THURSDAY 5 OCTOBER 2000 AT 2.00 PM IN ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present: Mr F Cobain (Chairman)   Ms M Gildernew (Deputy Chairperson)   Sir John Gorman   Mr B Hutchinson   Mr D McClarty   Mr E ONeill   Mr M Robinson   Mr J Tierney   Mr S Wilson

Apologies: Mr G Kelly   Mr D O'Connor

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

Mr Cobain took the Chair at 2.00 pm.

Private Session

1. Minute of the Last Meeting

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

2. Matters Arising

The Law Society was unable to make a presentation on the house buying process today. The Clerk will re-arrange a suitable future date.

Public Session

3. Presentation by the NI Housing Executive on the Private Rented Sector

Panel Members: Mr Paddy McIntyre, Chief Executive   Mr Mike Shanks, Director of Development   Ms Nuala Dunwoody, Principal Officer

The Chairman welcomed the panel to the meeting at 2.20 pm, after which Mr McIntyre gave a brief presentation, with accompanying slides, on the role of the Housing Executive in relation to the private rented sector. There followed a question-and-answer session, which is summarised in Annex A. The Chairman thanked the panel, and they left the meeting at 2.58 pm.

Sir John Gorman and Mr Tierney left the meeting at 2.25 pm. Ms Gildernew left the meeting at 2.43 pm.

1. Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Department to ascertain if the Housing Bill includes a requirement for regular independent inspections of privately rented housing, with a view to safeguarding the rights of tenants.
2. Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Department for an explanation of the rationale behind the exclusion of the regulation of Housing Associations within the Housing Bill.

Private Session

4. AOB  

1. Agreed: The Committee considered the Minister's letter to the Chairman of 29 September requesting its views on the priorities within the Department's Spending Review plans. The Chairman will write to advise the Minister that the Committee will await the actual Budget allocations before considering the priorities.
2. Agreed: The Committee will hear a presentation from the NI Federation of Housing Associations in advance of the publication of the Housing Bill Memorandum. The Clerk will check with the witnesses on the suitability of Thursday, 19 October 2000 for the meeting.
3. The Committee will consider the Street Trading Bill and the accompanying Memorandum, together with a synopsis of the Departmental responses, at next week's meeting.
4. Mr Tierney raised the matter of the Equality Impact Assessment on the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill. Members concurred that it was a matter for the Office of the First and deputy First Minister to ensure that Bills are Equality Assessed. There was concern, however, that the assessment in this instance does not appear to have been carried out prior to the introduction of the legislation.
5. The Chairman welcomed researchers Ms Eileen Regan and Mr Malachy Finnegan, who are now attached to the Committee.

5. Date and Time of Next Meeting

The next Committee meeting will be at 2.00 pm on Thursday, 12 October 2000 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

MR F COBAIN

COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

October 2000