Minutes of Proceedings

COMMITTEE FOR HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday 2 July 2009
Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings

Present: 
Mr Thomas Buchanan MLA 
Mr Alex Easton MLA 
Mr Sam Gardiner MLA 
Mrs Carmel Hanna MLA
Mr John McCallister MLA
Mrs Claire McGill MLA
Ms Sue Ramsey MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Hugh Farren (Clerk)
Mr Mark McQuade (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Neil Sedgewick (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Joe Westland (Clerical Supervisor)

Apologies:
Mrs Iris Robinson MP MLA (Chairperson) 
Dr Kieran Deeny MLA
Mrs Dolores Kelly MLA
Mrs Michelle O’Neill MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

The meeting commenced at 2.06 pm in public session with the Clerk in the chair.

1. Nomination of Acting Chairperson

As an apology had been received from the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, the Clerk called for nominations for a Chairperson to Chair the meeting. Mr Sam Gardiner proposed that Ms Sue Ramsey act as Chairperson for this meeting. Mrs Carmel Hanna seconded this and the nomination was accepted.

2. Apologies

Apologies as above.

3. Chairperson’s Business

The Temporary Chairperson informed Members that Mrs Iris Robinson would be stepping down as Committee Chair and would be replaced by Mr Jim Wells from Saturday 4 July 2009.

The Temporary Chairperson and Members expressed their condolences to Alex Easton and the family circle on the recent death of his mother-in-law.

Members agreed to delegate authority to the Chairperson and deputy Chairperson to submit views on Freedom of Information requests on behalf of the Committee over the recess period.

Members noted that Mrs Dolores Kelly had replaced Mr Tommy Gallagher on Committee and agreed to write to Mr Gallagher thanking him for the contribution that he made to the Committee.

4. Draft Minutes of the Meetings held on 25 June 2009.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 June 2009 were agreed.

2.08 p.m. Mr John McCallister joined the meeting.

5. Matters arising

The Committee noted a response from the Minister about the briefing paper on Relationships & Sexuality Education forwarded by the Committee.

The Committee noted a letter from Bishop Patrick Walsh about Guidance on the Termination of Pregnancy.

The Committee noted a response from the Southern Trust about the Trust’s plans for St Luke’s & Longstone Hospitals.

The Committee noted responses from the Southern Trust and the South Eastern Trust about the implementation of the Department’s Sexual Health Promotion Strategy & Action Plan.

The Committee noted a response from the Belfast Trust about a research project into suicidal behaviour among men being carried out by the University of Ulster and Queen University Belfast.

The Committee noted that the eighteenth report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules draws the Committee attention to a set of regulations made by the Department about the health service superannuation and pension scheme and agreed to write to the Minister expressing concern that the Department has not accepted the findings of the Examiner in this case.

The Committee noted a letter from Queen’s University Belfast thanking the Committee for recent evidence sessions regarding the Supplement for Undergraduate Medical and Dental Education.

The Committee noted a response from the Minister to issues raised by the Muckamore TILII Group and agreed to copy this to the TILII Group.

The Committee welcomed a response from the Minister providing an assurance that Miss Lisa Walker would receive the treatment she required and that the Department was looking at funding for this treatment in Northern Ireland. Members also agreed to copy the Minister’s response to Miss Walker.

The Committee noted a response from the Minister about the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review on Nursing Staff and agreed to copy this to the Royal College of Nursing seeking their views.

The Committee noted a response from the Minister about waiting times at A&E departments and agreed to seek a further update following recess.

The Committee noted a response from the Minister about issues raised by Aware Defeat Depression and agreed to copy the Minister’s response to Aware Defeat Depression.

The Committee noted a response from the Minister about issues raised by Mr Kevin Taylor and agreed to copy the Minister’s response to Mr Taylor.

The Committee noted a response from the Minister about issues raised Mr Lee Wilson and agreed to copy the Minister’s response to Mr Wilson.

