COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 29 MAY 2008
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Gregory Campbell MP MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Mickey Brady MLA
Mr Thomas Burns MLA
Mr Jonathan Craig MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mr Alban Maginness MLA
Mr Fra McCann MLA
Miss Michelle McIlveen MLA
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA
In Attendance:
Ms Marie Austin (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Oliver Bellew (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Joy Hamilton (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Sheila Mawhinney (Clerical Supervisor)
Mrs Lorraine McFarland (Clerical Officer)
Apologies: Mr David Hilditch MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
The meeting opened at 11.01am in private session.
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Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
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Briefing on the Consideration Stage of the Charities Bill
Mr Martin Wilson from the Bill Office joined the meeting at 11.03am. Mr Wilson provided the Committee with procedural advice on the Consideration Stage of the Charities Bill.
The Chairperson thanked Mr Wilson for attending the meeting.
The meeting moved to public session at11.29am.
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Draft minutes of the meeting held on 22 May 2008
Agreed – The draft minutes were agreed.
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Matters arising
i. Local Housing Allowance Regulations
The Chairperson reminded Members that updated information on the current Local Reference Rent and the estimated Local Housing Allowance had been sent to Members on 27 May 2008. Members acknowledged receipt of the information.
ii. Administration of Disability Living Allowance
Members noted a draft letter from the Clerk to the Department for Social Development requesting further information on the administration of Disability Living Allowance.
Agreed – Members agreed the content of the letter and that it should be submitted to the Department.
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Child Maintenance Bill and Accelerated Passage
Minister Ritchie and the following officials joined the meeting at 11.31am:
John O’Neill – Director, Social Security Policy & Legislation Division
Margaret Sisk – Social Security Policy & Legislation Division.The Minister briefed the Committee on the proposed Child Maintenance Bill. The Minister also 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.
This was followed by a question and answer session. The Chairperson thanked the Minister and officials for attending the meeting.
The Minister and officials left the meeting at 12.14pm.
Mr Maginness and Miss McIlveen left the meeting at12.15pm.
Agreed – The Clerk should write to the Department to seek further information on a number of issues raised, and that the issue would be considered at the Committee meeting scheduled for 5 June 2008.
Mr Maginness and Miss McIlveen rejoined the meeting at 12.20pm.
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Proposed Statutory Rule
The Committee considered the following proposed Statutory Rule:
The Housing Benefit (Extended Payments) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2008.
Ms Ní Chuilín expressed some concern that an Equality Impact Assessment had not been carried out on the proposed Rule.
Agreed – The Committee was content with the Department’s proposal to make the Statutory Rule.
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Inquiry into Town Centre Regeneration
i. The following representatives from Strabane 2000/Strabane District Council and Strabane Chamber of Commerce and Industry joined the meeting at 12.25pm:
Heather Torrens – Project Manager Strabane 2000
Jarlath McNulty – Chairman Strabane 2000
Philip Faithful – Chief Executive Strabane District Council
Joe Barber – Vice President Strabane Chamber of Commerce and Industry.The representatives gave joint evidence in relation to the Committee’s inquiry into town centre regeneration.
Ms Ní Chuilín left the meeting at 12.26.
This was followed by a question and answer session. The Committee agreed to consider visiting Strabane some time in the future.
The Chairperson thanked the representatives for the briefing.
The representatives left the meeting at 12.48pm.
Mr Burns the meeting at 12.49pm.
ii. The following representatives from Cookstown District Council and Cookstown Town Centre Forum joined the meeting at 12.49pm:
Terry Scullion - Town Strategy Manager, Cookstown District Council
Adrian McCreesh - Director of Development, Cookstown District Council.The representatives gave joint evidence in relation to the Committee’s inquiry into town centre regeneration.
Ms Lo left the meeting at 1.01pm.
This was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson thanked the representatives for the briefing.
The representatives left the meeting at 1.13pm.
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Correspondence
i. The Committee noted a copy of the Phoenix Energy Holding’s presentation made to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment (ETI) on 15 May 2008.
ii. The Committee noted a copy of the Consumer Council’s presentation made to the ETI Committee on 15 May 2008.
iii. Members noted a response from Minister Ritchie to the Committee’s letter of 7 May 2008 in relation to the impact the lack of childcare may have on the implementation of the Social Security (Work-focused Interviews for Partners) (Amendment) Regulations.
iv. The Committee noted a letter from the Department in relation to a proposed technical amendment to the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill and a proposed consequential amendment to the Mesothelioma, etc.
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Forward Work Programme
Members noted the Forward Work Programme.
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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, 5 June 2008 at 10.00am in the Dunmisk Suite, Stormont Hotel.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.16pm.