COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY, 12 JANUARY 2011
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDING
Present:
Mrs Dolores Kelly MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Bell MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Sydney Anderson MLA
Mr Paul Butler MLA
Rev Dr Robert Coulter MLA
Mr Chris Lyttle MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mrs Claire McGill 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 Pat Ramsey MLA
The meeting opened in public session at 10.03 am.
Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2010
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
2. Briefing from the Minister on current issues for the Department
- Mr Danny Kennedy, Minister for Employment and Learning, together with Mr Alan Shannon, Permanent Secretary, and Mrs Catherine Bell and Mr Andrew Hamilton, Deputy Secretaries, briefed the Committee on a number of concerns including the budget situation and issues surrounding the funding of Higher and Further Education. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
10.10 am Mr Jonathan Bell joined the meeting
11.13 am Mr Peter Weir left the meeting
The Chairperson thanked the Minister for his offer to keep the Committee updated on the issues discussed.
11.16 am Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting
11.16 am Mr Paul Butler left the meeting
3. Matters Arising
- Committee response to the 2011 - 2015 Budget
Agreed: Members noted a memo from the Finance and Personnel Committee requesting a Committee view on DEL Budget proposals for inclusion in a collated Committee response, and agreed to consider a draft response at the next meeting
- Widening Participation in Higher Education
Agreed: Members considered further information supplied by the Department on the review of the strategy on Widening Participation in Higher Education, and agreed to reconsider the report at its next meeting
- Student Non-continuation Rates
Agreed: The Committee considered a paper from Assembly Research, together with information supplied by Queen’s University, on student non-continuation, or ‘drop-out’, rates at local universities. The Committee agreed to defer further consideration to its next meeting.
- December Monitoring Round bid
The Committee considered a response from the Minister for Finance and Personnel to its letter in support of the Department’s latest monitoring round bid and noted that he proposed to allocate an additional amount to the Department in recognition of the inescapable pressures arising from student support requirements.
- Use of Electronic Communication Devices in Meeting Rooms
Members noted a response from the Speaker regarding the use of electronic devices in Committee meeting rooms.
11.24 am Mr Paul Butler rejoined the meeting
- Mencap briefing – additional information
Members noted the receipt of further information from Mencap, subsequent to their briefing to the Committee, which is to be incorporated into correspondence with the Minister.
- Recommendations of the NI Skills Advisor
The Committee noted a response from the Department indicating how the recommendations of the Northern Ireland Skills Advisor are being implemented.
- Re-contracting for Training for Success and Apprenticeships NI
The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister regarding various concerns raised by stakeholders about the re-contracting for Training for Success and Apprenticeships NI.
11.26 am Ms Sue Ramsey rejoined the meeting
Agreed: The Committee considered a response from the Minister to correspondence highlighting the level of rates charged to local universities, and agreed to forward his response to the universities for comment
Members noted the above update for the month of January 2011
4. Correspondence
Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed responses.
5. Subordinate Legislation
- The Committee considered SR 2010 No. 399, The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) (Amendment No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010, which has been laid in the Assembly.
Question put and agreed:
“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered SR 2010 No. 399, The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) (Amendment No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010, and, subject to the Examiner’s Report, has no objection to the Rule”
- Members noted the public consultation document on the Agency Workers’ Directive, and agreed to consider responses received at the conclusion of the consultation period.
6. Chairperson’s Business
The Chairperson provided a brief outline of her attendance at informal meetings and events, and drew members’ attention to various invitations received.
7. Departmental Press Notices
Members noted a number of recent Departmental and other press releases.
8. Any Other Business
Agreed: The Committee considered the proposed Statutory Rule, The Social Security (Work-focused Interviews, etc.) (Equalisation of State Pension Age) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011, forwarded by the Social Development Committee, and agreed to defer further consideration to its next meeting.
- Legislative Consent Motion
Agreed: The Committee considered a Legislative Consent Motion in respect of the Education Bill 2011, and agreed that it was content with the proposed motion on a ‘without prejudice’ basis in advance of formal clearance by the Executive
- Rural Development Issues and Challenges in Northern Ireland
The Committee noted an Assembly Research paper forwarded by the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee on the above topic.
11.45 am Mr Peter Weir rejoined the meeting
- Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland
Agreed: Members considered the above investing activity report, and agreed to seek a more detailed update from the Department
- DEL Careers Service Annual Report
Members noted the above Annual Report for 2009-2010
- Child Poverty and Childcare Strategies transcript
The Committee noted a Hansard transcript of the briefing by the Junior Ministers to the OFMDFM Committee on the above strategies.
Agreed: Members noted the latest issue of the Stranmillis College newsletter, ‘StraNews’, and agreed to request an update from the Department on the progress of the proposed Stranmillis/ QUB merger
11.48 am Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting
Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for January and February 2011
9. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 19 January 2011 at 10.00 am in Room 29, Parliament Building
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.50 am
Mrs Dolores Kelly
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
19 January 2011
15 December 10 / Menu
