Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened at 10:37am in public session.

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

1.    Minutes of the meeting held on 9 th January 2008

Agreed: The draft minutes were agreed.

2.    Matters Arising

Members noted a paper from the Committee Office on the Review of Tax Policy in Northern Ireland – “The Varney Review” that details how the Committee’s response to the Varney Review has been addressed.

Members also noted the Department of Finance and Personnel Memorandum on the Second Report from the Public Accounts Committee Session 2007-2008 – Springvale Educational Village Project.

3.    Chairperson’s Business

Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed the proposed responses.

4.    Briefing from the Learning and Skills Development Agency, Northern Ireland (LSDANI)

10:52am Mr Attwood joined the meeting
10:59am Mr Butler joined the meeting

The Committee received a briefing from Trevor Carson, Director of the Learning and Skills Development Agency Northern Ireland (LSDANI), and Justin Edwards, Associate Director of the Learning & Skills Network (LSN), on the work of the LSDANI and on the early stages of the Department’s Training for Success Programme and their work and planned work within the programme. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

5.    Briefing from the Sector Skills Councils

11:27am Mr Newton left the meeting

The Committee received a briefing from representatives of the Sector Skills Councils David Hatton, SEMTA, Gillian Winters and Jim McIlveen, Engineering Training Services, and Ronnie Moore, Energy & Utility Skills, on the early stages of delivery of the Department’s Training for Success Programme. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

12:00pm Mr Ross left the meeting

6.    Briefing from SummitSkills

The Committee received a briefing from Bill Cherry, SummitSkills, Derek Thompson, Chief Executive of Electrical Training Trust (ETT), David Dennison, Managing Director of DM Engineering, Jim Gourley, General Manager of Plumbing and Mechanical Services Training (PMST), Derek Poole, Managing Director of CHC Group Employer and Chair of PMST, and Peter Williamson, Electrical Training Trust Board Member, on the early stages of the delivery of the Department’s Training for Success Programme. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

12:52pm Mr McClarty left the meeting

7.    Departmental Resource Accounts – year ending 31 March 2007

Members noted the Department’s Resource Accounts for the financial year ending 31 March 2007, laid in the Assembly on 21 September 2007.

8.    Departmental Press Notices

Members noted a number of Departmental press notices issued recently.

9.    Any Other Business

10. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 23 rd January 2008 at 10.30am in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1:00pm.

Mr Jimmy Spratt
Deputy Chairman, Committee for Employment & Learning
23 January 2008