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TWENTY THIRD MEETING OF THE HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION, TRAINING
AND EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE 1. Apologies PRESENT: Dr E Birnie (Chairman) IN ATTENDANCE: Mrs E Sung, Ms A Colville, Mr C Jones 1. Apologies (Closed Session) Mervyn Carrick, Joan Carson, William Hay and Roger Hutchinson. Members in attendance and leaving early: John Kelly and Monica McWilliams. 2. Draft Minutes of Meeting on 14 September 2000 Agreed. Proposed: Joe Byrne. Seconded: John Dallat 3. Matters Arising 3.1 EQUAL Noted. Information provided by the Department was issued to all members. Details on the consultation process have been requested and should be available by the end of the month.
3.2 New Deal Noted. The Business Office is likely to set down the debate on the motion on New Deal for Monday, 25 September between 4.00 – 6.00 pm, although this may be brought forward, depending on the length of time spent on Ministerial statements. Additional research information, including data requested by the Chairman, would be sent to Members over the weekend. The Chairman will propose the motion and the Deputy Chairman will second it. Members were informed of the Minister’s response to the request for a copy of his correspondence to Tessa Jowells on New Deal. The Minister had only provided a summary, and had declined to provide the Committee with inter-Ministerial correspondence of this kind.
Noted and agreed. The Clerk will seek advice from the Speaker’s Office on the Committee’s right, or otherwise, to request inter-Ministerial correspondence, and whether any precedent has been set in the Scottish or Welsh Parliaments. Chairman will write to the Minister to determine why receipt of such correspondence is deemed inappropriate and reflecting the Committee’s view that sight of such correspondence is necessary for the Committee to perform its scrutiny role effectively.
3.3 Schedule for Future Meetings Agreed. Once the report on Student Finance was completed, the Committee would revert to weekly meetings on a Thursday. This would obviously affect the Forward Work Programme and Members would decide on priorities at the meeting on 28 September.
3.4 Student Finance Noted and agreed. A final draft of the Student Finance paper would be circulated to Members on 25 September. Once agreed, Members would consider the arrangements for a press launch. 4. Briefing by Mr George O’Doherty (Head of Finance & European Funding Policy Division in DHFETE) Mr O’Doherty briefed Members in open session on the budget management process, the DHFETE 2000/01 budget and public expenditure monitoring rounds, and the Department’s priorities for consideration in the Programme for Government. Questions relating to the quantum of bids in the Spending Review were answered, in closed session at the Department’s request.
Agreed. Members would discuss spending priorities within the Programme for Government at the meeting on 28 September and decide what advice should be provided to the Minister. The confidential information provided by Mr O’Doherty at today’s meeting would aid in this discussion. Members would also consider whether to ask for a future briefing on how the strands of the Programme for Government tied in with policy development within the Department. The absence of basic learning skills in school leavers was a major concern for the Committee and will be drawn to the attention of the Education Committee. 5. Chairman’s Business
5.1 DHFETE Equality Scheme
Agreed. Members will review the Minister’s response to the Committee’s recommendations on the Equality Scheme and the extent to which the Department took on board these recommendations in finalising the scheme. Any issues will be raised at a future meeting.
5.2 Letter from TEFL Agreed. A copy of the letter from TEFEL (QUB), along with a draft reply from the Chairman, would be copied to all Members for Thursday 28 September to facilitate a decision on how to proceed. 6. Any Other Business
6.1 Press Notice Agreed. Notice for meeting next Tuesday 26 September would be re-examined for issue after Tuesday’s meeting. The following points need to be emphasised:
6.2 Date of Next Meeting Tuesday 26 September at 2:00pm in open session to finalise Student Finance report. Meeting concluded at 4.30 pm.
ESMOND BIRNIE |