Present:
Mrs Dolores Kelly (Chairperson)
Mr Peter Weir (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Paul Butler MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Peter Hall (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Sheila Mawhinney (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Miss Pauline Devlin (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Bill Kinnear (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr Trevor Clarke MLA
Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA
Mr William Irwin MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA

The meeting opened in public session at 10. 05 am.

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 14 April 2010

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2. Briefing from officials from the Departments for Social Development and Employment and Learning on the Welfare Reform Bill

Margaret Sisk, Department for Social Development, and Jim Russell, Department for Employment and Learning, briefed the Committee on the aspects of the Welfare Reform Bill which fall within the remit of DEL. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

Agreed: Members agreed to contact the Department to reiterate their concerns about the impact on disabled people; to write to the Committee for Social Development outlining the issues raised at the meeting; and, to obtain an update from the Office of the First and Deputy First Minster on the progress of the publication of a Child Care strategy

3. Briefing from a representative of the School Completion Programme in relation to the NEETs Inquiry

Marlene Rice, co-ordinator of the North Monaghan School Completion Programme, briefed the Committee on the work of the Programme in engaging with young people to ensure that they complete their education. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

Agreed : The Committee agreed to obtain further information from different jurisdictions on the success of programmes specifically targeted at young people in danger of dropping out of formal education

4. Proposed merger between Queen’s University and Stranmillis College

Agreed : The Committee considered further information on the proposed merger and agreed to write to the Department for Employment and Learning expressing its concerns about the Equality Impact Assessment

5. Primary Legislation

The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister for Employment and Learning indicating that he will no longer include in the Employment Bill amendments proposed by the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development.

6. Matters Arising

• Responsibility of Private Landlords in Scotland

Agreed: Members considered an Assembly Research paper on the responsibility of landlords in Scotland for the anti-social behaviour of their tenants, in the context of recent problems in the Holyland area of Belfast, and agreed that this paper should be forwarded to the Department for comment and that further research should be requested.

• In-year Monitoring Guidelines 2010-2011

Agreed: The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel and agreed that it was content with the draft section of the Guidelines, ‘Engagement with Committees’.

7. Chairperson’s Business

Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed responses.

8. Departmental Press Notices and Press cuttings

Members noted a number of recent Departmental press notices and other extracts from the local press.

9. Any Other Business

• DSD SL1

Agreed: The Committee considered the proposal, The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments No.4) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010, and was content for the Department for Social Development to make the statutory rule.

• Forward Work Programme – for information

Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for the period of April to June 2010.

10. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 12 May 2010 at Malone House, Barnett Demesne, Belfast.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.25 am

Mrs Dolores Kelly
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
12 May 2010

24 March 10 / Menu