Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure

End of Session Report 2010 - 2011

Remit and Powers

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure is a Statutory Departmental Committee established in accordance with paragraph 8 and 9 of the Belfast Agreement, Section 29 of the NI Act 1998 and under Assembly Standing Order 48. The Committee has a scrutiny, policy development and consultation role in respect of the Minister of Culture, Arts & Leisure and has a role to play in the initiation, consideration and development of legislation.

The Committee has the power to:

• Consider and advise on Departmental budgets and annual plans in the context of the overall budget allocation;
• Approve relevant secondary legislation and take the Committee stage of primary legislation;
• Call for persons and papers;
• Initiate inquiries and make reports; and
• Consider and advise on matters brought to the Committee by the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

The Committee has 11 members, including a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, with a quorum of 5 members.

The membership of the Committee since 9 May 2007 has been as follows:

Mr Barry McElduff (Chairperson)
Mr Declan O’Loan (Deputy Chairperson)
Lord Browne of Belmont
Mr Thomas Burns
Mr David Hilditch
Mr William Humphrey
Mr Kieran McCarthy
Mr Billy Leonard
Mr David McClarty
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr Pat Sheehan
Mr PJ Bradley replaced Mr Pat Ramsey with effect from 29 June 2009.

Mr David McNarry ceased to be the Deputy Chairperson and Member of the Committee with effect from 12 April 2010. Mr Declan O’Loan was appointed Deputy Chairperson with effect from 13 April 2010. Mr Thomas Burns replaced Mr P J Bradley as with effect from 24 May 2010. Mr P J Bradley replaced Mr Declan O’Loan as Deputy Chairperson with effect from 28 May 2010. Mr Declan O’Loan replaced Mr P J Bradley as Deputy Chairperson with effect from 28 June 2010.

Mr David Hilditch replaced Mr Trevor Clarke with effect from 13 September 2010. Mr Trevor Clarke replaced Mr Jim Shannon with effect from 15 September 2009.

Mr William Humphrey replaced Ms Michelle McIlveen with effect from 4 October 2010. Ms Michelle McIlveen replaced Mr Nelson McCausland with effect from 15 September 2009.

Mr Billy Leonard replaced Mr Francie Brolly with effect from 7 January 2010.

Mr David McClarty was appointed as a Member with effect from 13 April 2010. Mr Dominic Bradley ceased to be a Member with effect from 13 April 2010.

Mr Ken Robinson replaced Mr David Burnside with effect from 18 June 2007

Mr Pat Sheehan replaced Mr Raymond McCartney with effect from 13 December 2010. Mr Raymond McCartney replaced Mr Paul Maskey with effect from 10 March 2008.

This report covers the work of the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure from the 1 September 2010 to the 24 March 2011.

The Committee’s work programme for the session included a number of stakeholder events.

Committee activities, outputs and achievements

Committee meetings and visits

Of the 24 meetings convened by the Committee, 4 were held outside Parliament Buildings. The Committee has stated a preference for not meeting in closed session unless absolutely necessary and, as a result, has held 19 of its meetings entirely in open, public session.

During the session the Committee visited Beam Creative Network, Donaghmore where the Committee saw the various activities offered by the centre to the local Community including the theatre and the sports hall. In November 2010 the Committee visited Antrim Library. The Library has recently been refurbished and it gave the Committee an insight in to the work of Libraries NI. In January 2011 the Committee went to Mossley Mill, the Headquarters of Newtownabbey Borough Council. The Committee was given a tour of the museum which celebrated the work of the original flax mill at the site, and the new Theatre at the Mill, a community arts and cultural centre. In March 2011 the Committee held a meeting at Belmont Tower in East Belfast. The area is home to the author C.S. Lewis, who grew up nearby.

Irene Knox and Helen Osborn of Libraries NI welcome members of the Committee to Antrim Library	The Chairperson, Barry McElduff MLA and Thomas Burns MLA at BEAM Creative Centre, Donaghmore

In November 2010 the Committee was given a rare opportunity by NI Screen to visit HBO’s Game of Thrones set at the Paint Hall, Belfast. The Committee toured the various sets and workshops in the Titanic Quarter, and witnessed firsthand the production of local workers including set designers, prop makers and costume designers.

Inquiries and Reviews

Participation in sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland

During the Assembly year 2009 -2010, the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure commissioned an inquiry in ‘Participation in sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland’. The purpose of the inquiry was to identify and analyse the barriers to participation, and also to look at ways of getting adults to take part in more physical activity. The Committee also identified groups which have lower than average levels of participation in sport and the Committee recommended ways to target such groups. The report was published on Tuesday 15 September and debated in Plenary. The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure formally responded to the report, welcoming many of the 24 recommendations. Some of the Committee’s recommendations related to other departments such as DHSSPS, DETI, DEL and DENI and the Committee is currently monitoring the implementation of the Inquiry’s cross departmental recommendations.

