MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS AT 2.00 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY, 21 JUNE 2000

1. Chairperson's Opening Remarks
2. Minutes of Last Meeting
3. Matters Arising
4. Presentation by Putting Children First
5. Subordinate Legislation
6. Any Other Business
7. Date and time of next meeting

Present: Dr J Hendron (Chairman)
Mr P Berry
Mrs J Carson
Mr T Gallagher (Deputy Chairman)
Mr J Kelly
Mr A McFarland
Ms M McWilliams
Ms S Ramsey

Apologies: Ms P Armitage
Ms C Hanna
Mrs I Robinson

In Attendance: Mr G Martin Mr D Harkin
Mrs V Artt Mrs K McFerran

Dr J Hendron took the Chair at 2.08 p.m.

1. Chairman's Opening Remarks

1. The Chairman advised the Committee that the Permanent Secretary had notified him of a visit to Northern Ireland in the autumn by Professor Nairn Wilson, President of the General Dental Council. Professor Wilson, who will be meeting the Minister, would also like to meet the Committee separately.

2. The Chairman reported briefly on the initial Liaison Committee meeting of the Chairpersons of the Departmental and Standing Committees, which had been called by the Speaker to discuss areas of commonality, for example, budget finances, travel, and scheduling of meetings to avoid members' clashing commitments.

Agreed: In order to inform the Committee's scheduling of its future work programme, and to help avoid clashing commitments, the Clerk will draw up a chart of the members' current weekly Committee engagements for next week's meeting.

2. Minutes of the Last Meeting

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

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1. No response has yet been received from the Department on the outstanding answers to questions following its update to the Committee at the meeting of 7 June. The Clerk will follow up the matter for next week's meeting.

2. Ms McWilliams raised concern about the lack of clarity in relation to the use of unallocated End of Year moneys. Members agreed that, in future, the Committee should know precisely what moneys are available, and whether sums have been set aside for specific Departments, before being asked to identify priorities for expenditure. The Clerk will write to the Department of Finance and Personnel to ask for clarification on the matter.

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Panel Members:
Mr Colin Reid, NSPCC
Ms Tara Caul, Children's Law Centre
Mrs Margaret Kelly, Barnardos

The Chairman welcomed the panel to the meeting at 2.32 p.m. The panel members first spoke to a briefing paper that had been copied to the Committee, and this was followed by a question-and-answer session. The verbatim minutes of evidence are recorded separately. The Chairman thanked the panel members, and they left the meeting at 3.47 p.m.

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Question put and agreed to:

That the Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee has considered the Statutory Rule 2000 No.217 - General Medical Services (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 and, subject to its approval from the Examiner of Statutory Rules, has no objection to the Rule.

The Clerk will report the Committee's consideration of the Rule to the Business Office for inclusion in the Assembly's minutes of proceedings immediately it has been approved by the Examiner of Statutory Rules.

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1. The visit to the Tyrone County and Erne Hospitals had been confirmed for Wednesday 5 July.

2. Agreed: The Chairman of the Regional Development Committee has written to ask if the Committee wishes to respond to the Regional Development Strategy. The Clerk will arrange for a draft response for consideration by the Committee at its meeting next week.

3. Agreed: The Committee will consider at next week's meeting its response to the Minister's letter asking for its initial views on the broad principles and structure of the draft Programme for Government, which the Executive plans to present before the Assembly in the autumn.

4. Agreed: The Clerk will prepare a draft list of priority areas within children's services, based on the evidence received to date, for the Committee's consideration at next week's meeting, with a view to informing its terms of reference for an inquiry into the adequacy of children's services.

5. Agreed: The Clerk will arrange for a response to the Department's Draft Equality Scheme Document for consideration by the Committee at its meeting next week.

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The next meeting will be held at 1.00 p.m. on Wednesday 28 June in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

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DR J HENDRON
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
June 2000

14 June 2000 / Menu / 28 June 2000