COMMITTEE FOR HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday 17 September 2009
Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Mr Jim Wells MLA (Chairperson)
Dr Kieran Deeny MLA
Mr Alex Easton MLA
Mr Sam Gardiner MLA
Mrs Carmel Hanna MLA
Mrs Dolores Kelly MLA
Mr John McCallister MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Mrs Michelle O’Neill MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA
Mrs Iris Robinson MP MLA
In Attendance:
Mrs Stella McArdle (Clerk)
Mr Mark McQuade (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Neil Sedgewick (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Joe Westland (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr David Irvine (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
The meeting commenced at 2.03 pm in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies as above.
2. Chairperson’s Business
The Committee agreed to allow Committee photographs to be taken for use by the Assembly information office.
The Chairperson welcomed back Mrs Iris Robinson to the Committee and referred members to Mrs Robinson’s declaration of interest. The Committee agreed to circulate a letter from Mrs Robinson to all members.
The Committee agreed that an evidence session on Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Efficiency plans to be held on 8 October 2009 would take evidence from Departmental officials and the Chief Executive of the Ambulance Service Trust.
The Committee agreed to ask Health Service Trade Unions to provide a briefing paper in advance of an evidence session on the implications of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
The Committee agreed that refreshments should be provided for informal meetings the Chairperson was holding with healthcare related groups.
The Committee agreed that the Chairperson should represent the Committee at a conference ‘The Caring Crunch Challenge’ on Wednesday 7 October and the GP Annual Awards at the end of November.
The Committee discussed recent reports regarding the Mid Ulster & Whiteabbey hospitals and agreed to write to the Minister, each of the Health and Social Care Trusts and the British Medical Association about the implementation of efficiency savings under the Comprehensive Spending Review.
3. Draft Minutes of the Meetings held on 10 September 2009
The minutes of the meeting held on 10 September 2009 were agreed.
4. Matters arising
The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister regarding his plans for a legislative framework on mental capacity & mental health. The Committee also noted that evidence sessions on the safeguarding bill and the legislative approach to mental health have been organised for 1st and 22nd October.
The Committee noted a response from Western Health and Social Care Trust about respite care for children in the Omagh and Fermanagh areas and agreed to write to the Trust for more information.
The Committee noted correspondence from Ireland Air Ambulance and agreed to write to the Minister seeking the Departments views on an air ambulance service, request a briefing paper on this subject from Assembly Research and return to this subject at a future Committee meeting. Members also agreed to write to Ireland Air Ambulance.
5. Briefing on proposed Autism Bill
Members took evidence from:
Dominic Bradley MLA Chairperson, All Party Assembly Group on Autism
Arlene Cassidy Chief Executive, Autism NI
Mrs Michelle O’Neill made a declaration of interest that she was a member of the All Party Assembly Group on Autism.
Mr John McCallistermade a declaration of interest that he was a member of the All Party Assembly Group on Autism.
A question and answer session ensued. The witnesses agreed to provide the Committee with additional information. The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.
The Committee agreed to invite the Department to brief members on its views on a proposed Autism Bill, write to other interested Departments seeking their views and to seek the views of charities working with autism. The Committee also agreed to write to the Chairpersons Liaisons Group about the proposed Bill.
3.06 p.m. Mrs Iris Robinson left the meeting.
3.30 p.m. Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting.
3.40 p.m. Ms Sue Ramsey rejoined the meeting.
3.51 p.m. Mrs Claire McGill left the meeting.
3.51 p.m. Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting.
3.53 p.m. Mrs Dolores Kellyleft the meeting.
6. Proposed Statutory Rules
Members were briefed on the proposal to make the
- The Food for Particular Nutritional Uses (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
- And the Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2009 by:
Mervyn Briggs Local Authority Unit, Food Standards Agency (NI)
The Chairperson thanked the witness for attending. Members agreed that the Food Standards Agency should proceed to prepare these Statutory Rules.
3.58 p.m. Mrs Claire McGill rejoined the meeting.
3.58 p.m. Ms Sue Ramsey rejoined the meeting.
3.59 p.m. Meeting adjourned.
3.59 p.m. Mr John McCallister left the meeting.
3.59 p.m. Mrs Michelle O’Neill left the meeting.
4.07 p.m. Meeting resumed.
7. End of session report
The Committee considered and agreed an end of session report for the 2008/2009 session. Members agreed that this should be placed on the Assembly Website.
8. Correspondence / Press Cuttings / Press Releases.
The Committee agreed that the Committee Clerk in consultation with the Chairperson would decide which reports should be included in the annex. Members would be made aware of all documents and reports through the annex cover page and that all documents would be available from the Committee office.
The Committee noted a copy of correspondence to the Minister from Relate NI regarding family violence and abuse.
The Committee agreed to forward correspondence from the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure regarding an inquiry about departments receiving revenues from the NIO Community Fund to the Departmental Assembly Liaison Officer.
The Committee noted an invitation to the Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) Carers’ Conference on 22 nd September.
The Committee noted a document from the Department providing details of the Northern Ireland waiting lists – June 2009.
The Committee noted copies of the Departments Resource Accounts for years ending 31 March 2008 & 31 March 2009. Members noted that the 2009 accounts have been qualified on account of two irregularities and that this was being investigated by the Public Accounts Committee. Members also noted that the 2008 accounts have been qualified due to one irregularity and that further information on this irregularity would be coming to the Committee.
The Committee noted copies of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Fire-Fighters Pension Scheme Resource Accounts for years ending 31 March 2007 & 31 March 2008.
The Committee noted a copy of the HSC Superannuation Scheme Resource Accounts for year ended 31 March 2008.
The Committee noted a copy of statistics from the Northern Ireland Substitute Prescribing Database: 31 March 2009.
The Committee noted a copy of the Northern Ireland Guardian Ad Litem Agency’s annual report and accounts 2008 – 2009.
The Committee noted a copy of Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency - statistics on Smoking Cessation Services in Northern Ireland: 1 April – 31 March 2009.
The Committee noted the August 2009 edition of BMA (NI) Briefing.
The Committee agreed that it would no longer receive a copy of Departmental press releases in the briefing for meetings. Members agreed to ask the Department to forward these electronically to Committee members. The Committee agreed that the Committee office should send a list of all health related media stories should be sent to members who required them
9. Any other business
No other business was discussed
4.19 p.m. the meeting moved to closed session.
4.35 p.m. Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting.
10. Consideration of draft Committee report on obesity
The Committee considered and agreed paragraphs 71 – 91 of the draft report.
The Committee considered and agreed paragraphs 92 – 99 and deferred consideration of paragraph 100 of the draft report.
The Committee considered and agreed paragraph 101 of the draft report.
The Committee considered and agreed paragraphs 102 – 107 and deferred consideration of paragraph 108 of the draft report.
The Committee considered and agreed paragraphs 109 – 128 of the draft report.
The Committee considered and agreed paragraphs 129 – 133 and deferred consideration of paragraphs 134 - 135 of the draft report.
The Committee considered and agreed paragraphs 136 – 192 of the draft report.
The Committee considered and agreed the executive summary of the draft report.
11. Date, time and place of the next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday, 24 September 2009 at 2.00pm in room 135 , Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 5.07 p.m.