Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2009/2010
Date: 09 June 2010
Venue: The Senate Chamber
The meeting opened in public session at 10. 02 am.
Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
1. Minutes of the meeting held on 2 June 2010
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
10.03 am Mr Paul Butler joined the meeting
1. Briefing by the Minister for Employment and Learning on current issues facing the Department
Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Learning, together with Andrew Hamilton and Catherine Bell, Deputy Secretaries, updated the Committee on a range of issues currently facing the Department. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
10.08 Mr William Irwin joined the meeting
10.28 am Mr Trevor Clarke joined the meeting
Agreed: Members agreed to commission a paper from Assembly Research on collaborative working between government departments
10.56 am Ms Sue Ramsey left the meeting
2. Briefing by Departmental officials on Widening Participation in Higher Education
The Committee received a briefing from Fergus Devitt, Director of Higher Education, and Kieran Mannion, Head of Higher Education Widening Participation Branch, on the proposed strategy to attract more students from groups which are currently under-represented in higher education.
Agreed: Members agreed that Departmental officials would provide further information on how the current policy initiatives are addressing this issue
11.25 am Mrs Claire McGill left the meeting
3. Briefing by Departmental officials on the Student Loans (Amendment) Bill
Fergus Devitt, Director of Higher Education, and Angela McAllister, Higher Education Division, briefed members on the above Bill which was referred to the Committee for scrutiny on 8 June 2010.
Agreed: Members agreed that Departmental officials would provide further information on student loan debtors.
4. Subordinate Legislation
- The Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2010
Agreed: The Committee considered the above SL1 and agreed that it was content for the Department to make the Statutory Rule
- The Industrial Training (Construction Board) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010
11.37 am Mrs Claire McGill rejoined the meeting
Agreed: Members agreed to defer consideration of this SL1 pending the receipt of further information from the Department
5. Matters Arising
- Consultation on Tribunal Reform
Agreed: Members considered correspondence from the Committee for Justice, and agreed to respond in support of the proposals
- Apprenticeships update
Members noted the latest update from the Department on apprenticeship redundancies
- National Autistic Society ( Northern Ireland) – ‘Don’t write me off’ campaign
Agreed: The Committee considered the response from the Minister on issues raised in the ‘Don’t write me off’ report and agreed to forward this response to the Society.
- Welfare Reform Bill – RNID submission
Members noted the response from the Minister to the above submission.
- Programme Led Apprenticeships
Agreed: Members considered correspondence from Darson Services Ltd regarding the Programme Led Apprenticeships scheme, and agreed to forward it to the Department for comment
- Commissioner for Older People Bill
Agreed: Members agreed a response to be issued to the Committee for the Office of the First minister and deputy First Minister on the above Bill
6. Chairperson’s Business
Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed responses.
7. Departmental Press Notices and Press cuttings
Members noted a number of recent Departmental press notices and other press articles.
8. Any Other Business
- Review of Data Security in the NI Public Sector
Agreed: Members noted the above report provided by the Committee for Finance and Personnel, and agreed to forward it to the Minister for comment.
- Visit to NOW/ Orchardville
Members noted the itinerary for the proposed visit to the NOW project on 16 June 2010
- Forward Work Programme – for information
Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme
- Budget No3 Bill
Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding the Statement of Excesses for 2008-2009 to be included in the above Bill
9. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 23 June 2010 in the South-West College Technology and Skills Centre, Enniskillen
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.51 am
