Present:
Mrs Dolores Kelly MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Bell MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Sydney Anderson MLA
Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA
Mr Chris Lyttle MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA
Mr Peter Weir 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

The meeting opened in public session at 10. 03 am.

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2010

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2. Briefing from Alternative Education Providers (AEP) in relation to the NEETs Inquiry

Mairead McCafferty, Programme Manager, Integrated Services for Children and Young People, Conor Kennedy, Manager, Open Doors, Louise Brennan, West Belfast AEPs, Integrated Services for Children and Young People, and Pamela Shields, Director, Newstart Education Centre, briefed the Committee on the work of the AEP Forum with young people who have disengaged from mainstream education. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

10.06 am Mr Chris Lyttle joined the meeting
10.07 am Mrs Claire McGill joined the meeting
10.23 am Mr Robert Coulter joined the meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed that Ms McCafferty would respond in writing to a number of questions raised by members

10.46 am Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting

3. Matters Arising

• Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration

Agreed: Members considered correspondence from the OFMDFM Committee which had been brought forward from the previous meeting, and agreed to consider a draft response at a later meeting

• European Commission Communication on the Rights of the Child

Agreed: Members considered further correspondence on this issue from the OFMDFM Committee, and agreed to write to the Department requesting a copy of its response to the Commission

• Briefing from Assembly Research on Reports from the NI Employment and Skills Advisor

The Committee received a briefing from Eoin Murphy, Assembly Researcher, on three Reports produced by the Northern Ireland Employment and Skills Advisor, on Improved Engagement of SME’s (Small to Medium Enterprises), Recovering the Unemployed and the Economically Inactive, and Improved Leadership and Management. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11.00 am Rev Dr Robert Coulter left the meeting

Agreed: Members agreed to invite the Northern Ireland Employment and Skills Advisor to brief the Committee

5. Correspondence

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

11.17 am Ms Sue Ramsey rejoined the meeting

6. Briefing from Student Union Presidents on the Student Loans (Amendment) Bill

Adrian Kelly, President, University of Ulster Students’ Union, and Gareth McGreevy, President, Queen’s University Students’ Union, briefed the Committee on their views on the Bill. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

11.31 am Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting
11.53 am Mr Pat Ramsey left the meeting

7. Subordinate Legislation

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

• SR 2010 No.296, The Additional Paternity Leave (Adoptions from Overseas) Regulations (NI) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No.296 – The Additional Paternity Leave (Adoptions from Overseas) Regulations (NI) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, recommends that it be confirmed by the Assembly.”

• SR 2010 No.297, The Additional Paternity Leave Regulations (NI) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No.297, The Additional Paternity Leave Regulations (NI) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, recommends that it be confirmed by the Assembly.”

• SR 2010 No. 298, The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoptions from Overseas) Regulations (NI) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No. 298, The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoptions from Overseas) Regulations (NI) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, recommends that it be confirmed by the Assembly.”

• SR 2010 No. 300, The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (General) Regulations (NI) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No. 300, The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (General) Regulations (NI) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, recommends that it be confirmed by the Assembly.”

11.56 am Mrs Claire McGill left the meeting

• SR 2010 No. 302, The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Weekly Rates) Regulations (NI) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No. 302, The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Weekly Rates) Regulations (NI) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, recommends that it be confirmed by the Assembly.”

• SR 2010 No. 303, The Employment Rights (NI) Order 1996 (Application of Article 112BB to Adoptions from Overseas) Regulations (NI) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No. 303, The Employment Rights (NI) Order 1996 (Application of Article 112BB to Adoptions from Overseas) Regulations (NI) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, recommends that it be confirmed by the Assembly.”

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

• SR 2010 No. 299, The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Birth, Adoption and Adoptions from Overseas) (Administration) Regulations (NI) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No. 299, The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Birth, Adoption and Adoptions from Overseas) (Administration) Regulations (NI) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, has no objection to the Rule.”

• SR 2010 No. 301, The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Health and Social Care Employees) Regulations (NI) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No. 301, The Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Health and Social Care Employees) Regulations (NI) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, has no objection to the Rule.”

11.59 am Mr Pat Ramsey rejoined the meeting

• SR 2010 No. 304, The Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoption), Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoption) and Statutory Adoption Pay (Adoptions from Overseas) (Persons Abroad and Mariners) Regulations (NI) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No. 304, The Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoption), Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (Adoption) and Statutory Adoption Pay (Adoptions from Overseas) (Persons Abroad and Mariners) Regulations (NI) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, has no objection to the Rule.”

• SR 2010 No. 306, The Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay (Persons Abroad and Mariners) Regulations (NI) 2010

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered Statutory 2010 No. 306, The Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay (Persons Abroad and Mariners) Regulations (NI) 2010, and, subject to the ESR’s report, has no objection to the Rule.”

Members were content to note SR 2010 No. 295 (C. 16), The Work and Families (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (Commencement No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010.

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. Departmental Press Notices

Members noted a number of recent Departmental press notices

10. Any Other Business

Forward Work Programme – for information

Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for September and October 2010.

11. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 29 September 2010 at 10.00 am in Room 29 Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.05 pm

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

15 September 10 / Menu