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DEPARTMENT FOR LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT BILL

EXPLANATORY AND FINANCIAL MEMORANDUM

    INTRODUCTION

  1. This Explanatory and Financial Memorandum has been prepared by the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment in order to assist the reader of the Bill and to help inform debate on it. It does not form part of the Bill and has not been endorsed by the Assembly.

  2. The Memorandum needs to be read in conjunction with the Bill. It does not, and is not meant to be, a comprehensive description of the Bill. So where a clause or part of a clause does not seem to require any explanation or comment, none is given.

    3. BACKGROUND AND POLICY OBJECTIVES

  3. To change the designated title of the Department a Bill is required to amend the present title given by the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.

    4. OPTIONS CONSIDERED

  4. A number of options were considered but we concluded that the option chosen neatly encapsulated the key themes of the Department ie Lifelong Learning and preparing people for employment.

    5. COMMENTARY ON CLAUSES

    Clause 1: Renaming of Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment

    Subsections 2(a) and 2(b) provide for a blanket amendment of all existing references to DHFETE and all existing references which are to be construed as references to DHFETE.

    FINANCIAL EFFECTS OF THE BILL

  5. The Bill will have no significant cost implications for the Department or its customers.

    6. EFFECTS ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

  6. The Bill will have no impact on equal opportunities and the Department's Equality Team and OFM/DFM have therefore advised that an Equality Impact Assessment is not required in this case.

    7. SUMMARY OF THE REGULATORY APPRAISAL

  7. As no new regulations are proposed by the Bill there will be no adverse impact on business.

    8. LEGISLATIVE COMPETENCE

  8. The Departmental Solicitor has confirmed that this matter falls within the legislative competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly as described in section 6 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

    9. The Minister for the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment has made the following statement under section 9 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998:

    "In my view the Department for Learning and Employment Bill would be within the legislative competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly."