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COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Thursday, 26 June 2008
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present: Mr David Simpson MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David Hilditch MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Mickey Brady MLA
Mr Jonathan Craig MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Miss Michelle McIlveen MLA
Mr Alban Maginnes 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)

The meeting opened at 11.03am in public session.

  1. Apologies

Ms Carál Ní Chuilín
Mr Fra McCann.

  1. Chairperson’s business

The Chairperson advised Members that Springboard Opportunities Limited had sent a copy of its recently launched “Catalogue of Approaches to Peacebuilding” to the Committee. The publication can be viewed in the Committee Office.

The Chairperson informed Members that he met formally with Minister Ritchie to discuss DSD issues. A further meeting will be arranged in the near future.

  1. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 19 June 2008

Agreed – The draft minutes were agreed.

  1. Matters arising

The Chairperson informed Members that the informal reception for groups that had requested to meet the Committee will be held on 2 nd October 2008 in the Long Gallery. Members noted that further details would be provided in due course.

  1. Developer contributions

The following representatives from the Chartered Institute of Housing joined the meeting at 11:07am:

Grainia Long – Director
Peter Shanks – Policy and Public Affairs Officer.

Mr Hilditch joined the meeting at 11.08am

The representatives briefed the Committee on developer contributions. This was followed by a question and answer session.

The Chairperson thanked the representatives for the briefing.

The representatives left the meeting at 11.47am.

Agreed - Members agreed to commission a research paper on developer contributions, including information on equity sharing.

  1. Minister’s Housing Agenda

The following officials from the Department for Social Development joined the meeting at 11.48am:

Michael Sands – DSD Housing Division
Michael O’Connor – DSD Housing Division.

The officials updated Members on Minister Ritchie’s new housing agenda.

Mr Hilditch left the meeting at 12.18pm.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session. The Chairperson thanked the representatives for the briefing.

The officials left the meeting at 12.29pm.

  1. Proposed Statutory Rules (SL1s)

7.1 The Committee considered the following proposed statutory rules relating to the Mesothelioma etc, Bill:

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

7.2 The Committee considered the following proposed statutory rules relating to the new Employment and Support Allowance:

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

Mr Hilditch rejoined the meeting at 12.31pm.

7.3 The Committee considered a number of proposed statutory rules which may be made during the summer recess.

Agreed – Based on the information available, the Committee was content with the Department’s proposal to make the Statutory Rules.

7.4 The Committee considered a proposed statutory rule relating to the extinguishment of public rights of way (Diamond Arcade, Bell House Lane, The Mall, Coleraine).

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

  1. Warm Homes: Tackling Fuel Poverty

Members considered a paper prepared by the Clerk on the findings of a recent report published by the Northern Ireland Audit Office, on the contribution made by the Department for Social Development’s Warm Home Scheme in delivering the Department’s objective of eliminating fuel poverty amongst vulnerable households by 2010.

Members declared the following interests:
Jonathon Craig – Member of the Public Accounts Committee.
David Hilditch – Member of the Public Accounts Committee.

Agreed - Members agreed to consider the findings further when the Public Accounts Committee had published its report on the matter.

  1. Procurement Strategy for the Social Housing Development Programme

Members considered written evidence from the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations on the proposed Procurement Strategy for the Social Housing Development Programme. Members also considered the final draft of the Procurement Strategy.

Mr Brady raised a number of concerns in relation to the draft Strategy.

Agreed - It was agreed that the Clerk should bring Mr Brady’s concerns to the attention of the Department, and ask that Departmental officials deal with those concerns at the briefing scheduled for 3 rd July 2008.

  1. Correspondence

i. The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister in relation to the transfer of responsibility for the delivery of Neighbourhood Renewal.

ii The Committee noted correspondence from the Clerk to the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding the lack of timely information on departmental monitoring round submissions.

iii The Committee considered correspondence from the Clerk to the Committee for Employment and Learning, asking that a letter from the Chair of the Committee for Employment and Learning be forwarded to Minister Ritchie

Agreed – Members agreed that the letter should be forwarded to Minister Ritchie.

iv Members considered correspondence from the Project Manager of Strabane 2000, inviting the Committee to visit Strabane District Council.

Agreed - The Committee agreed to consider a visit to Strabane in the next session.

  1. Forward work programme

The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme.

  1. Any other business

Members commented on the success of the recent Committee meeting held at NICVA Buildings, Duncairn Gardens, Belfast.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.41pm.

Mr David Simpson
Chairperson, Committee for Social Development
26 June 2008

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