COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY, 08 SEPTEMBER 2010
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mrs Dolores Kelly MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Bell MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Ms Anna Lo 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 Pat Ramsey MLA
Mr Peter Weir MLA

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

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above. 

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 30 June 2010

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2. Briefing from Rathbone in relation to the NEETs Inquiry

Paul Fletcher, Director of Policy, and Colm Fanning , Youth Engagement Team Leader, together with George Philips and Kevin Gallagher, young volunteers with Rathbone, briefed the Committee on the outcomes of workshops carried out in relation to young people who are not in education, employment or training. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Education Committee to request further information on issues raised by the workshops

10.58 am Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting

3. Matters Arising

• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Agreed: Members considered the five Action Plans developed under the work programme of the Ministerial Sub-Committee on Children and Young People, forwarded by the OFMDFM Committee, and agreed to request an update from the Department

• Allocation of Initial Teacher Education Places

Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Education Minister to Dr Anne Heaslett, principal of Stranmillis College, regarding the allocation of 2010/2011 Initial Teacher Education places, which was copied to the Committee for information. Members agreed to contact the Education Committee for an update on this issue.

• Apprenticeships Update

The Committee noted the most recent updates provided by the Department on apprenticeships and apprentice redundancies for July to September 2010.

• Holyland Inter-Agency Group Update

Members noted the Minister’s response to the Committee’s request to be kept informed on the development of the above Group.

• EU Funding for Research and Development

Mr Jonathan Bell declared an interest as a member of the Committee of the Regions.

Agreed: The Committee noted a response from Professor Richard Barnett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ulster, to a request for further information on barriers to accessing EU funding for Research and Development, and agreed to determine the extent of the support available at EU level to the universities in Northern Ireland

• Implementation of ‘Connected 2’

Members noted an update provided by the Department on the successful implementation of the Higher and Further Education Collaboration Fund, ‘Connected 2’.

• Programme Led Apprenticeships

The Committee noted an update from the Minister on the immediate plans for the Programme Led Apprenticeship scheme

• Blacklisting of Trade Unionists

Members noted a consultation document from the Department regarding proposed regulations to prohibit the blacklisting of trade unionists

4. The Employment (No.2) Bill and the Student Loans (Amendment) Bill: Motions for extension of Committee stage.

Agreed: Members agreed motions to extend the Committee stage of the Employment Bill (No.2) until 2 December 2010 and the Student Loans (Amendment) Bill until 11 November 2010.

11.15 am Ms Sue Ramsey re-joined the meeting

5. Briefing from Departmental officials on the Employment Bill (No.2) 2010

June Ingram, Director of Strategy and Employment Relations, and Tom Evans and Alan Scott, Employment Relations Policy and Regulation, briefed the Committee on the purpose and structure of the Employment Bill. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

6. Subordinate Legislation

The Committee considered the following proposed Statutory Rules:

• The Additional Paternity Leave Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (General) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoptions from Overseas) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Employment Rights ( Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (Application of Article 112BB to Adoptions from Overseas) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Additional Paternity Leave (Adoptions from Overseas) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Weekly Rates) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Birth, Adoption and Adoptions from Overseas) (Administration) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Social Security Contributions and Benefits ( Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (Application of Parts 12ZA and 12ZB to Adoptions from Overseas) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2003 (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay (Persons Abroad and Mariners) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2002 (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoption), Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoption) and Statutory Adoption Pay (Adoptions from Overseas) (Persons Abroad and Mariners) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Health And Social Care Employees) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
• The Work and Families ( Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2010
• The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010

Agreed: Members were content for the Department’s proposals to make these Statutory Rules

11.50 am Ms Anna Lo left the meeting

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

• SR 2010 No.233 – The Industrial Training (Construction Board) (Amendment) Order 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No.233 – The Industrial Training (Construction Board) (Amendment) Order 2010 and, subject to the ESR’s report, has no objection to the Rule.”

• SR 2010 No.234 - The Further Education (Student Support) (Eligibility) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No.234 - The Further Education (Student Support) (Eligibility) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010 and, subject to the ESR’s report, has no objection to the Rule.”

7. Briefing from Departmental officials on the September Monitoring Round

The Committee was briefed by Trevor Connolly, Director of Finance, and Maryann Smith, Financial and Business Branch, on the Department’s submission for the September Monitoring Round. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session, and Departmental officials undertook to provide further information on a number of areas.

8. Chairperson’s Business

The Chairperson provided a brief outline of her attendance at forthcoming meetings and events, and drew members’ attention to various invitations.

9. Correspondence

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

10. Departmental Press Notices

Members noted a number of recent Departmental press notices

11. Any Other Business

• DEL Quarterly Research Review

Members noted the above paper

• Review of NI Higher Education Fund(NI HEIF) 2 and Implementation of NI HEIF3

Members noted this update provided by the Department.

• Forward Work Programme – for information
• Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme, and, in particular, the two events scheduled for 6 October 2010 and the external meeting and related events planned for 20 October 2010 at the Magee campus of the University of Ulster.

12.48 pm Mr David McClarty left the meeting

• Transport for Disabled Students

Agreed: Members agreed to follow up on the issue of disabled students in Further Education who are unable to receive financial assistance towards their travel costs.

12. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 15 September 2010 in Room 29 Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.53 pm

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

30 June 10 / Menu