COMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYMENT AND LEARNING
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2010
ROOM 29, 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
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)
Ms Antoinette Bowen (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA
The meeting opened in public session at 10.05 am.
Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2010
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
2. Briefing from Departmental Officials on the Comprehensive Spending Review
This briefing did not proceed as Departmental officials requested that the session should be re-scheduled for 24 November 2010.
3. Matters Arising
Members noted an update on the current situation with regards to continuing and redundant apprenticeships, and commended the Department for expanding this report to provide the additional information requested by the Committee.
Agreed: The Committee considered a response from the Department of Finance and Personnel outlining the role of the SEUPB in highlighting programmes and funding available from the EU and agreed to write to DFP for further information on events held by the SEUPB to raise awareness of EC funding.
10.08 am Mr Sydney Anderson joined the meeting
- Response from the University of Ulster
10.10 am Mr Chris Lyttle joined the meeting
Agreed: Members considered correspondence from the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ulster in response to queries which arose in the course of his briefing to the Committee at the meeting held at Magee College, and agreed to investigate further the issue of running costs for the universities.
10.13 am Mr Jonathan Bell joined the meeting
- Response from DEL Careers Service
Members noted a response from the Department to queries raised when the Careers Service gave evidence to the Committee for its NEETs Inquiry.
- Response from the Department of Education
The Committee noted information provided by the Department of Education in response to a Committee query.
- Committee for Education: Statutory Rules
Members noted a number of Statutory Rules relating to compensation for redundancies and premature retirement for teachers, which had come under the scrutiny of the Education Committee
- Proposed Redundancies in FE Colleges
Agreed: The Committee considered correspondence from CollegesNI (ANIC) in response to members’ requests for further information on redundancies, and agreed to request a meeting with BMC to discuss this issue
4. Correspondence
The Committee agreed to proceed with agenda item 5.
Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed responses.
5. Chairperson’s Business
The Committee agreed to proceed with agenda item 7.
The Chairperson provided a brief outline of her attendance at informal meetings and events, and drew members’ attention to various invitations received
6. Departmental Press Notices
The Committee agreed to proceed with agenda item 8.
Members noted a number of recent Departmental press releases
7. Any Other Business
The Committee agreed to proceed with agenda item 9.
- DEL Resource Accounts Year Ended 31 March 2010
Agreed : The Committee considered the above Accounts and agreed that any issues raised by members would be considered at a subsequent meeting
Agreed: Members considered various items of correspondence from the Students’ Union of Queen’s University, Belfast, relating to the subvention of the Student Support Fund by DFP and DEL, and agreed to contact the Committee for Finance and Personnel for further clarification. The Committee also agreed to return to the issue at a later date.
- Forward Work Programme
- Agreed : Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for November and December 2010, and agreed to consider 7 December 2010 as a provisional date for the publication of the report on the Committee’s NEETs Inquiry.
8. Briefing from the Labour Relations Agency on the Employment (No.2) Bill
The Committee agreed to return to agenda item 4.
Bill Patterson, Jim McCusker, Penny Holloway and Gordon Parkes briefed the Committee on the provisions of the Employment (No.2) Bill and other related issues. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
11.00 am Mr David McClarty and Mr Peter Weir left the meeting
11.27am Mr Pat Ramsey and Mr Jonathan Bell left the meeting
9. Briefing from Departmental Officials on the Employment (No. 2) Bill
The Committee agreed to return to agenda item 6.
Members were briefed by June Ingram, Director of Strategy and Employment Relations Division, and Tom Evans and Alan Scott, both from Employment Relations Policy and Regulation Branch, on issues which have arisen during the Committee’s scrutiny of the Employment (No.2) Bill. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
11.31 am Mr Jonathan Bell rejoined the meeting
11.32 am Rev Dr Robert Coulter left the meeting
11.39 am Mr Chris Lyttle left the meeting
11.58 am Mr Paul Butler left the meeting
10. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 17 November 2010 at 10.00 am in Room 29, Parliament Building
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.00 pm
Mrs Dolores Kelly
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
17 November 2010
03 November 10 / Menu
