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
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:
None

The meeting opened in closed session at 1.08 pm.

Apologies

There were no apologies.

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 19 January 2011

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2. Committee Consideration of the Report on the Review of Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

The Committee considered recent consultants’ report on the review of the EMA scheme which was commissioned jointly by the Departments of Education, and Employment and Learning. The Committee had deferred further consideration of the Review from its previous meeting on 19 January 2011.

1.20 pm Mr Chris Lyttle joined the meeting
1.21 pm Rev Dr Robert Coulter joined the meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department for further information on various aspects of the Review. The Committee also agreed to issue a press release reflecting its consideration of the issue.

The meeting moved into public session at 1.50 pm

3. Subordinate Legislation

The Committee considered SR 2011 No. 1, The Student Fees (Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011, which has been laid in the Assembly.

The Chairperson put the following question:

“That the Committee for Employment and Learning has considered the Student Fees (Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 (SR 2011 No.1) and, subject to a satisfactory report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules, has no objection to the Rule”.

The Committee divided: Ayes 7; Noes 3:

Ayes:
Mrs Dolores Kelly
Mr Jonathan Bell
Mr Sydney Anderson
Rev Dr Robert Coulter
Mr Chris Lyttle
Mr Pat Ramsey
Mr Peter Weir

Noes:
Mr Paul Butler
Mrs Claire McGill
Ms Sue Ramsey

The question was accordingly agreed.

1.57 am Mr Chris Lyttle left the meeting

4. Date, time and place of next meeting

The Chairperson reminded members of the study visit the following day to the Farm Lodge campus of the Northern Regional College in Ballymena. The Committee also agreed to proceed with an event in the Long Gallery on 16 February 2011 to explore the links between STEM and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 2 February 2011 at 10.00 am in Room 29, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 2.00 pm

Mrs Dolores Kelly
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
2 February 2011

19 January 11 / Menu