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

Apologies: Ms P Armitage
Rev R Coulter
Ms C Hanna
Mr J Kelly
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 4:06 pm.

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

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1. The Committee was unanimous in voicing its deep annoyance at the lack of time afforded to speakers (five minutes) during the Assembly debate on Residential and Secure Accommodation for Children in Northern Ireland. Furthermore, members expressed bewilderment at the time limit imposed, given that the debate finished some 35 minutes before schedule.

Agreed: Ms McWilliams will raise the general matter of time allotted to debates at the first meeting of the Business Committee in the New Year.

2. The Committee further discussed the question of propriety in relation to the current public availability of Committee Reports immediately after printing, which is normally several days before they are debated in the Assembly.

Agreed: The Chairman will raise the matter of embargoes on the release of Reports at the next meeting of the Committee Chairpersons' Liaison Group.

3. The Chairman welcomed back staff member Mrs Artt, following her recent illness.

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The Committee considered and agreed the Department's draft amendments to Clauses 50 and 54, which will be introduced at the Consideration Stage.

The Committee agreed Clauses 1 to 61 and Schedules 1 to 5 inclusive of the Health and Personal Social Services Bill (NIA 3/00).

Draft Report on the Health and Personal Social Services Bill (NIA Bill 3/00), proposed by the Chairman, brought up and read.

Ordered:

• That the draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.

• Paragraphs 1 to 9 read and agreed to.

Resolved:

• That the Report be the Second Report of the Committee to the Assembly.

• That the Report be printed.

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i. Question put and agreed to:

That the Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee has considered Statutory Rule No. 339 - Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 and Statutory Rule No. 341 - Health and Personal Social Services (Optical Charges and Payments) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000, and has no objection to the Rules.

The Committee noted a number of comments made by the Examiner of Statutory Rules in his report, which did not affect the technical correctness of the Rules.

The Clerk will report immediately the Committee's consideration of the Rules to the Business Office for inclusion in the Assembly's Minutes of Proceedings.

ii. Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Department to request a more detailed explanation of the following two proposals for Statutory Rules, which it had forwarded for the Committee's consideration: Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 and Restriction on Pithing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000.

The Clerk will advise the Department of the Committee's general desire for comprehensive background notes on all proposals for Statutory Rules and, where appropriate, an explanation of technical wording in laypersons terms.

The Committee was content with the following two proposals for Statutory Rules: Specified Risk Material (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 and Miscellaneous Food Additives (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000.

iii. Agreed: Further to the above-mentioned proposals for Statutory Rules on food safety, the Clerk will write to the Department to ascertain whether a formal liaison channel exists between the Food Standards Agency and the Food Safety Promotion Board on such matters, given their related remits.

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1. The Chairman of the Finance and Personnel Committee has suggested that this Committee undertake to report its consideration of the Family Law Bill to that Committee by 30 March 2001.

Agreed: The Clerk will check with the Finance and Personnel Committee's list of consultees, as well as those consulted by the Department on the proposals for the Bill, before drawing up, and inviting submissions from, a draft list for this Committee, to which members can add.

2. There was an initial discussion on the document 'Building the Way Forward in Primary Care', the consultation period for which ends on 2 March 2001.

Agreed: The Clerk will draw up a list of potential expert advisers on Primary Care. He will further commission Assembly researchers to provide up-to-date details of HSS Trusts' locations, overall sizes, staffing numbers, numbers looked after, and agencies attached.

The Committee will continue its deliberations on Primary Care at its next meeting scheduled for 10 January 2001.

3. Agreed: In view of the Committee's forthcoming workload, the Chairman will put down a motion with the Business Office seeking an extension to the Committee Stage of the Adoption Bill until 6 April 2001.

4. The Chairman drew members' attention to a letter from Dr McClelland on behalf of Belfast City Hospital's consultant obstetricians/gynaecologists seeking a meeting with the Committee in light of the recent judicial review of the Ministerial decision to site regional maternity services at the RVH.

Agreed: The Chairman will write to advise Dr McClelland that the Committee will await an announcement by the Minister on a fresh consultation period before taking the matter further.

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The Committee will next meet at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 10 January 2001 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

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The meeting ended at 5:02 pm.

DR J HENDRON
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

December 2000

6 December 2000 / Menu / 10 January 2001