Review into the Impact and Value of Museums in Northern Ireland

In November 2010, the Committee agreed to carry out a focused, short review on the impact and value of museums in Northern Ireland. The purpose of the review was to provide a supplementary report to the 2008/09 Museums inquiry. The review focused on assessing the economic and social impact and value of the museum sector in Northern Ireland. On 23 March 2011, the Assembly debated and agreed the report.

Legislation 

Justice Bill

Feb 10 – Sports Institute, UUJ

Although the Committee for Justice was the lead Committee in relation to the Justice Bill, the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure was asked to provide the Committee for Justice with its views on Part 4 of the Bill. Part 4 of the Bill holds nineteen clauses which relate to conduct of spectators travelling to and from, and attending Regulated Matches. Regulated Matches are defined in Schedule 3 of the Bill, as those organised by, the IFA, FAI, FIFA, IRFU, GAA and UEFA, although not all the clauses relate to GAA and IRFU. The Committee considered written evidence from a number of sporting bodies and received oral evidence from the Department of Justice and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure on 2 December 2010. The Committee suggested a number of amendments, mainly surrounding the definition of terms such as, ‘regulated grounds’, ‘drunk’, ‘chanting’ and ‘lawful excuse’ and requested that the use of laser pens should also be banned. The Committee response was forwarded to the Committee for Justice for consideration on the 10 December 2010.

Policy scrutiny

Stadia Development

The Committee continued to highlight its concerns over ongoing delays in Stadia Development. The business cases for stadia development for GAA, rugby and soccer were delayed due to governance issues within the IFA and the Committee met with senior representatives of the IFA on 2 December 2010. The Committee welcomed the Executive’s approval of the Department’s bid in Budget 2011-15 for Stadia Development but voiced concerns that delays had impacted on opportunities to host the preliminary stages of the football tournament of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2013 World Police and Fire Games.

Budget

Pupils from St Mary’s PS, Draperstown brief the Committee.

Throughout the comprehensive spending review period, the Committee engaged with a number of stakeholders as it was extremely concerned as to what impact the spending and saving plans may have on Sports, Arts and Culture. In September 2010 the Committee was briefed by the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Sport NI, the Arts Council for Northern Ireland, Libraries NI, National Museums for Northern Ireland, NI National Museums Council and NICVA. In November 2010, the Committee was briefed by the Construction Employer’s Federation and held a ‘Round Robin’ event with numerous arts groups who highlighted the detrimental impact that the proposed cuts would have on their organisations. On receipt of the draft Budget for DCAL, Members were briefed by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Northern Ireland Theatre Association in January 2011. In March 2011, the Committee held a special meeting for the children of St Mary’s Primary School, Draperstown, who briefed the Committee on the proposed closures to Draperstown Library, which is part of Libraries NI’s Stage II consultation ‘Meeting the demands for a Modern Public Library Service within Northern Ireland’. Three children gave evidence and this was the first time children of primary school age have presented to any Stormont Committee. The Committee, upon engaging with stakeholders and governmental agencies, urged them to put forward alternatives and think creatively as to how expenditure could be reduced without impacting jobs in the sector and the services that are provided to local communities. The Committee published a budget report, on the Committee website, which provides details on the Committee’s findings including evidence gathered from DCAL, its arms length bodies and other key stakeholders.

Draft Museum Policy

During Assembly year 2008-2009, the Committee published a report recommending that the Department produce a museums policy for Northern Ireland and was pleased to note that the Department went out to consultation on a draft museum policy. Members were concerned that the length of time taken to produce the draft policy was over two years. The Committee also commissioned several research papers, one of which analysed how many of the Inquiry’s recommendations had been met in the draft policy. DCAL undertook to address the issues raised by the Committee on 18 November 2010 and 27 January 2011. One of the areas of particular concern to the Committee was the definition of ‘Cultural Rights’ within the draft policy. Members agreed that more consultation needed to be carried out to ensure that the definition would not be ambiguous. The Minister then briefed the Committee on 17 February 2011 on the final policy and the section on ‘Cultural Rights’ was omitted with the view to returning to it at later date.

Pat Sheehan MLA, David Hilditch MLA and Ken Robinson MLA visit Theatre at the Mill	Members of the Committee with Jonathan Edwards CBE, who briefed the Committee on the London Olympics and Paralympics

Engagement - Informal meetings/events

Committee delegations held 4 informal meetings with various groups. During the session, the Committee received numerous requests to brief Members. However in some cases it was felt that an informal setting would better serve the aims and purposes of some groups. One of these meetings was between a committee delegation and representatives from the Jewish Community of Belfast to discuss their plans to open a Museum at the site of the old synagogue on Annesley Street in North Belfast.

The Committee also hosted a Round Robin meeting with a number of organisations to discuss various issues including the impact of Budget 2011-15. The Committee was particularly keen to meet with community arts groups which funding had been threatened to be reduced and especially those that cater for the artist development children and young people from disadvantages areas.

The Committee hosted a performance of “In Your Head” by Beam Creative Network. The play which raises awareness of mental health issues in young men was written by Emma Heatherington and directed by Sean Faloon.