COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY 27 JANUARY 2011
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Simon Hamilton MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Sydney Anderson MLA
Mrs Mary Bradley MLA
Mr Mickey Brady MLA
Mr Jonathan Craig MLA
Mr Alex Easton MLA
Ms Anna Lo MLA
Mr John McCallister MLA
Mr Fra McCann MLA
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín MLA
In Attendance:
Mr Peter McCallion (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Clairita Frazer (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Stewart Kennedy (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Allison Ferguson (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Tommy Gallagher MLA
The meeting began at 9.36am in private session.
The Clerk briefed Members on the Consideration Stage of the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill.
The meeting moved into open session at 9.47am.
Ms Ní Chuilín joined the meeting at 9.47am.
1. Apologies
Apologies were as indicated above.
2. Chairperson’s Business
None.
3. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2011
Agreed: The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 20 January 2011 were agreed.
4. Matters arising
4.1 Budget 2011-2015
The Committee noted: a copy of NICVA’s report on the Committee’s recent engagement event with the Voluntary and Community Sector and an Assembly Research and Library Service’s paper on preventative spending from the Committee for Finance and Personnel.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content that the Chairperson would contribute on behalf of the Committee to the Take Note debate on Budget 2011-15.
4.2 Concordat Consultation
The Committee noted correspondence from the Department and a consultation document on the Voluntary and Community Sector Concordat.
4.3 Gateway Review of NIHE Egan Contracts / NIHE Governance Review
The Committee noted the contents of the Gateway Review Report on Egan contracts at the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
The Committee also noted the contents of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive Governance Review Report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk should write to the Public Accounts Committee regarding the terms of reference for its anticipated review of matters relating to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
Agreed: The Committee also agreed that the Clerk should write to the Department requesting: a copy of the Governance Implementation Plan; updates on the progress of the plan; information on the costs of corrections to repair and maintenance work as a consequence of poor quality contract work; details of the previous and the new oversight arrangements that the Department is to apply to the Housing Executive and clarification in respect of the delay relating to a NIHE Audit Office Report on land disposal.
The Committee agreed to consider the agenda item relating to the NIHE Response during recent adverse weather conditions.
5. Ministerial Briefing – NIHE’s response during recent adverse weather conditions
Alex Attwood MLA, Minister for Social Development, joined the meeting at 10.02am together with:
Michael Sands, Deputy Director of Housing Division, DSD.
The Minister and the official briefed the Committee on the Housing Executive’s response to the recent adverse weather conditions. This was followed by a question and answer session.
Mr McCallister joined the meeting at 10.08am.
Mr Craig left the meeting at 10.55am.
Mr Easton left the meeting at 10.59am.
Ms Ní Chuilín left the meeting at 11.08am.
Mr McCallister left the meeting at 11.08am.
The Chairperson thanked the Minister and the official for their briefing.
The Minister and the official left the meeting at 11.37 am.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk should write to the Department to request:
- a copy of the report on the Housing Executive’s response systems;
- a copy of the report on the evaluation of contractors;
- details of the Housing Executive’s call answering statistics;
- details of the level of compensation which the Department believes Housing Executive and Housing Association tenants may require as a consequence of the adverse weather;
- details of the proposed mechanism (whether this is a scheme related to the Financial Assistance Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 or otherwise) by which tenants are to receive compensation;
- information on the Housing Executive’s plans to improve its response and address reported shortages of vital repair and maintenance materials during the Christmas period.
Agreed: The Committee also agreed that the Clerk should write to the Department to seek information on how the response from the Housing Associations is to be improved during severe weather events in particular those which provide sheltered housing services.
Agreed: The Committee further agreed that the Clerk should write to the Department seeking a report on how fuel poverty levels affected the performance of NIHE stock during the adverse weather conditions and the measures that are to be undertaken to ameliorate these problems in the future.
Proceedings were temporarily adjourned at 11.42am.
Mr Anderson left the meeting at 11.42am.
Proceedings recommenced at 11.54am.
The Committee agreed to consider the agenda item relating to its Report on the Housing (Amendment) (No.2) Bill.
6. Committee report on the Housing (Amendment) (No.2) Bill
The Committee considered its Report on the Committee Stage of the Housing (Amendment) (No.2) Bill.
Agreed: The Committee read and agreed the Executive Summary of the report on pages 1-12.
Agreed: The Committee read and agreed the Introduction on pages 13 to 15.
Agreed: The Committee read and agreed the Consideration of the Bill on pages 16 to 22.
Agreed: The Committee read and agreed the Clause-by-Clause Scrutiny of the Bill on pages 24 to 42.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content for the Report to be printed as the third report of the Social Development Committee for this session of the Assembly
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the relevant extract from the minutes of the proceedings of 27 January 2010 be included in the Committee's Report.
Mr Anderson rejoined the meeting at 11.57am.
7. Correspondence
7.1 The Committee considered correspondence from the Association of Town Centre Management requesting an opportunity to brief the Committee on its Northern Ireland Region Manifesto.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to decline the offer of a briefing at this time.
7.2 The Committee noted correspondence from the Community Relations Council and Rural Community Network requesting an opportunity to brief the Committee on their report entitled “Beyond Belfast Contested Spaces in Urban, Rural and Cross Border Settings”.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Community Relations Council should be invited to brief on this issue at the informal stakeholder event in February.
7.3 The Committee considered correspondence from Derry City Council which included a copy of the document entitled “Advocating for Change in Policy around Alcohol Misuse”.
Agreed: The Committee indicated its general support for the Civic Alcohol Forum and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for comment.
7.4 The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel enclosing correspondence from the Department of Finance and Personnel on the progress of the implementation of departmental efficiency plans from April – September 2010.
7.5 The Committee noted an email from Capita Conferences regarding their conference entitled: “Delivering Community-Based Budgets” in Central London on Tuesday 29 March 2011.
7.6 The Committee considered an email from the Chartered Institute of Housing in Northern Ireland inviting the Chairperson to attend its Annual Presidential Dinner and Reception on 24 February 2011 in the Culloden Estate and Spa.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content for the Chairperson to attend the reception, diary permitting.
7.7 The Committee considered an invitation to a Chartered Institute of Housing seminar in February on changes to Housing Benefit legislation.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that Members would contact the Committee Office if they wished to attend the seminar.
7.8 The Committee noted an item of miscellaneous correspondence from Healthy Cities.
8. Reform of Disability Living Allowance – Departmental Briefing
The following Departmental officials joined the meeting at 12.01pm to brief the Committee on the Reform of Disability Living Allowance (DLA):
Janis Creane, SSPLD, DSD;
Gerry McCann, SSPLD, DSD; and
Anne McCleary, SSPLD, DSD.
The Committee noted: a copy of the DWP consultation paper on the reform of DLA; relevant excerpts from the Neighbourhood Renewal Mid-Term Report and a copy of Autism NI response to the consultation. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
Ms Ní Chuilín joined the meeting at 12.06pm.
The Chairperson thanked the officials for their briefing.
The officials left the meeting at 12.36pm.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Clerk should draft a reply to the consultation for consideration at a future Committee meeting.
9. Forward Work Programme
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the Forward Work Programme.
10. Any Other Business
None.
11. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting will take place on Thursday, 3 February 2011 in Room 29, Parliament Buildings at 9.30am.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.38pm.
Mr Simon Hamilton MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Social Development.
3 February 2011
20 January 11/ Menu
