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 Pat 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 David McClarty MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA

The meeting opened in public session at 10.09 am.

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2011

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2. Briefing from Departmental officials on the February Monitoring Round and the Draft Budget 2012-2015

Mr Andrew Hamilton, Deputy Secretary, and Mr Trevor Connolly, Director of Finance, provided more detailed information on the draft Budget for 2012 – 2015. Officials also briefed the Committee on the Department’s bid in the February monitoring round.

10.55 am Mr Peter Weir joined the meeting
11.02 am Mr Chris Lyttle joined the meeting

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

3. Briefing from representatives of the University of Ulster on the Draft Budget

The Committee received a briefing from Mr Richard Barnett, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ulster, and Mr Peter Hope, Chief Finance and Information Officer, on the implications for Higher Education of the Draft Budget.

11.28 am Mrs Dolores Kelly left the meeting and Mr Jonathan Bell took the Chair.
12.03 pm Mrs Dolores Kelly rejoined the meeting and Mr Jonathan Bell relinquished the Chair
12.12 pm Mr Paul Butler left the meeting
12.26 pm Mr Chris Lyttle left the meeting

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

4. Matters Arising

• Children and Young People Transitions Action Plan

Agreed: Members considered a written briefing from the Department on the Children and Young People Transitions Action Plan and agreed to defer further consideration of this paper.

• Tier-Four Student Visas

Agreed: The Committee considered information provided by the Department on Tier-Four student visas, and agreed to request a briefing on this issue from INTO.

• Departmental Efficiency Delivery Plans

Agreed: The Committee considered correspondence from the Finance and Personnel Committee on year-to-date savings achieved under the Departmental Efficiency Delivery Plans and agreed to continue its monitoring of the DEL Plan

• Travel costs for Further Education students

Agreed: The Committee considered further information on travel costs for FE students from rural areas provided by the South-West College, and agreed to forward this to the Minister for comment

12.31 pm Mr Chris Lyttle rejoined the meeting

• USDAW ‘Freedom from Fear’ campaign

Agreed : Members noted a response from the Ministers for Justice, and Enterprise Trade and Investment, on the role of their Departments in promoting the principles of the above campaign, and agreed to continue with the Committee’s support for the 2011 campaign

• University Rates Charges

Agreed : Members considered further information from the University of Ulster on rates charges, and agreed to forward this to the Department for comment.

12.33 pm Rev Dr Robert Coulter left the meeting

• Ministerial response to RNID

Agreed: The Committee considered a response from the Minister to various issues raised by RNID during their briefing and agreed to forward this response to RNID for information

12.35 pm Mr Chris Lyttle left the meeting

• DSD Statutory Rule

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 that it was content for the Rule to be made.

12.36 pm Mr Pat Ramsey left the meeting

• House of Lords Newsletter

Members noted the January 2011 issue of the House of Lords Newsletter

• EMA Research Paper

Agreed : The Committee considered a House of Commons Research paper on the impact of EMA in England, and agreed that it should be forwarded to the Department for information.

5. Subordinate Legislation

The Committee considered the SL1 proposal, The Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010, and agreed that it was content for the Department to proceed to make the statutory rule.

6. Correspondence

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

7. 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.

8. Departmental Press Notices

Members noted a number of recent Departmental and other press releases.

9. Any Other Business

• Chairpersons’ Liaison Group

The Committee noted the key points from the meeting of the Chairpersons’ Liaison Group on 16 January 2011.

• St Mary’s College – Future Sustainability

Agreed : The Committee considered a consultant’s report on the future sustainability of St Mary’s University College, and agreed to request a briefing from the Principal of the College

• Global Youth Employment

Members noted a report from the International Labour Organisation on global youth employment issues.

• Draft Sustainable Development Plan

Agreed: Members considered the above Plan and agreed to request more detailed information from the Department.

• Forward Work Programme

Agreed : Members considered the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for February and March 2011, and agreed to request a number of additional briefings before the end of the mandate. Members also agreed to postpone the event planned for 1 March 2011.

10. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 9 February 2011 at 10.00 am in Room 29, Parliament Building

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.48 pm.

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

26 January 11 / Menu