Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened in public session at 10.06 am.

Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

1. Minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 2010

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2. Briefing from Belfast Metropolitan College on its College Improvement Plan

Rev Dr Robert Coulter declared an interest in the College.

Marie-Thérèse McGivern, Director and Chief Executive, briefed the Committee on the background to, and implementation of, the College’s Improvement Plan and associated job losses. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

3. Matters Arising

• Inquiry into Consideration of European Issues

Agreed: The Committee considered correspondence from the OFMDFM Committee regarding the above Inquiry and agreed to consider a draft response at its next meeting

• ‘Freedom from Fear’ campaign

Members noted that the Committee motion in support of the USDAW ‘Freedom from Fear’ campaign is to be debated in the Assembly on Tuesday 30 November 2010.

• Prayer of Annulment

Agreed: The Committee agreed not to move the proposed prayer of annulment against Statutory Rule 2010 No. 361, The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010, in view of the Department’s proposal to make the additional Rule, The Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) (Amendment No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010, in order to add the Human Rights Commission to the list of recognised bodies.

11.15 am Mr David McClarty left the meeting

4. Briefing from Queen’s University, Belfast, on university funding

The Committee received a briefing from Professor Peter Gregson, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tony Gallagher, Pro Vice-Chancellor, and Mr James O’Kane, Registrar, on the sources of funding available to the University and other current financial issues. The briefing was followed by a question and answer session, and the representatives from Queen’s agreed to provide further information as requested.

12.02 pm Rev Dr Robert Coulter left the meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed to visit Queen’s University Health campus at a later date to see the work being carried out into cancer research

5. Correspondence

The Committee agreed to move to item 6 on the agenda.

6. Employment (No. 2) Bill: Consideration of draft Report

The Committee considered a draft Report the above Bill and agreed the following:

Agreed: Members agreed the Executive Summary, paragraphs 1 to 9 of the report

Agreed: Members agreed the Introduction, paragraphs 10 to 76 of the report

Agreed: Members agreed the Consideration of the Bill, paragraphs 77 to 137 of the report

Agreed: Members agreed the Clause by Clause Scrutiny of the Bill, paragraphs 138 to 165 of the report

Agreed: Members were content that the report should be printed and that the required extract of the minutes should be attached unapproved.

The Chairperson moved, and the Committee agreed, to move directly to agenda item 11, deferring consideration of the other items on the agenda.

The meeting was suspended for a short break at 12.17 pm

The meeting resumed in closed session at 12.28pm

7. Briefing from Departmental officials on the Comprehensive Spending Review

Andrew Hamilton, Deputy Secretary, and Trevor Connolly, Director of Finance, briefed the Committee on the considerations to be taken into account by the Department in preparing the budget for the Comprehensive Spending Review. Officials agreed to return to brief the Committee when details of the budget had been finalised.

12.42 pm Mr Peter Weir rejoined the meeting

12.43 pm Mr Pat Ramsey and Mr Sydney Anderson rejoined the meeting

12.50 pm Mr Peter Weir left the meeting

1.20 pm Mr Pat Ramsey left the meeting

8. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday, 1 December 2010 at 10.00 am in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Building

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.25 pm

Mrs Dolores Kelly
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
1 December 2010