Present: Dr J Hendron (Chairman)
Ms P Armitage
Mr P Berry
Rev R Coulter
Mr T Gallagher (Deputy Chairman)
Mr A McFarland
Ms M McWilliams

Apologies: Ms C Hanna
Mrs I Robinson

In Attendance: Mr G Martin (Committee Clerk)
Mr D Harkin (Assistant Clerk)
Mrs K McFerran (Executive Support)
Ms J MacReynolds (NHS Management Trainee)
Mr G Neill (Administrative Support) Dr J Thompson (Assembly Researcher)

Dr Hendron took the Chair at 2:15 pm.

Private Session

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

2. Matters Arising

The Chairman reported briefly on his meeting with the Permanent Secretary on 24 September at which a number of current health service issues were discussed:

• The Chairman reiterated the Committee's view of the need for an urgent review of the present health service structures. The Minister for Finance and Personnel has recently stated that it would be possible, though not preferable, to review the structures in isolation from the future public administration review.

• The Chairman had pressed the Permanent Secretary on when an announcement could be expected on the future delivery of primary care services and how this will facilitate the transition from the present arrangements, which are due to end on 31 March 2002. He was assured that a document on the matter is imminent.

• The Chairman reflected the Committee's concern for the need for uniformity in the Ambulance Service, the potential for which is undermined by the absence of centralised funding.

Agreed: Following a wide-ranging discussion on a range of concerns about the present state of the health service in Northern Ireland, it was agreed to invite the Minister and Senior Officials to the meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 10 October to discuss the current crises. The Clerk will prepare a list of the main concerns in advance of next week's meeting, when the Committee will select a number of priorities for further scrutiny.

The Clerk will examine the 30 missed targets from last year's Programme for Government and prepare a list those that relate to health, including their timetables and deadlines, for consideration at next week's meeting.

Public Session

Panel Members: Mr Bertie Kerr, Chairman
Mr Martin Higgins, Interim Chief Executive
Dr Thomas Quigley, Interim Scientific and Technical Director
Dr Margaret Patterson, Scientific Advisor

The Chairman welcomed the panel to the meeting at 2:20 pm. Mr Higgins and his colleagues then gave a presentation on the work of the Food Safety Promotion Board, which was accompanied by a booklet detailing its aims, functions and structure. This was followed by a question-and-answer session, which is summarised in Annex 1. The Chairman thanked the panel, and they left the meeting at 3:35 pm.

The six main functions of the Food Safety Promotion Board are as follows:

• promotion of food safety

• research into food safety

• communication of food alerts

• surveillance of foodborne diseases

• promotion of scientific co-operation and linkages between laboratories

• developing the cost-effective facilities for specialised laboratory testing

Private Session

4. AOB

i. Agreed: The Committee will commission an Assembly Researcher to undertake work in support of its response to the Department of Finance and Personnel's consultation document 'Audit and Accountability in the Public Sector' in respect of health related matters.

ii. Agreed: The Chairman will write to the Minister to express the Committee's deep concern at the prospect of the closure of Carlisle House Alcohol and Drug Treatment Unit by the end of the year due to lack of funding, and to request that she take steps to prevent the loss of such a valuable unit.

The next Committee meeting will be at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 3 October 2001 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting ended at 4:36 pm.

DR J HENDRON
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
September 2001

19 September 2001 / Menu / 3 October 2001