attendance:
Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Mrs Elaine Farrell (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Angela Aboagye (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.07 am
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Apologies
Apologies are noted above.
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Draft Minutes of 29 May 2008
The draft minutes of the meeting held on 29 May 2008 were agreed.
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Matters arising from the minutes of 29 May 2008
The Chairperson reminded Members to complete their biographical forms for the purposes of updating the Assembly’s Website and return to Committee Office staff.
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Draft Minutes of 2 June 2008
The draft minutes of the meeting held on 2 June 2008 were agreed.
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Matters arising from the minutes of 2 June 2008
The Committee noted the correspondence from the Clerk to the Committee for Finance and Personnel on Departmental Submissions on Monitoring Rounds and the template and explanatory notes.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to forward the templates and explanatory notes to the Department and request that it uses them in all subsequent monitoring rounds.
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Chairperson’s Business
The Chairperson advised the Committee that he was interviewed on 4 June 2008 by Philip Campbell, an Irish Language broadcaster on the Irish Language Broadcasting Fund.
The Chairperson advised the Committee that he had accepted an invitation from Ofcom to a conference to be held on 6 June 2008 on the future of Public Service Broadcasting in Northern Ireland however he was now unable to attend. The Chairperson requested that another Committee member and the Clerk attend on his behalf to represent the Committee.
Agreed – the Committee agreed that Mr Francie Brolly and the Clerk would attend the Ofcom conference on 6 June 2008 on behalf of the Committee.
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Presentation from Assembly Research & Library Services on the devolvement of broadcasting
The Committee received a presentation from Miss Meadhbh McCann, Assembly Researcher, on the devolvement of broadcasting.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to seek clarification from Miss McCann on her comment in her research paper on devolved broadcasting regarding the Irish Language Broadcasting Fund providing services in Ulster-Scots.
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Presentation from Ofcom on Public Service Broadcasting Review
The following representatives from Ofcom joined the meeting:
Mr Stewart Purvis (Partner, Content and Standards)
Mr Denis Wolinski ( Northern Ireland Director)
The representatives made a presentation to the Committee on the Public Service Broadcasting Review.
Mr McCausland joined the meeting at 10.26 am.
Mr Robinson joined the meeting at 10.47 am.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to discuss the way forward on issues arising from the presentation at the meeting on 19 June 2008.
Agreed – the Committee agreed that individual Members would respond to the Ofcom consultation on the Review of Public Service Broadcasting.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister to seek an update on his communication with the Minister for Media, Culture and Sport in Westminster concerning the Irish Development Broadcasting Fund.
Mr Bradley left the meeting at 11.20 am.
Mr Bradley rejoined the meeting at 11.22 am.
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Presentation from Voluntary Arts Ireland
The following representatives joined the meeting:
Mr Stephen Brown (Chair of Voluntary Arts Ireland)
Mr William Clements (Committee Member)
Ms Brenda Kent (Chief Officer Voluntary Arts Ireland)
The representatives made a presentation to the Committee on Voluntary Arts Ireland.
Mr McCartney left the meeting at 11.45 am
Mr McCausland left the meeting at 11.46 am
Mr McCartney rejoined the meeting at 11.46 am
Mr McCausland rejoined the meeting at 11.49 am
Agreed – the Committee agreed to revisit the issue of representation on the Joint Forum for Arts at the meeting on 19 June 2008.
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Correspondence
The Committee noted the correspondence dated 29 May 2008 from the Minister on funding to Artability NI.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to await a reply from Artability NI which will clarify whether it has applied for funding before discussing the issue further.
The Committee noted the correspondence dated 30 May 2008 from the Minister on the launch of the Northern Ireland Strategy for Sport and Physical Recreation.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to seek a briefing from the Minister prior to the launch of the final strategy.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to Gymnastics NI to advise it of the Committee’s request to seek a briefing from the Minister prior to the launch of the final strategy.
The Committee noted the correspondence dated 27 May 2008 from National Museums NI on cruise ship passengers visiting museums.
The Committee noted the correspondence dated 20 May 2008 from the Minister on the funding issues of the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister to ask if he has considered the offer from EBLUL to the Department to provide independent advice on best practice in the rest of Europe with regard to language issues.
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Discussion on Terms of Reference for an Inquiry into the under-funding of arts
The Committee noted the draft terms of reference for an inquiry into the under-funding of arts and a number of amendments were agreed.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to commission research from the University of Ulster and Queens University which would help inform the Inquiry.
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Forward Work Programme
The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme
Agreed – the Committee agreed that there was no requirement for Hansard coverage for the meeting on 12 June 2008.
The Chairperson advised the Committee that the Clerk had spoken to the Department about provision of short briefing papers for the Committee to advise on what requests for funding have been made/ funding made available by the Department or NDPBs to organisations which are due to deliver briefings to the Committee.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to seek the information in order to provide background information regarding financial assistance in advance of presentations by various organisations.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to consider the format for the meetings of 26 June and 3 July 2008 at the meeting on 12 June 2008.
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Any other business
The Committee noted the Museums and Galleries (NI) Order 1998 which the Department currently operates under.
The Committee discussed the current position regarding the provision of copies of the Minister’s Statements in advance of delivery to the Assembly.
Agreed – the Committee agreed to seek a meeting with the Minister to discuss the provision of Ministerial Statements and to discuss the outcome of the recent statement on the Northern Ireland Events Company.
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Date and time of the next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure will be on Thursday 12 June 2008 at 10.00 am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.31 pm