COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2010
ROOM 29, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Simon Hamilton MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Sydney Anderson MLA
Mr Billy Armstrong MLA
Mrs Mary Bradley MLA
Mr Mickey Brady MLA
Mr Jonathan Craig MLA
Mr Alex Easton MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mr Fra McCann MLA
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Peter McCallion (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Clairita Frazer (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Stewart Kennedy (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Allison Ferguson (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr Tommy Gallagher MLA

The meeting commenced at 10.04am in public session.

Mr Hamilton declared an interest as a member of Comber Recreational Football Club.

Mr McCann declared an interest as a member of the Irish National Foresters Club and Cumann na Meirlach.

1. Apologies

Apologies were as indicated above.

Ms Ní Chuilín joined the meeting at 10.05am.

2. Chairperson’s Business

None

3. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 23 September 2010

Agreed: The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 23 September 2010 were agreed.

4. Matters arising

4.1 NIHE Private Sector Improvement Services Consultation

The Committee considered a consultation paper from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive on the rationalisation of Private Sector Improvement Services.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk should seek a briefing from the Housing Executive at the conclusion of the consultation.

5. Subordinate Legislation

5.1 SR 312/2010 The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions and Housing Benefit) (Existing Awards) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010

The following Departmental officials joined the meeting at 10.07am.

• Anne McCleary – Director, Social Security Policy and Legislation Division;
• Gerry McCann – Social Security Policy and Legislation Division; and
• Janis Creane – Social Security Policy and Legislation Division.

The officials briefed the Committee on the Statutory Rule.

The Committee noted tabled Departmental correspondence on the Work Capability Assessment and other matters related to the Statutory Rule.

Mr Craig joined the meeting at 10.16am.

Question put and agreed:

“The Committee for Social Development has considered Statutory Rule: SR 2010 No. 312 : The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions and Housing Benefit) (Existing Awards) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010 and subject to the Examiner’s report has no objection to the Rule.”

The Departmental officials remained at table to brief the Members on the next item of business.

5.2 Proposed Statutory Rule: The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions and Housing Benefit) (Existing Awards) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010.

The officials briefed the Committee on the proposed Rule.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content for the proposed Statutory Rule to be made.

Anne McCleary remained at table to brief the Members on the next item of business.

Gerry McCann and Janis Creane left the meeting at 10.25am.

5.3 Proposed Statutory Rule: The Social Security (Housing Costs) (Standard Interest Rate) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010

The following Departmental officials joined the meeting at 10.25am.

• Michael Pollock – Social Security Policy and Legislation Division; and
• Colm McLaughlin – Social Security Policy and Legislation Division.

The officials briefed the Committee on the proposed Rule.

Mr Armstrong joined the meeting at 10.27am.

The Committee noted responses from Advice NI and the Housing Rights Service on the implications of this proposed Rule.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk should write to the Department to register its serious concerns in respect of the possible implications of this proposed Rule for claimants experiencing mortgage difficulties.

Agreed: The Committee further agreed that the Clerk should write to the Department requesting: regular updates on the impact of the proposed Rule on repossessions; the urgent provision of information on Employment and Support Allowance claimants who may be affected by the proposed Rule; a breakdown on the size of mortgages and extent of interest payments that are currently met by the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme and clarification as to how the Department is to work with voluntary mortgage advice providers to limit avoidable repossessions by ensuring appropriate benefit uptake.

As a consensus could not be reached on the proposed Rule, the Committee divided on the proposal that:

“The Committee for Social Development is content for the proposed Statutory Rule to be made: The Social Security (Housing Costs) (Standard Interest Rate) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010”.

The Committee divided: Ayes 7; Noes 3; Abstentions 0.

AYES

Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr Sydney Anderson
Mr Billy Armstrong
Mrs Mary Bradley
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr Alex Easton
Ms Anna Lo

NOES

Mr Mickey Brady
Mr Fra McCann
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín

ABSTENTIONS

None

The motion was carried.

The officials left the meeting at 11.05am.

Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr Brady and Mr Easton left the meeting at 11.05am.

5.4 SR 2010/332 The Social Security (Disability Living Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010.

Question put and agreed:

“The Committee for Social Development has considered Statutory Rule: SR 2010 No. 332 : The Social Security (Disability Living Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010 and subject to the Examiner’s report has no objection to the Rule.”

5.5 SR 2010/311 The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments No.5) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010.

The Committee noted correspondence from the Department providing clarification on the permitted work earnings limit for young people aged under 21.

The Committee agreed that Agenda Item 8 (Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill – Departmental evidence session) would be considered next.

6. Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill – Departmental evidence session

Mr McCann declared an interest as a member of Belfast City Council.

The following Departmental officials joined the meeting at 11.10am:

• Liam Quinn – Social Policy Unit, Department for Social Development;
• Tom Bowler – Social Policy Unit, Department for Social Development; and
• Caroline Hobson – Social Policy Unit, Department for Social Development.

The officials briefed the Committee on the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill.

The Departmental officials remained at table to brief the Members on Irresponsible Drinks Promotions, the next item of business.

The Committee agreed that Agenda Item 9 (Irresponsible Drinks Promotions) would be considered next.

7. Irresponsible Drinks Promotions – Departmental evidence session

The officials briefed the Committee on proposed measures to curb Irresponsible Drinks Promotions.

The Committee noted recent correspondence from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland.

The officials left the meeting at 12.23pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk should write to: the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety; the Committee for Justice and all stakeholders who had responded to the Call for Evidence for the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill seeking their views in respect of the proposals relating to the curbing of Irresponsible Drinks Promotions.

Agreed: The Committee further agreed that the Clerk should write to the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety seeking its views on the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill.

The Committee agreed that Agenda Item 10 (Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill- Evidence session by the PSNI) would be considered next.

8. Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill – Police Service of Northern Ireland evidence session

The following representatives of the Police Service of Northern Ireland joined the meeting at 12.24pm to brief Members on the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill:

• Superintendent Chris Noble, Operations Manager, B District (South & East Belfast);
• Mr John Conner, Head of Social Policy Unit, Strategic Partnerships, Criminal Justice Department; and
• Inspector Gary Atkinson, Social Policy Unit, Strategic Partnerships, Criminal Justice Department. 

The Committee noted Ministerial correspondence showing the uptake of late licenses by registered clubs in certain PSNI districts.

The representatives left the meeting at 1pm.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the proposals for curbing irresponsible drinks promotions to the Police Service of Northern Ireland requesting a formal written comment.

The Committee agreed that Agenda Item 6 (21 st Century Welfare) would be considered next.

9. Department for Work and Pensions Consultation on 21 st Century Welfare - Response

The Committee noted responses to the DWP consultation on 21 st Century Welfare from: the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance, Advice NI, the Citizens Advice Bureau, Autism NI, the Law Centre, the Women’s Resource & Development Agency, Disability Action and the Northern Ireland Union of Supported Employment.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk should submit a response to the DWP consultation on 21 st Century Welfare indicating: the Committee’s preference for enhanced incentivisation of part-time work rather than the extension of further benefit conditionality; the Committee’s support in principle for the simplification of the welfare system tempered by Members’ concerns about IT-led improvements; Members’ concerns about the apparent planned increase of means-testing for contributory benefits; the Committee’s view that the Universal Credit and other alternative benefits could not be properly assessed without a detailed modelling of their outworkings for vulnerable claimants and the Committee’s assertion that welfare reform should reflect the particular poverty profile of Northern Ireland.

The Committee agreed that Agenda Item 7 (Correspondence) would be considered next.

10. Correspondence

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it would defer consideration of correspondence received until the Committee meeting of 7 October 2010.

11. Forward Work Programme

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the Forward Work Programme.

12. Any Other Business

None

13. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will take place on Thursday, 7 October 2010 at 10.00am, in Room 29.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.10pm.

Mr Simon Hamilton MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Social Development.
7 October 2010

23 September 10 / Menu