Present:
Mr F Cobain (Chairman)
Sir John Gorman
Mr B Hutchinson
Mr D McClarty
Mr E ONeill
Mr S Wilson

Apologies:
Mr J Tierney
Mr D O'Connor

In Attendance:
Mr G Martin
Mr D Harkin
Mr L Hart
Ms V Surplus

Mr Cobain took the Chair at 2.08 pm.

Private Session

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

There were no matters arising.

Panel Members: Mr Nigel Dodds, Minister for Social Development

Mr Cliff Radcliffe, Deputy Secretary
Mr John O'Neill, Policy and Legislation Division
Mr Alastair Donnelly, Policy and Legislation Division
Miss Joan Crabb, Policy and Legislation Division

The Chairman welcomed the panel to the meeting at 2.16 pm. The Minister spoke to a briefing paper, which had been copied to the Committee, that gave an overview of the proposals contained in the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill. There followed a question-and-answer session, which is summarised in Annex A.

Panel Members: Mr Nigel Dodds, Minister for Social Development

Mr Cliff Radcliffe, Deputy Secretary
Mr Jim Johnston, Office of the Permanent Secretary

Panel Members: Mr Nigel Dodds, Minister for Social Development

Mr Cliff Radcliffe, Deputy Secretary
Mr Henry McArdle, Equality and Corporate Planning

The Chairman thanked the Minister for the new TSN Action Plan that had been developed by his Department and copied to the Committee. He advised that the Committee had drawn up a written response posing a number of questions about the targets and objectives outlined. The Minister requested that the response be forwarded urgently so that the points raised by the Committee could inform the Department's final plan, which must be in place by the end of July, in accordance with the timetable set out by the Executive.

Agreed: The Chairman will write to the Office of the First and deputy First Minister to register the Committee's objection to the deadline set for the Department's final TSN plan, which did not allow time for its proper and full consideration by the Committee.

Agreed: The Committee was content with the Department's proposals outlined for Statutory Rules in respect of the following: The Social Security (Student's Amounts Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments No.2) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Social Security (Capital Limits and Earnings Disregards Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Social Security (Zimbabwe Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment No.6) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Social Security (Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance) (Amendment No.2) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Statutory Maternity Pay (General) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Social Security (Therapeutic Earnings Limits) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Social Security (Incapacity Benefit) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Social Fund (Winter Fuel Payment and Maternity and Funeral Expenses) (General) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Social Security (Crediting of Class 3 Contributions, Treatment of Contributions for the Purposes of Contributory Benefit and Application for National Insurance Numbers) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Register of Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Occupational Pension Schemes (Republic of Ireland Schemes Exemption) Regulations (NI) 2000; The Social Security (Payment on Account, Overpayments and Recovery) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2000.

The Committee will meet next at 2.00 pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings on Thursday, 7 September 2000.

The meeting ended at 3.42 pm.

MR F COBAIN
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

July 2000