MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS AT 2:00 PM ON WEDNESDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 2000

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

Apologies: Rev R Coulter
Mrs I Robinson

In Attendance: Mr G Martin (Committee Clerk)
Mr D Harkin (Assistant Clerk)
Mrs V Artt (Executive Support)
Mrs K McFerran (Administrative Support)

Dr Hendron took the Chair at 2:03 pm.

Private Session

1. Chairman's Opening Remarks

1. The Chairman advised that he and the Minister had held separate meetings last week with a surviving victim of the Omagh Bomb, who was lobbying for the retention at the RVH of Mr Khan, the sole senior plastic surgeon for acute surgery in Northern Ireland. The Chairman subsequently met with Mr Ian Carson, Clinical Director at the RVH, who advised that negotiations are ongoing to try to retain the services of Mr Khan, and that he is hopeful of a successful outcome.

2. The Chairman met informally today with Dr Jim Jamison and Dr Ciaran O'Neill (UUJ) to discuss Cross-Border Co-operation in health services.

3. A meeting of the Committee Chairpersons' Liaison Group took place today, and the minutes will be available for members next week.

2. Minutes of the Last Meeting

The minutes of the meetings of Tuesday, 21 November and Wednesday, 22 November were agreed.

3. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

4. Subordinate Legislation

1. The Committee was content with the Department's proposal for the following Statutory Rule: Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000.

The Clerk will report back to the Committee on how the work of the Food Safety Promotion Board might relate to the area of food contact plastics.

2. Question put and agreed to:

That the Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee has considered Statutory Rule 2000 No. 303 Food Irradiation Provisions Regulations (Northern Ireland) and has no objection to the Rule.

5. Departmental Presentation on Financial Processes and Monitoring Arrangements

Panel Members: Mr C Gowdy, Permanent Secretary
Mr A Hamilton, Director of Finance
Mr J McGrath, Director of Performance Management
Mr F Bradley, Principal Statistician

The Chairman welcomed the Officials to the meeting at 2:18 pm, after which the panel gave a presentation on Departmental planning and monitoring processes, in conjunction with an accompanying paper that the Committee had received in advance. This was followed by a question-and-answer session, which is summarised in Annex A. The Chairman thanked the Officials, and they left the meeting at 4:37 pm.

6. AOB

1. Agreed: The Clerk will lay the following motion, in the name of the Committee Chairman, in the Business Office on the morning of Tuesday, 5 December, with a view to the Report's being debated in the Assembly on Tuesday, 12 December 2000.

"That this Assembly approves the First Report of the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety on Residential and Secure Accommodation for Children in Northern Ireland, and calls on the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to implement its recommendations at the earliest opportunity."

2. Agreed: The Clerk will advise the Clerk of Committees that the Committee would be interested in attending the proposed training course on Government Finance.

3. The Clerk will provide a synopsis of the responses to the consultation process on the Adoption (Inter-Country Aspects) Bill for initial discussion at the Committee's meeting scheduled for 13 December.

7. Date and Time of Next Meeting

The Committee will next meet at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 6 December 2000 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting ended at 4:45 pm.

DR J HENDRON
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

22 November 2000 / Menu / 6 December 2000