MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND MEETING OF THE HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION,
TRAINING & EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE

IN ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS ON
THURSDAY, 13 JANUARY 2000

Present: Dr E Birnie (Chairman)
Mr M Carrick (Deputy Chairman)
Mr R Beggs (Jnr)
Mr J Byrne
Rev R J Coulter
Mr J Dallat
Mr W Hay
Mr R Hutchinson
Mr J Kelly
Ms M McWilliams
Mrs M Nelis

In attendance: Mr J Torney, Mrs C Darrah, Ms A Colville, Mrs D Williams, Mr N Dunseith

1. Minutes of Previous Meeting

The revised minutes of the committee meeting of 16 December were agreed.

2. Matters Arising

(i) The Chairman reminded members that they should submit details of relevant pecuniary and other interests to the Clerk if they had not already done so. He also asked members to declare their interests at the meeting as a matter of record:

Dr Birnie: Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast - currently on leave of absence. Member of Association of University Teachers.

Mr Joe Byrne: Lecturer at Omagh College of Further Education - currently not practising. Member of National Association of School Masters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT).

Rev Coulter: Member of the Court of the University of Ulster (unpaid), Councillor, Ballymena Borough Council. Receives a pension from Department of Education.

Mr Hay: Local Councillor on Londonderry City Council and

member of the Court of the University of Ulster (unpaid).

Ms McWilliams: Professor at University of Ulster - currently not practising. Member of Association of University Teachers.

(ii) The press release which had been agreed at the previous meeting was issued.

Agreed:

A short press release will be issued after each meeting.

Agreed:

Members will receive a copy of all press releases pertaining to Committee business.

Agreed:

The Clerk will make arrangements for Committee members to receive a copy of any press statements made by the Minister.

(iii) The Chairman advised members that they may wish to raise the question of how the Department intends to handle the comments received on the Department of Education’s consultation document "Learning for Tomorrow’s World", and the Committee’s input into the process, with the Permanent Secretary during his presentation on 13 January.

(iv) The Chairman informed members that he was waiting on a response in respect of the Committee’s request to have a list of the Minister’s public engagements both retrospectively and prospectively.

(v) The Chairman advised members that a draft Ministerial Code is currently being considered by the Executive. This Code will provide instructions to all Departments regarding informing relevant Assembly Members when a Minister makes a Departmentally-related visit to their constituency.

Agreed:

(vi) Committee meetings will normally be held on Thursday afternoons starting at 2.00 pm.

3. Presentation by the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment

The Chairman warmly welcomed Mr Alan Shannon, Permanent Secretary, Mr Ian Walters, Chief Executive, Training & Employment Agency, Dr Robson Davison, Director of Further & Higher Education Division and Mr Roy Gamble, Director of Industrial Relations & Equality Branch on behalf of the Committee. Officials gave a presentation which focused on the work of the new Department with particular emphasis on key Departmental priorities and issues. Following the presentation there was a question and answer session. The Chairman thanked the Permanent Secretary and officials for their informative presentation. He said that the Committee would look forward to engaging in a productive relationship with the Department in the future. The officials then left the meeting.

4. Chairman’s Business

Agreed:

The Committee agreed the following schedule of events for Committee meetings in January and early February:

• The Minister will be invited to attend the meeting on 20 January to meet Committee members and discuss key priorities and issues. The meeting will be open.

• The Northern Ireland Economic Council will be invited to give a presentation to the Committee on 27 January. The meeting will be open.

• Representatives from NUS-USI (The Northern Ireland Office of the National Union of Students (UK) and the Union of Students in Ireland) and the AUT (Association of University Teachers) will be invited to address the Committee on 3 February. The meeting will be open.

• The Committee will visit Magee University Campus on 10 February and East Antrim Institute on 17 February.

• Representatives from NATFHE (National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education) will be invited to address the Committee, on a date to be arranged.

(ii) Agreed:

The Chairman will write to the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training & Employment regarding the Department’s consideration of student finance and the CUBIE Report, and to record the Committee’s continuing interest in this area.

(iii) Agreed:

Consideration will be given to identifying one or two key areas which could be the subject of Committee enquiries.

5. Date of Next Committee Meeting

The third meeting of the Committee will be held at 2.00 pm on Thursday, 20 January in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

6. Any Other Business

(i) Agreed:

The Clerk will request a detailed breakdown of the proposed spend of the £1·1 million allocated to the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training & Employment from the re-allocation of funds agreed by the Executive on 11 January.

DR ESMOND BIRNIE
Committee Chairman