The Committee for Employment and Learning welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Inquiry being undertaken by the Committee of the Centre into the efficiency and the effectiveness of the current approach of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Institutions of Europe. The Committee regards this as a very prevalent cross-cutting issue.

We have been asked to respond to the questionnaire prepared by the Committee of the Centre, which takes the following form: -

1. What are the main areas within your remit where the European Union has had an impact?

Employment issues i.e. the Employment Tribunal System - Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunals.

Where there is EC Legislation Directives this results in our Legislation being amended, for example :-

Terms of Employment

Work-Life Balance

Hours of Work

Consultation of Employees (redundancies)

Powers of Unions

Adoption of best practice e.g. other countries initiatives, EU funding
packages. In November 2001 the Department for Employment and
Learning received £21 million of European Social Funding for
employment and training projects.

This is picked up through explanatory notes, research briefings,

departmental briefs, literature and web searches.

Three pieces of Secondary Legislation

1. Working Time (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998
2. Fixed Term Worker Regulations - Enabling Clause in GB

   Employment Bill

3. Industrial Tribunals and Fair Employment Tribunal

(Constitution and Rules of Procedure) Regulations
(Northern Ireland) 2001

2. Inquiries - Two Inquiries with some reference to EU perspective

(i) Student Finance in Northern Ireland

(ii) Education and Training for Industry

3. Policy - referred to in seven Committee Responses - see 10.
4. Funding - Two - see 10.
5. Other - None.

EU matters would be referred to bi-monthly/monthly

(b) How long, on average, would they last for?

Five to ten minutes.

5. What committee do you see as the lead committee on EU affairs?

Committee of the Centre

6. Do you feel that your current source of EU information is sufficient, i.e. from department, research information, and explanatory notes in a bill?

No. It is the Committee's experience that the information provided tends to be reactive not proactive, it is clearly seen that there is a need to be in at the early stage to have any influence or impact. There is no central, user-friendly, source to access EU information.

7. How can your committee improve and enhance contacts with the European Commission?

Guidance Notes should be drawn up outlining the process. There should be one source of high quality proactive early warning information for all Committees in the Assembly.

8. Should there be a secondee scheme (e.g. Whitehall, Brussels)?

Yes - could be considered.

9. What use is made of the NI Executive office in Brussels?

Very early days to make a substantive response. As the office in Brussels is there to support the Northern Ireland Executive primarily for departments and ministers. It is our understanding that its remit does not include briefing and informing committees.

9. To date, the Minister for Employment and Learning has not attended
   any Council of Ministers meetings.

2. The Department for Employment and Learning's Financial Audit Support Team (FAST) undertakes some 70 audits each year of EU projects and Intermediary Funding Bodies. Such audits are undertaken based on a risk analysis or at the request of the Department's European Unit when it identifies a cause for concern in a particular case. Following a FAST audit report the European Unit or the relevant Intermediary Funding Body has responsibility to follow it up. Such follow up is monitored by FAST, which produces a quarterly management information report for the Head of Finance and European Division.
3. The expenditure within the Department for Employment Learning on the PEACE I Programme includes a 25% match funding contribution paid by Government. The overall EU contribution, as a percentage of Departmental Expenditure including PEACE, in the financial year 1999-2000, was 8.48%.
4. Funding is allocated to the following Programmes under the remit of the Department for Employment and Learning :-

1. Northern Ireland Single Programme -
   Management, Entrepreneurial and Workforce Training
   Training in New Technology
   Training for the Tourism Industry
   Targeting Community Needs
   Pathways to Employment
   Skills Development
   Actions for Equal Opportunities
   Actions for Special Target Groups
   Research, Evaluation and Publicity
   Training Infrastructure
   Training for the Food Sector
2. PEACE I Programme -

Boosting Growth and Retraining for Peace
Action for Jobs
Improving Accessibility and Quality of Training, Education and Employment Services
Accompanying Infrastructure and Equipment Support
Co-operation between Public Bodies
Sub-Programme 7 : Technical Assistance
Sub-Programme 8: Flagships

3. Community Initiatives -

Now
Horizon
Integra
Youthstart
Employment Technical Assistance
Interreg II
Konver
Retex

5. The Committee's Recommendations, in the Report on the Inquiry into Education and Training for Industry, stemmed from the poor position of Northern Ireland relative to other European Countries, for example :-

Recommendation 1

Further additional funding and resources should be made immediately available to support literacy and numeracy development schemes to correct the poor levels of adult basic skills in Northern Ireland. These schemes should include provision for both personal development and social skills training.

Recommendation 2

Initiate and fund research into developing effective models of workplace basic skills development and the effective sharing of best practice.

6. The Committee for Employment and Learning has responded on the following areas which interface with European funding, strategy and legislation :-

1. Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment)
   Regulations (NI) 2000 - Response to the Department for
   Employment and Learning - 9 November 2000.
2. Executive's draft Programme for Government (October 2000) and
   Public Expenditure Plans 2001/02 - Response to the Committee
   for Finance and Personnel - 9 November 2000.
3. Proposals to simplify and speed up Equal Pay Industrial Tribunal
   cases - Response to Department for Employment Learning - 28
   February 2001.
4. Urban Regeneration and Community Development in Northern Ireland - Response to the Committee for Social Development Inquiry - 5 July 2001.
5. Single Equality Bill for Northern Ireland - Response to the First Minister and Deputy first Minister - 5 July 2001.
6. Improving Rights for Disabled People - Northern Ireland Executive
   Response to the Disability Rights Task Force - Response to the
   Office of the First and Deputy First Minister - 29 November 2001.
7. Employment Tribunal System - 'Routes to Resolution: Improving
   Dispute Resolution in Britain' issued by the Department of Trade
   And Industry - Response to the Department for Employment and
   Learning -29 November 2001.
8. Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations
   1981 (TUPE) - 10 January 2002.

7. The Committee recommends that the Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels adopt a policy of support for all Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
8. The Committee recommends that the Northern Ireland Assembly should have a dedicated proactive Information Service on European issues for Committees and Members.