Present:
Mrs Dolores Kelly MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Bell MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Paul Butler MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Mr William Irwin MLA
Ms Anna Lo 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 Peter Weir MLA

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

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

The Chairperson welcomed Mr Jonathan Bell on his re-appointment to the Committee as Deputy Chairperson, and thanked Mr Trevor Clarke for his contribution to the work of the Committee. The Chairperson also thanked Peter Weir for his work as Deputy Chairperson of the Committee. The Chairperson went on to convey the Committee’s good wishes to Ms Anna Lo on her forthcoming wedding.

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 23 June 2010

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2. Briefing from the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People in relation to the NEETs Inquiry

Patricia Lewsley, Commissioner, and Jacqueline Melville , Policy and Research Officer, briefed the Committee on the role and function of the Commissioner, particularly in relation to young people who are not in education employment or training. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

10.08 am Mr William Irwin joined the meeting

10.28 am Mr Pat Ramsey left the meeting

10.32 am Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting

3. Subordinate Legislation

The Committee agreed to proceed with agenda item 8.

The Committee considered the following Statutory Rules which have been laid in the Assembly and are both subject to negative resolution:

• SR 2010 No 219: The Industrial Training Levy (Construction Industry) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010.

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory Rule 2010 No. 219, The Industrial Training Levy (Construction Industry) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, has no objection to the Rule.”

• SR 2010 No 221: The Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010.

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory Rule 2010 No 221, The Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, has no objection to the Rule.”

Agreed : The Committee also considered the SL1 relating to The Industrial Training (Construction Board) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010, and was content for the Department to make the Statutory Rule 

4. Matters Arising

• Costs of External Reviews

Agreed: Members noted the response from DEL to an Assembly Question which requested further information on the ongoing costs of reviews within the Department and agreed that the Committee Office should investigate the possibility of seeking comparative information for other Departments.

• University of Ulster pay cuts

Agreed: The Committee considered the reponse from the Vice-Chancellor of the University regarding the voluntary pay cuts taken by the senior management team and agreed to invite Professor Barnett to brief the Committee.

• Blacklisting of Trade Unions

Members noted the proposed Departmental consultation on the need for subordinate legislation to prohibit the blacklisting of trade union members in Northern Ireland.

• Implementation of MATRIX I and MATRIX II

The Committee noted the update provided by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment regarding the progress made on the implementation of the recommendations of the MATRIX I and MATRIX II reports.

5. Briefing from the Northern Regional College on its Business Plan 2010-2016

Mr David McClarty declared an interest as a member of Coleraine Borough Council.

The Committee was briefed by Trevor Neilands, Principal, and Claire Moore, Director of Finance, on the current consultation on the College’s Business Plan. Members also considered correspondence from Coleraine Borough Council regarding a motion passed by the Council supporting the retention of the Coleraine campus of the College. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11.17 am Mr David McClarty left the meeting

Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment regarding the involvement of FE Colleges in the formulation of an economic development strategy

11.35 am Mr Paul Butler left the meeting  

6. Chairperson’s Business

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

7. Departmental Press Notices and Press cuttings

Members noted a number of recent Departmental press notices

8. Briefing from Departmental officials on Success through Skills 2

Michael Gould and Sian McCleave, Skills Strategy Branch, provided the Committee with an update on the above strategy. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session. 

11.45 am Ms Sue Ramsey rejoined the meeting
11.55 am Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting

9. Any Other Business

• Joint DEL/ DE Consultation on Teacher Education

Members noted the above consultation and response documents

• Public Accounts Committee First Thematic Report

Agreed: Members noted the above Report

• Europe 2020 Strategy

Members noted correspondence from the OFMDFM Committee on the above strategy

• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - Action Plans

Agreed: Members noted departmental action plans developed by the Ministerial Sub-group on Children and Young People, and agreed to give these further consideration at the next meeting

• Public Appointment Procedures

Members noted correspondence from the HSSPS Committee relating to these procedures

• Forward Work Programme – for information
• Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme

• Student Loans (Amendment) Bill/ Employment (No.2) Bill

Agreed: The Committee agreed that motions seeking an extension of the Committee stage should be prepared for both of the above Bills

• Paper from Leslie Ross

Members noted a record of his evidence given to the Committee at its previous meeting regarding the situation at Quinn Insurance Ltd, which was supplied by Leslie Ross

• Research Excellence Framework
• Members noted the above update from the Department
• Proposed Changes to NIRAN

Members noted the response from the Minister to the Committee’s correspondence on proposed changes to NIRAN

• Review of Data Security in the NI Public Sector

Members noted the response from the Minister to the Committee’s correspondence on the above Review exercise

• Correspondence from the Construction Employers Federation (CEF)

Agreed: Members considered correspondence from CEF and agreed to arrange a briefing at a future date.

• Invitation from the Labour Relations Agency

Members noted the above invitation

• Enterprise Ulster – Final Accounts

Members noted the above Accounts.

12.03pm The meeting was suspended for a short break
12.13pm The meeting resumed in closed session

10. Briefing from Departmental officials on Budget 2010

Andrew Hamilton, Deputy Secretary, and Trevor Connolly, Director of Finance, briefed the Committee on the Department’s considerations in preparing a submission for Budget 2010. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

12.25pm Ms Anna Lo left the meeting

Agreed: Members agreed that officials would provide further information on specified Departmental costs

11. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 8 September 2010 in Room 135 Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.50 pm

Mrs Dolores Kelly
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
8 September 2010

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