COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 13 MARCH 2008
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
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 Alban Maginness 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 Sheila Mawhinney (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Lorraine McFarland (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Thomas Burns MLA
Mr Fred Cobain MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
The meeting opened at 11.05am in public session.
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Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
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Chairperson’s business
i. The Chairperson informed Members that he would speak as Committee Chairperson during the debate on the following Statutory Rule scheduled for plenary on 31 March 2008 – The Pneumoconiosis, Etc., (Workers’ Compensation) (Payment of Claims) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2008.
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Draft minutes of the meeting held on 6 March 2008
Agreed – The draft minutes were agreed.
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Matters arising
i. Local Housing Allowance
The Committee noted the letter the Chairperson had sent to the Minister in relation to the proposed Local Housing Allowance regulations.ii. Neighbourhood Renewal
The Committee noted the letter issued from the Clerk to the Chairperson of each Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership (NRP) regarding an informal meeting to discuss the format and structure of a future Committee meeting dedicated to Neighbourhood Renewal. The meeting between the Clerk and a representative from each NRP will be held on 22 April 2008.
Mr McCann expressed concern about the announcement on the Department’s website, dated 10 March 2008, regarding the future of Neighbourhood Renewal.
Agreed – To write to the Minister expressing concern that the Committee had not been notified of this significant policy announcement, and to request that officials brief the Committee on the future of Neighbourhood Renewal as soon as possible after the Easter recess.Mr McCann left the meeting at 11.10am.
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Proposed Statutory Rule (SL1)
The Committee considered the following proposed Statutory Rule, together with the views of the Committee for Employment and Learning on the proposal:
The Social Security (Work-focused Interviews for Partners) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2008.
Agreed – The Committee was content with the Department’s proposal to make the
Statutory Rule.
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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 2008/67 – The Domestic Energy Efficiency Grants (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2008
Question put and agreed:
“That the Committee for Social Development has considered Statutory Rule 2008
No. 67 The Domestic Energy Efficiency Grants (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2008 and has no objection to the Rule.”SR 2008/97 – The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (General Levy) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2008
Question put and agreed:
“That the Committee for Social Development has considered Statutory Rule 2008
No. 97 The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (General Levy) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2008 and has no objection to the Rule.”The Committee considered the following Statutory Rule which is subject to confirmative resolution and has been laid in the Assembly:
SR 2008/92 – The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (NI) 2008
Question put and agreed:
“That the Committee for Social Development has considered Statutory Rule 2008
No. 92 The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (NI) 2008 and recommends that it be confirmed by the Assembly.
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Child Maintenance Bill and Mesothelioma Bill
The Committee considered proposals from the Department for a Child Maintenance Bill
and a Mesothelioma Bill.
Agreed – To ask officials from the Department to brief the Committee on the proposals.
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Correspondence
i. The Committee noted the Minister’s response to concerns it had expressed in relation to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s current maintenance budget . Mr Brady informed Members that some contractors were being paid out of the 2008/2009 budget, and expressed concern about the knock on effect this would have for future budgets.
ii. The Committee noted the response from the Department to its request for clarification of the Departmental procedures currently in place for dealing with communications where there was an implicit or explicit threat of suicide, or other serious mental health problems.
iii. The Committee considered the response from the Department in relation to the submission of the economic appraisal for the proposed Urban Renewal Scheme for the Village area of south Belfast. The Committee expressed concern that while the Department had submitted the economic appraisal to the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) in June 2007, it transpired seven months later that the appraisal had
not in fact been received by DFP, and had to be resubmitted.
Agreed – To write to the Minister expressing the Committee’s concern about this matter, and to recommend that procedures are put in place to ensure that this kind of oversight did not happen again in the future.i v. The Committee noted the response the Department had sent to the Organisation for the Unemployed in Northern Ireland, following its correspondence with the Committee.
v. The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel in relation to Sir David Varney’s Review of the Competitiveness of Northern Ireland.
vi. The Committee considered correspondence from the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) in relation to the implementation of the revised Compact.
Agreed – To invite NICVA to brief the Committee when the Department had completed the revision of the Compact.
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Forward Work Programme
The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme. The Chairperson informed Members that the briefing by Departmental officials on the Strategic Business Review of the Social Security Agency, scheduled for 10 April 2008, would now take place sometime in June 2008.
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Committee Stage of the Charities Bill – clause-by-clause scrutiny
Officials from the Department for Social Development briefed Members on the Charities Bill, and the Committee continued its clause-by-clause scrutiny of the Bill.
Mr Maginness joined the meeting at 11.24am.
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Any other business
None.
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Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 3 April 2008 at 11.00am in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.30pm.