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HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT Committee 1. Apologies Present: Dr Esmond Birnie MLA (Chairperson) In Attendance: Dr Andrew C Peoples (Committee Clerk) Apologies: Mr John Kelly MLA Meeting opened at 2.10pm in public session. 1. Apologies Apologies are listed above. 2. Approval of draft minutes of previous proceedings Agreed. Proposed: John Dallat. Seconded: Joe Byrne. 3. Matters arising from meeting of 18 January 2001 The Minister’s response on the possible application of the Blunkett package for Higher Education was considered. A summary of the Chair and Deputy Chair’s informal meeting with the Minister during the week was tabled. The Minister offered to attend on 1 February, to obtain the Committee’s view of his proposals on Student Support. He would also return once the Department of Finance and Personnel had carried out an appraisal of his proposals, to discuss these in detail. Dr Farren also invited the Committee to Adelaide House for an informal briefing by officials on the workings of his Department. The Committee agreed to the Minister’s offers. Next week’s meeting will commence at 1.30pm, with the Minister being invited to attend at 2.00pm. An evidence session from the University of Ulster would follow at 3.30pm. The Committee agreed that Professor Osborne would be asked to attend next week’s meeting and prepare a short, structured paper highlighting areas of agreement and divergence, between the Minister’s Student Support proposals and those of the Committee. This will be used to focus the Committee’s response to the Minister’s proposals. Action: Clerk. The visits to both Craigavon and Newry and Mourne District Councils, included on the draft Work Programme, would be half day visits, with the Committee lunching at the venue, and having a short business meeting, before taking evidence for their Inquiry. Action: Clerk. The response on the Review of Legislative Procedures was agreed. Action: Clerk. Ms McWilliams’ letter from Mr Durkan, Minister for Finance and Personnel, was considered. It raised issues regarding the £63m for New Deal, transferred from DHFETE’s Departmental Expenditure Limit. Members could raise this with officials at the proposed briefing in Adelaide House. Members considered the Clerk’s note on precedent for interventions during a debate and noted that a Minister was not obliged to give way. 4. Chairperson’s Business Members noted the Executive Summary of Callender and Kemp’s UK-wide research on "Changing Student Finances." However, the sample used was not statistically valid to compare the situation in Northern Ireland with other regions. The Chair’s summary of the major questions to be addressed by the Inquiry was considered. Members could discuss this paper at a future meeting. It was agreed that the Committee would visit Denmark from Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 March 2001 as detailed in the Clerk’s note and that this would be open to all members. The Clerk would determine individual members’ availability on these dates. Action: Clerk. 5. Evidence from the Open University As part of the Committee’s Inquiry into "Education and Training for Industry," the Committee took evidence from Dr Rosemary Hamilton (Director), Mr Gary Sloan (Assistant Director of Development) and Mrs Hilary Carlisle (Student Adviser), from the Open University. 6. Correspondence Members noted the change to the organisational structure of the Further, Higher Education and Student Support Division within DHFETE. The Chairperson was concerned that, whilst this may have been unavoidable due to workloads, the change could affect the integration of Further and Higher Education policy. It was agreed that this could be further explored at the informal briefing in Adelaide House. The Committee considered the financial accounts for Further Education Colleges for 1999/2000. They requested research on the Accounts, including a comparison with last year’s figures, to highlight any areas which should be drawn to the Committee’s attention. Members noted several individual requests to give evidence to the Committee. It was agreed that both the Northern Ireland Master Plumbers Association and the Northern Ireland Textile and Clothing Training Council could be asked to give evidence, as these were particularly relevant to the Inquiry. Action: Clerk. The Clerk would acquire Derry City Council’s Report on the potential contribution of the education sector to developing the local economy, which was referred to in their letter, and inform them that the Committee could meet them later in the year, following the conclusion of the Inquiry. Action: Clerk. Letters would also be issued to Garden Reach and the Northern Ireland Foyer Network, stating the Committee’s policy that they could not normally advocate individual cases, but that individual MLAs within the Committee may well do so. Copies of Garden Reach’s Business Plan would be retained in the Committee Office for members’ reference. Action: Clerk. 7. Any other business None. 8. Date and time of next meeting The next meeting of the Committee is to be held on Thursday, 1 February 2001 at 1.30pm in Room 152 in Parliament Buildings. The Minister would be asked to attend at 2.00pm. The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.00pm. Dr Esmond Birnie MLA 1 February 2001 |