MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
IN ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
AT 2.00PM ON THURSDAY, 9 NOVEMBER 2000
1. Minutes of the Last Meeting
2. Matters Arising
3. Any Other Business
4. Presentation by the Minister for Social Development
5. Street Trading Bill - Committee Stage
6. Date and Time of Next Meeting
Present:
Mr F Cobain (Chairman)
Ms M Gildernew (Deputy Chairperson)
Sir John Gorman
Mr B Hutchinson
Mr G Kelly
Mr E ONeill
Mr M Robinson
Mr J Tierney
Mr S Wilson
In Attendance:
Mr G Martin
Mr K Barker
Mr L Hart
Ms V Surplus
Ms E Regan
Mr M Finnegan
Apologies:
Mr D McClarty
Mr D O'Connor
Mr Cobain took the chair at 2.09 pm.
Private Session
1. Minutes of the Last Meeting
The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.
2. Matters Arising
The Committee agreed to consider the issue of NIHE house sales at some future date, taking into account Section 106 of the Town and Planning Act 1990.
The Committee highlighted the need for extra resources for housing in North Belfast and agreed that the issue had been raised at previous meetings with the Minister.
The Committee considered the Minister's letter of 2 November regarding unmet Spending Review bids and the level of Housing Executive rent increases. It agreed to ask the Department to advise which aspects of the Programme for Government it intended to give priority to.
3. Any Other Business
Subordinate Legislation
The Committee considered the proposed Statutory Rule regarding the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000. It requested that Departmental Officials attend the next Committee meeting to clarify the implications of the proposed rule.
Requests
The Committee agreed to meet representatives of the Community and Leisure Services- Sub committee of the Belfast City Council, the Law Society, the Council for Mortgage Lenders and Advice Services at dates and times to be arranged by the Clerk that would best expedite the business of the Committee.
Public Session
4. Presentation by the Minister for Social Development in relation to the Programme for Government.
DSD Officials: Mr Maurice Morrow MLA - Minister For Social Development
Mr John Hunter - Permanent Secretary
Mr Cliff Radcliffe - Deputy Secretary
Dr Jeremy Harbison - Deputy Secretary
The Chairman welcomed the Officials to the meeting at 2.25 pm, after which the Minister gave an opening statement.
The Minister asked if he could raise another matter prior to discussing the Programme for Government. In light of the Chancellor's Pre-budget statement of 08 November 2000, the Minister advised the Committee that it was necessary for his Department to bring in urgent subordinate legislation to increase the amount of winter fuel allowance to £100 for single people and £200 for households with immediate effect. The Minister expressed the hope that the Committee would appreciate why normal scrutiny channels could not be followed in this particular circumstance. The Committee accepted the need for expediency on this issue and thanked the Minister for his explanation.
The Minister welcomed the opportunity to discuss the Programme for Government with the Committee. The Minister advised that he saw this Programme as establishing direction and priorities for Departments and Agencies in addressing the real problems of Northern Ireland. The Programme created broad priority areas within which each Department must work, and it concentrated resources on the most important needs of Northern Ireland. The Minister however conceded that some difficult decisions would need to be taken in order to give effect to the Programme.
The Minister felt that his Department would be playing a role in a large proportion of the Programme, but that it would be instrumental in the key area of 'Growing as a Community', covering housing, social security and child support, community development, and urban regeneration. It would also play a significant role in the area of 'Working Together', through the modernisation of Government, improving the efficiency of public services, and developing relationships with social partners in the community and voluntary sectors.
The Minister also informed the Committee that the final Programme for Government to be presented to the Assembly in February would contain targets associated with specific actions in each priority area, and that these targets would be incorporated into Public Service Agreements between the Department and the wider Executive. The detail of these Agreements would be developed by January, and would be made available for the Assembly in advance of the final debate on the Programme for Government in February.
There followed a question-and-answer session, which is summarised in Annex A.
Mr E ONeill left the meeting at 3.05pm.
The Chairman thanked the Minister and Officials and they left at 3.30pm.
Mr M Robinson left the meeting at 3.30pm.
5. Street Trading Bill - Committee Stage
The Chairman welcomed the officials to the meeting at 3.35 pm.
DSD Officials: Mr Gordon Gibson
Mr Ivan McMaster
Mr Tom Bowler
The discussions are recorded separately in verbatim minutes of evidence.
Clauses 1 - 4 the Committee agreed they should stand as part of the Bill.
Clause 5 - after discussion the Committee agreed to consider this clause in more depth at the next meeting.
Clause 6 - the Committee agreed that it should stand as part of the Bill.
Mr M Robinson returned to the meeting at 3.55pm.
Clause 7 - after discussions concerning the issue of public liability the Committee agreed it should stand as part of the Bill.
Clause 8 - after discussions concerning the issue of the rights of those employed by street traders the Committee agreed it should stand as part of the Bill.
Clause 9 - after discussions concerning the issue of the use of underage staff the Committee agreed that it should stand as part of the Bill.
Clause 10 - after discussion the Committee agreed to consider this clause again in more depth at the next meeting.
Ms Gildernew and Mr Tierney left the meeting at 4.05pm
Clause 11 - the Committee agreed it should stand as part of the Bill.
Clause 12 - after discussions concerning the length of time allowed to make representations relating to council proposals the Committee agreed to include in its report to the Assembly a suggested amendment.
Clause 13 - after discussion the Committee agreed it should stand as part of the Bill.
The Committee requested that the officials return next week to enable the Committee to consider the remaining clauses of the Bill and the Chairman thanked the officials and they left at 4.15pm.
6. Date and Time of Next Meeting
The next Committee meeting will be at 2.00pm on Thursday 16 November 2000 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
MR F COBAIN
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
November 2000