COMMITTEE FOR CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY 01 JULY 2010
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Declan O’Loan MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Trevor Clarke MLA
Mr Billy Leonard MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Raymond McCartney MLA
Ms Michelle McIlveen MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Apologies:
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Thomas Burns MLA
In attendance:
Dr Kathryn Bell (Clerk)
Miss Emma Patton (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Jonathan Lamont (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Christopher Baird (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in public session at 10.03a.m.
Members were advised that on the 28 June 2010 Mr Delcan O’Loan replaced Mr P J Bradley as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee.
Members were advised that the briefing sessions from the Minister in relation to Language Strategy and the NSPCC in relation to the Sexual Offenses Order (NI) 2008 will be covered by Hansard.
1. Apologies
The apologies are noted above.
2. Draft Minutes of 24 June 2010
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the Committee meeting of 24 June 2010.
3. Ministerial Briefing on a Language Strategy
The Committee noted the following documentation in relation to the language strategy:
- Papers from Pobal event 23 June 2010 (speaking notes of Vesna Crnić-Grotić),
- Vice-Chair of the Committee of Experts, COMEX report of 21/4/210,
- NI Human Rights Commission letter regarding European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; and
- DCAL Briefing paper.
The Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure and accompanying official joined the meeting:
Mr Nelson McCausland, DCAL Minister
Mr Donal Moran, Head of Languages Branch, DCAL
Mr McCartney joined the meeting at 10.23a.m
The officials briefed the Committee. This was followed by a question and answer session.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request information on the number of Ulster- Scots tutors in schools from the Department.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Human Rights Commissioner for Northern Ireland on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to return to this issue later in the year.
4. Matters Arising
The Committee noted the response from the Department to the Environment Committee and the Minister of the Environment in relation to road initiatives for sports organizations.
The Committee noted the response from the Minister on in relation to the Final Outturn for year ended 31 March 2010.
The Committee noted the response from the Department in relation to the Countryside Alliance’s concerns of the activity of foot hunting for hares.
The Committee noted the response from the Department in relation to the recent successes of golfer Graeme McDowell.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to congratulate Graeme McDowell on winning the US Open Golf Championships.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department for Regional Development in relation to road signage in Portrush.
The Committee noted the NI Affairs Committee’s recommendations of its report into television broadcasting in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to have briefings from broadcasters in relation to the recommendation of the report.
The Committee noted the letter from Dr McCutcheon and a tabled letter from Professor Crossland in relation to the sale of his historical archive.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Dr McCutcheon and Professor Crossland stating that the Committee can not get involved in commercial negotiations.
The Committee noted the Clerk’s report on an informal meeting held with representatives from the Music Foundation for Northern Ireland on 24 June 2010 in room 135, Parliament Buildings.
The Committee noted a press release from the ‘Groupment européen des sociétés d’auteurs et compositeurs’ on compensation on copyright disputes and a letter dated 2 June 2010 from the Music Foundation NI to the DETI Minister, Arlene Foster.
The Clerk briefed the Committee on the informal meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to ask what their current position on this issue is and to ask what contact it has had with the Music Foundation NI.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the ETI Committee enclosing a copy of the letter the Music Foundation NI recently sent to Minister Foster.
The Committee noted the tabled correspondence in relation to the Place Names Project at Queens University, Belfast.
5. Briefing from NSPCC in relation to the Sexual Offences Order 2008.
The Committee noted the briefing paper and the list of suggested questions.
The following representatives joined the meeting:
Mr Colin Reid, Policy and Public Affairs Manager
Mr Paul Stephenson, Child Protection in Sport Unit
Ms Kathleen Toner, Policy and Public Affairs
The representative briefed the Committee. This was followed by a question and answer session.
Agreed : The Committee agreed that it would write to the Department requesting that it provide Members with a copy of the report on the stakeholders’ event hosted by the Department in relation to the Sexual Offences Order 2008.
Mr Clarke joined the meeting at 11.35 a.m
Mr McCartney left the meeting at 11.35 a.m
6. Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2010
The Committee considered the statutory rule ‘ Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2010’.
Question put and agreed:
That the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure has considered the Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2010 and has no objection to the rule’
7. Assembly Research paper on arms length bodies vis-á-vis possible inquiry
The Clerk briefed the Committee on the findings of the research paper.
8. Chairperson’s Business
Members were advised that the Chairperson will attend the Ulster Youth Orchestra’s performance of Westside Story in the evening of 21 st August 2010 at Ulster Hall.
9. Correspondence
The Committee noted the memo from the Department in relation to its Review of Data Security.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward this information to the Committee for Finance and Personnel as requested.
10. Forward Work Programme
The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme.
The meeting moved into closed session.
11. Inquiry into participation in sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland
The Committee considered the draft report of the inquiry into participant in sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland.
The Committee agreed the front cover.
The Committee agreed the Membership and Powers.
The Committee agreed the Table of Contents.
The Committee agreed the Executive Summary.
The Committee agreed the List of recommendations.
The Committee agreed the Introduction - paragraphs 1 to 14 of the report.
The Committee agreed Chapter 1 - paragraphs 15 to 32 of the report.
The Committee agreed Chapter 2 - paragraphs 33 to 48 of the report.
The Committee agreed Chapter 3 - paragraphs 49 to 97 of the report.
The Committee agreed Chapter 4 - paragraphs 98 to 187 of the report.
Question put and agreed:
‘That the Report be the fourth report of the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee to the Assembly’
The Committee agreed that the draft report should go to print.
The Committee agreed the wording of the motion.
The Committee noted the memo from the Clerk to the Public Accounts Committee in relation the alleged funding irregularities by Sport NI.
12. Any Other Business
The Committee agreed to write to congratulate the Ulster Museums on winning theUK Arts Fund Prize.
13 . Date and time of next meeting
The Committee agreed to meet on Thursday 9 September 2010 at 10.30a.m in Room 21, Parliament Buildings, Ballymiscaw, Stormont.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.50 a.m