Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2009/2010
Date: 14 October 2009
Venue: Room 135
The meeting opened at 10.06am in public session
Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
Correspondence to St. Mary’s University College
Agreed: Members noted and approved correspondence to St. Mary’s University College offering congratulations on its achievement during the National Student Survey.
1. Minutes of the meetings held on 7th October 2009
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
2. Departmental briefing on Workplace Dispute Resolution
10.16am Mr Hilditch joined the meeting
10.16am Mr Clarke joined the meeting
The Committee received a briefing from Departmental Officials: June Ingram, Director of Strategy and Employment Relations Division, and Tom Evans, Head of Employment Relations Policy and Legislation Branch, on its progress on the issue of Workplace Dispute Resolution; the findings of the Departmental consultation and possibilities for the way forward. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
3. Departmental briefing on Further Education Colleges
The Committee received a briefing from Departmental Officials: Andrew Hamilton, Deputy Secretary, Mary McIvor, Director of Further Education Division, and Daryl Young of FE Programme Branch, updating the Committee on progress in the Further Education Sector since 2002. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
12.04pm Mr Hilditch left the meeting
12.04pm Mrs McGill left the meeting
4. Primary Legislation
Agreed: The Committee agreed that consideration of the Committee Report on the Employment Bill be deferred until 21st October.
5. NUS-USI briefing on the Campaign to End Violence Against Women
12.11pm Mrs McGill returned to the meeting
12.15pm Mr Hilditch returned to the meeting
The Committee received a briefing from NUS-USI representatives: Gail Ferguson, Director, and Jordan Junge, Women’s Officer, on the campaign to end violence against women. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee host a pre-launch event in Parliament Buildings and that Members attend an event at university campuses to demonstrate the Committee’s support for the campaign.
6. Matter Arising
- Draft Holyland Action Plan & invitation to forum on 28th October
Agreed: Members noted the Department’s Draft Holyland Action Plan and agreed that a member of the Committee would attend the Holyland Forum event on 28th October.
- Monitoring of Post Project Evaluations (PPEs)
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department of Finance and Personnel in relation to the monitoring of Post Project Evaluations (PPEs) and agreed to write to the Minister requesting an update on any outstanding PPEs pertaining to the Department for Employment and Learning.
- Publication of STEM review
Agreed: Members noted the Report on the Review of STEM and agreed to write to relevant stakeholder organisations seeking their views on the report and also agreed to request a briefing from the Committee’s discussion forum’s expert panel on the content of the report.
- DEL’s resource accounts for year ended 31 March 2009
Agreed: Members noted the above report and agreed to request a Departmental briefing on the report.
- Draft Sustainable Development Strategy
Agreed: Members agreed that consideration of the Committee’s response to the draft Sustainable Development Strategy be deferred until 21st October.
7. Chairperson’s Business
Members noted a number of items of correspondence and agreed responses. Members also noted the Finance and Personnel Committee’s stakeholder conference on 21st October.
8. Departmental Press Notices
Members noted a number of Departmental press notice issued recently.
9. Any Other Business
- Chairpersons’ Liaison Group meeting – 22nd September 2009
Members noted a note of the above meeting.
- Neighbourhood Renewal Targets
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department on the above issue and agreed to forward to the Committee for Social Development.
- Forward Work Programme – for information
Members noted the Committee’s Forward Work Programme for the period of October 2009 to January 2010.
- Correspondence from the Communication Workers Union (CWU)
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the CWU and agreed to forward to the Minister for consideration.
- DPF Performance against 2008/09 PSA targets
Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel on the above issue.
- Independent Review of Economic Policy (DETI & Invest NI)
Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment on the above issue.
- Press Article published in the Derry News – “Derry university crèche saved”
Members noted the above press article and its relevance to the Committee’s motion on Access to Childcare for Students in Further and Higher education.
- Bullying in the workplace
Members discussed a recent report “bully busters”, published by UNISON, and agreed to consider the issue at the meeting on 21st October.
- Scrutiny of Public Procurement Practice in Northern Ireland
Agreed: Members noted a request from the Committee for Finance and Personnel to include correspondence from the Chairperson to the Chairperson of that Committee in the report on its Inquiry into Public Procurement Policy and Practice in Northern Ireland. The Committee agreed to the request.
10. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 21st October at 10.00am in the Loughview Suite, Block 8, University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12:40pm.
