COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2007
Room 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Gregory Campbell MP MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David Hilditch MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Fred Cobain MLA
Mr Jonathan Craig MLA
Mr Alban Maginness MLA
Mr Fra McCann MLA
Miss Michelle McIlveen MLA

In Attendance:
Ms Marie Austin (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Neil Currie (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Joy Hamilton (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Sheila Mawhinney (Clerical Supervisor)

Apologies:
Mr Mickey Brady MLA
Mr Thomas Burns MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA

The meeting opened at 11.02am in closed session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

11.03am. The meeting moved into public session.

2. Minutes of the meeting held on 6 September 2007

Agreed – the draft minutes were agreed.

3. Chairperson’s business

The Committee was content with the speech to be delivered by the Chairperson at a meeting of the Housing Forum on 19 September 2007.

The Chairperson encouraged Members to attend the seminar on the Assembly’s role in the annual budget process, to be held at 11.00am on 17 September 2007 in the Senate chamber.

4. Statutory Rules laid in the Assembly

The Committee considered the following Statutory Rules which are subject to negative resolution and have been laid in the Assembly:

SR 2007/382 – The Independent Living Fund (2006) Order (NI) 2007

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Social Development has considered Statutory Rule 2007
No. 382 The Independent Living Fund (2006) Order (NI) 2007 and subject to the Examiner’s report has no objection to the Rule.”

SR 2007/392 – The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments No. 4)
Regulations (NI) 2007

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Social Development has considered Statutory Rule 2007
No. 392 The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendment No. 4)Regulations (NI) 2007
and subject to the Examiner’s report has no objection to the Rule.”

SR 2007/395 – The Social Security (National Insurance Credits) (Amendment)
Regulations (NI) 2007

Question put and agreed:

“That the Committee for Social Development has considered Statutory Rule 2007
No. 395 The Social Security (National Insurance Credits) (Amendment) Regulations
(NI) 2007 and subject to the Examiner’s report has no objection to the Rule.”  

John O’Neill from the Department for Social Development joined the meeting at 11.09am and briefed the Committee on Assembly procedures for dealing with confirmatory resolution Statutory Rules.

The Committee considered the following Statutory Rule which is subject to confirmatory resolution and has been laid in the Assembly:

SR 2007/347 The Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (NI)
2007

Question put and agreed:
“That the Committee for Social Development has considered Statutory Rule 2007
No. 347 The Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments)Regulations (NI) 2007 and
recommends that it be confirmed by the Assembly.”

5. Great Britain Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill

John O’Neill from the Department for Social Development briefed the Committee on the main provisions of the Great Britain Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill and the procedures for taking it forward.

Agreed – It was agreed to write to the Minister confirming the Committee’s support for the inclusion of the provision in the Bill on a ‘without prejudice’ basis in advance of formal clearance by the Executive Committee.

The Chairperson thanked Mr O’Neill for briefing the Committee.

Mr O’Neill left the meeting at 11.12am.

6. Correspondence

The Committee noted a letter from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in relation to the Northern Ireland Sustainable
Development Strategy, and agreed to be mindful of sustainable development when scrutinising the work of the Department for Social Development.

7. Forward Work Programme

The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme.

The Clerk informed Members of some changes to the programme and that a revised version would be circulated in due course.

8. Procurement Strategy for the Social Housing Development Programme

The following officials from the Department for Social Development joined the meeting at 11.20am:

Michael Sands – Deputy Director of Housing
Billy Graham – Housing Division
Donal MacRandal – Central Procurement Directorate, DFP (on secondment to DSD)

Mr Sands briefed the Committee on the responses received by the Department in relation to its consultation onthe proposed Procurement Strategy for the Social Housing Development Programme.This was followed by a question and answer session.

11.30am. Mr Maginness left the meeting.

The officials agreed to provide the Committee with the following information:

(a) A copy of all consultation responses received by the Department, plus a synopsis
summarising the issues raised (as previously requested by the Committee);
(b) relevant background and research information pertinent to the Procurement
Strategy; and
(c) a paper detailing the composition of a typical Procurement Group, its
responsibilities and associated costs.

The Chairperson thanked the officials for the briefing.

The officials left the meeting at 12.07pm.

12.07pm. The meeting moved into closed session.

The Committee discussed the briefing given by the departmental officials.

Agreed – It was agreed that the Chairperson should raise the Committee’s concerns with the Minister.

The Committee discussed the work of the Interdepartmental Affordability Review Implementation Group and the possible impact of the proposed Procurement Strategy on its work.

Agreed – It was agreed that departmental officials should be asked to attend the Committee after each bi-monthly meeting of the Implementation Group, to brief Members on progress.

Agreed – It was agreed that the Clerk should draft a response to the Minister on the issues raised in relation to the proposed Procurement Strategy, for consideration at the meeting on 20 September 2007.

The Chairperson asked Members to send to the Clerk, by Monday 17 September 2007, their views on what should be included in the letter to the Minister.

9. Any other business

None.

10. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee for Social Development will be held on Thursday,
20 September 2007 at 11.00am in Room 135 Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.16pm.

Mr Gregory Campbell MP MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Social Development
20 September 2007

06 September 2007 / Menu