Present:
Mrs Dolores Kelly (Chairperson)
Mr Peter Weir (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Ms Sue 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 Paul Butler MLA
Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA
Mr William Irwin MLA
Mr David McClarty

The meeting opened in public session at 10. 06 am.

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 12 May 2010

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2. Department for Social Development - Welfare Reform Bill

Agreed: The Committee considered evidence from previous meetings, and agreed on a response on the above Bill which should be forwarded to the Committee for Social Development

3. Student Loans (Amendment) Bill

Members noted correspondence from the Minister introducing the above Bill

4. Matters Arising

• North Down Training Ltd
  Agreed: The Committee considered statistical information provided by North Down Training Ltd further to their briefing at the previous meeting, and agreed that it should be included as evidence in the NEETs inquiry report.
• Update on Quinn Redundancies
  Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department indicating the work being undertaken with regard to anticipated redundancies at Quinn Insurance, and agreed that the Committee should travel to Fermanagh for a study visit on this issue
• Employment Bill
  Members noted correspondence from the Department indicating the date for the next stage of this legislation. Members further noted the details of Amendments to be tabled by the Minister.

10.40 am The meeting adjourned while the public gallery was extended.

10.42 am The meeting resumed

5. Chairperson’s Business

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

6. Departmental Press Notices and Press cuttings

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

7. Any Other Business

• Scrutiny of the Executive Budget and Expenditure
  Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel on its inquiry into the role of the Assembly in the scrutiny of the Executive Budget and Expenditure, and agreed to consider a response at its next meeting
• European Commission Newsletter
  Members noted the latest bulletin of the above publication
• Forward Work Programme – for information
  Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for the period of May to June 2010.

8. Briefing from Include Youth and NIACRO in relation to the NEETs Inquiry

Olwen Lyner, Chief Executive of NIACRO, and Heather Reid and David Murphy, also from NIACRO, together with Claire Meenehan, Anna Schulz and Koulla Yiasouma, representatives from Include Youth, provided the Committee with a joint briefing on alternative provision for young people and interaction with the youth justice system.

11.00 am Ms Sue Ramsey joined the meeting

9. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held at 10.00 am on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings, Belfast.

The Chairperson, on behalf of the Members, expressed her thanks to Ms Yan Liu, Assembly Research Officer, for her contribution to the work of the Committee and conveyed her best wishes for the future as Ms Liu returns to China.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.50 am

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

12 May 10 / Menu