COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2007
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

THURSDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2007

Present:
Mr Gregory Campbell MP MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David Hilditch MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Mickey Brady MLA
Mr Jonathan Craig MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mr Fra McCann MLA
Miss Michelle McIlveen MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Martin Wilson (Principal Clerk)
Ms Marie Austin (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Neil Currie (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Joy Hamilton (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Sheila Mawhinney (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Lorraine McFarland (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr Thomas Burns MLA
Mr Fred Cobain MLA
Mr Alban Maginness MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA

The meeting opened at 11.35am in public session

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Minutes of the meetings held on 18 October and 22 October 2007

Agreed – the draft minutes were agreed.

3. Chairperson’s Business

   1. The Chairperson informed Members that he had to leave the meeting at 12.00 noon and that the Deputy Chairperson would take the chair.
   2. The Chairperson proposed that research papers prepared for the Committee by Assembly Research and Library Services should be published on the Assembly website.
   Agreed – It was agreed that research papers should be published on the Assembly website.

4. Briefing by Minister Margaret Ritchie on the proposed Pensions Bill

Minister Margaret Ritchie joined the meeting at 11.38am, accompanied by Mr John O’Neill and Mr Gerry McCann, Social Security Policy and Legislation Division, Department for Social Development.

The Minister briefed the Committee on the purpose and main provisions of the proposed Pensions Bill. The Minister explained to the Committee:

(a) the reasons for wishing to proceed under the accelerated passage procedure;
(b) the consequences of accelerated passage not being granted; and
(c) the steps she has taken to minimise the future use of the accelerated passage procedure.

The Committee expressed concern that the Department may be using the accelerated passage procedure on a routine basis for parity legislation.

The Minister agreed to consult within her Department on how future parity measures should be dealt with in terms of Committee scrutiny. The Minister also agreed to provide the Committee with the following:

(i) Further information on the anticipated rise in the number of women who would be entitled to a full state pension in 2010 and 2025.
(ii) Details of future bills that are likely to require accelerated passage.

The Chairperson thanked the Minister and officials for the informative briefing.

The Minister and officials left the meeting at 12.00 noon.

Agreed – It was agreed to support the Minister’s request for the Pensions Bill to proceed under the accelerated passage procedure. However, the Committee expressed reservations regarding the principle of legislation being brought forward without full Committee scrutiny.

The Chairperson left the meeting at 12.03pm. The Deputy Chairperson took the chair.

5. Proposed Statutory Rules

The Committee considered the following proposed Statutory Rules:

The Social Security (Claims and Information) Regulations (NI) 2007; The Welfare Reform Act (Section 39: Relevant Statutory Provision) Order (NI) 2007.

Agreed – The Committee was content with the Department’s proposal to make the Statutory Rules.

The Committee also considered the following proposed Statutory Rules:

The Housing Benefit ( Executive Determinations) Regulations (NI) 2007; The Housing Benefit (Local Housing Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2007; The Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit ) (Local Housing Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2007; The Housing Benefit (Local Housing Allowance) (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments) Regulations (NI) 2007.

Agreed – The Committee agreed that it required further information on the proposals and would write to the Department regarding this.

6. Briefings on child and pensioner poverty

Alex Tennant, Head of Policy and Research, Save the Children joined the meeting at 12.04pm.

Ms Tennant briefed the Committee on issues relating to child poverty and the Households Below Average Income Report 2005/06. This was followed by a question and answer session.

The Chairperson rejoined the meeting at 12.26pm and resumed the chair.

The Chairperson thanked Ms Tennant for the briefing.

Ms Tennant left the meeting at 12.32pm.

The following representatives from the Help the Aged and Age Concern joined the meeting at 12.32pm:

Duane Farrell – Head of Policy, Research & Communications, Help the Aged Elaine Campbell – Head of Policy, Age Concern

The representatives briefed the Committee on issues relating to pensioner poverty and the Households Below Average Income Report 2005/06 . This was followed by a question and answer session.

The Chairperson thanked the representatives for the briefing.

7. Correspondence

   1. The Committee considered the Minister’s response in relation to the composition of the Interdepartmental Affordability Review Implementation Group and the Advisory Panel of Experts.

   Agreed – In view of the response from the Minister it was agreed to withdraw the Committee motion on this issue.

   2. The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister in relation to areview of District Council drinking in public bye-laws.

   Agreed – It was agreed to consider the matter further when the result of the consultation on the draft Criminal Justice Order 2007 was known.

   3. The Committee considered correspondence from the Department in relation to a housing affordability seminar to be held on 28 November 2007. The Chairperson requested that any Members who wished to represent the Committee should contact the Clerk by close of play on
      8 November 2007.
   4. The Committee considered further legal advice from the Minister in relation to the Conflict Transformation Initiative project.

   The Chairperson emphasised to Members that the legal information provided by the Minister was confidential and privileged and should not be shared outside of the Committee.

   Agreed – It was agreed to write to the Minister for Finance and Personnel requesting that he provide the Committee with the legal advice he had sought in relation to Minister Ritchie’s decision to withdraw funding for the Conflict Transformation Initiative project.

   5. The Committee noted correspondence from the Clerk of the Committee for Finance and Personnel in relation to the underspend on capital projects for each department.
   6. The Committee noted correspondence from the Chairperson of the Committee for Finance and Personnel inviting views on the Draft Budget.
   7. The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister in relation to the Social Security (Claims and Payments) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (NI) 2007.
   8. The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister in relation to Committee queries on the Social Housing Procurement Strategy.
   9. The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister in relation to the Government response to the independent report on the Deregulatory Review of Private Pensions.
   10. The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in relation to its inquiry into child poverty.

   Agreed – The Committee was content for the letter from the Chairperson of the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to be forwarded to Minister Ritchie in relation to the inquiry.
   Agreed – It was agreed that the Clerk should draft a response for consideration by the Committee, based on today’s briefing session from Save the Children and the briefing from the Department on child poverty scheduled for 15 November 2007.

   11. The Committee noted a response from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive regarding the Houses of Multiple Occupancy issues raised by Portstewart Community Vision.

   Agreed – It was agreed to write to Ms Hamilton enclosing the response from the Housing Executive.
   Agreed – It was agreed to consider issues relating to Houses of Multiple Occupancy at a future date.

   12. The Committee considered correspondence from the Director of the National Energy Action (NEA) charity requesting to brief the Committee in relation to fuel poverty issues.

   Agreed – It was agreed that representatives from NEA should be invited to brief the Committee in December 2007.

   13. The Committee considered correspondence from the Chartered Institute of Housing in Northern Ireland (CIH) requesting to brief the Committee in relation to the Semple Review.

   Agreed – It was agreed that representatives from CIH should be invited to brief the Committee when it is considering the Semple Review.

   14. The Committee considered correspondence from the Manager of the Waterside Area Partnership in relation to the Department’s funding of loyalist communities through Farset Youth and Community Development Ltd.

   Agreed – It was agreed that the correspondence should be forwarded to the Minister for information, and to advise Waterside Area Partnership accordingly.

8. Forward Work Programme

The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme.

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, 15 November 2007 at 10.30am in Room 135 Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.11pm.

Mr Gregory Campbell MP MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Social Development
15 November 2007

18 October 2007 / Menu