The Committee noted a submission to the Committee Inquiry into obesity from Helping Hand Ltd and agreed include this in the Committee report.

The Committee noted a response from the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland about the Ireland Air Ambulance Charity.

6. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

Members took evidence from:

Sally Aldridge - Director of Regulatory Policy, British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Cathy Bell - British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy member in Northern Ireland
Jean McMinn - British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy member in Northern Ireland

A question and answer session ensued. The witnesses agreed to provide the Committee with additional information. The Temporary Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending. The Committee agreed to send a copy of the official record of the evidence session to the Minister seeking his views on the issues raised.

7. Departmental briefing on Complaints Procedure

Members took evidence from:

Jim Livingstone - Director, Safety, Quality & Standards, Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety
Andrew Browne - Head of Safety & Quality, Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety
Paula McGeown - Safety & Quality Unit, Quality & Standards, Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety

A question and answer session ensued. The witnesses agreed to provide the Committee with additional information. The Temporary Chairperson thanked the witnesses for attending.

3.17 p.m. Mr John McCallister left the meeting.
3.39 p.m. Mrs Carmel Hanna left the meeting.
3.42 p.m. Mrs Carmel Hanna rejoined the meeting.
3.45 p.m. Mr John McCallister rejoined the meeting.

3.46 p.m. Meeting adjourned.
3.51 p.m. Meeting resumed.

8. Statutory Rule: 2009/247 The Meat (Official Controls Charges) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009.

Members were briefed on the Meat (Official Controls Charges) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 by:

Jim Ross - Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland
Billy Armstrong - Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland

The Committee considered 2009/247 the Meat (Official Controls Charges) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 and had no objection to the Rule subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules being content with the technical aspects of the Rule.

9. Proposed Statutory Rule

Members were briefed on the proposal to make the General Dental Services (Amendment) (NI) Regulations 2009 by:

Bryan Bailie - Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety.

The Temporary Chairperson thanked the witness for attending. Members agreed that the Department should proceed to prepare this Statutory Rule

10. Consultations

The Committee noted consultations on ‘the Vetting in Adoption, Fostering and Private Fostering’ and ‘the introduction of compulsory registration for social care workers within the Northern Ireland Social Care Council’ and agreed to ask the Department to report back to the Committee with the results of the consultations .

The Committee noted a consultation from the Food Standards Agency on the Animals & Animal Products (Examination for Residues & Maximum Residue Limits) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009.

3.53 p.m. the meeting moved to closed session.

11. Consideration of Draft outline of Committee report on obesity

The Committee considered a draft outline of the report on the Committee Inquiry into obesity.

12. Correspondence / Press Cuttings / Press Releases

The Committee noted a letter from Mr Kevin Taylor about the Ireland Air Ambulance Charity.

The Committee noted a letter from Advice NI about the removal of Contact Lens Solution from inclusion on Prescription Lists and agreed to forward this to the Minister for a response.

The Committee noted a newsletter from Northern Ireland Campaign for ME/CFS Healthcare.

The Committee noted Statistics from the Northern Ireland Needle and Syringe Exchange Scheme: 1 April 2008 – 31 March 2009.

The Committee noted correspondence from the General Medical Council about their change of address.

The Committee noted Correspondence from the Committee for Social Development about the Housing (Amendment) Bill and agreed to forward a letter to the Minister and await the Minister’s response before commenting.

The Committee noted that Andrew McCormick would be resuming duties as Permanent Secretary and Michael McBride would be resuming duties as Chief Medical Officer commencing 20 July 2009.

13. Any other business

A Member raised concerns about the handling of the June Monitoring process.

The Committee noted that the Committee Clerk was leaving the Committee and that this was his last Committee meeting. Members expressed their thanks for the Clerk’s contribution to the Committee over the last two years.

14. Date, time and place of the next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday, 10 September 2009 at 2.00pm in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.

The Temporary Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.27 p.m.