Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened in public session at 10.18 am.

The Deputy Chairperson, Mr Thomas Buchanan, took the chair in the absence of the Chairperson.

1.  Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2.  Briefing from the Western Health and Social Care Trust on the Condition Management Programme

The Committee moved to agenda item 5.

Representatives joined the meeting at 10.23 am.

The Committee was briefed by Ms Liz Doherty, Condition Management Team Leader, and Mr Raymond Farrell, Specialist Mental Health Nurse, on the Condition Management Team, on how the Condition Management Programme assists clients with mild or moderate health conditions into sustainable employment.  Ms Philomena McManus provided the Committee with an insight into the benefit she had gained through participation in this programme.

10.23 am Mr Basil McCrea joined the meeting.

10.28 am Mr Sammy Douglas joined the meeting.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session.

10.51 am Mr Jim Allister joined the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to advocate the extension of the Condition Management Programme, and to seek further information on the future of this initiative.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety to request his support in extending the Programme.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the Hansard transcript of the briefing session to both Ministers for information.

11.05 am Mr David McIlveen left the meeting.

Representatives left the meeting at 11.06 am

11.07 am Mr Basil McCrea took the Chair.

3.  Chair’s Business

The Committee noted the Chair’s participation as a panellist in an event to be hosted by the All Party Group on Ethnic Minorities.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that members should indicate to the Clerk their attendance at the study visit to Magee College.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a briefing from The Princes Trust.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Queen’s University, Belfast, and the University of Ulster to request information on the gender split in their undergraduate and post-graduate students.

4.  Minutes of the meeting held on 16 May 2012

Agreed: The minutes of the meeting were agreed.

5.  Matters arising

The Committee noted a list of matters arising from the previous meeting.

6.  Subordinate Legislation

Officials joined the meeting at 11.12 am

11.13 am Mr David McIlveen rejoined the meeting.                                                                     

The Committee was briefed by Ms Nuala Kerr, Director of Higher Education, Mr John Neill, Head of Student Finance Policy Branch, and Ms Claire Thompson, Head of Higher Education Future Policy Branch, on the SL1 proposal for The Student Fees (Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session, when officials agreed to supply information on the number of students who pay fees directly to the universities.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content for the Department to proceed to make the Statutory Rule.

Officials left the meeting at 11.29 am

7.  Briefing from Training for Women Network on Funding Issues

Representatives joined the meeting at 11.30 am.

The Committee was briefed by Ms Mary Hogg, Chairperson, Ms Alison Blaney, Vice-Chairperson, Mr John Mooney, Research Officer, and Ms Kathleen McGuinness, Senior Finance Officer, on funding issues for the organisation.

The briefing was followed by a question and answer session, when representatives agreed to provide answers to Written Questions and responses to Freedom of Information requests.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department for further information on the funding process.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule further oral briefings from the Department, and from Training for Women Network.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request a Research paper on this issue.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it may schedule a debate on the issues raised.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the Hansard transcript of the briefing session to the Minister for comment.

12.00 pm Mr David McIlveen left the meeting.

Representatives left the meeting at 12.01 pm.

8.  Correspondence

The Committee considered the following items of correspondence:

• Correspondence from Include Youth on the provision of Education Maintenance Allowance for young people on pre-vocational schemes

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister requesting him to expedite the finalisation of the NEETs strategy.

• Correspondence from the Eurocities network on the EU Lifelong Learning Programme Call for pilot projects on sector skills alliances

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department for information on how it is responding to this Call.

• Correspondence from the Big Lottery Fund, announcing projects that will be supported through the Realising Ambition  programme

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this correspondence.

• Note of issues discussed at the meeting of the Chairpersons’ Liaison Group held on 15 May 2012

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note this paper.

• Correspondence from the Department on EC Proposals for the Posting of Workers Directive

Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a briefing on these Proposals.

• Response from the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, giving her approval for her officials to brief the Committee on Collaborative Research and Development  

Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a briefing.

• Response from the Department to a request from the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, for an update on the Prevent Life suicide prevention strategy

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward this correspondence to the Committee for Health and Social Services, and Public Safety.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to express its concerns that the Provisional Outturn Statement for 2011-2012 was not available for consideration at this meeting, and that papers are not being provided on a timely basis.

The Committee also noted a number of invitations received.

9.  Draft Forward Work Programme

The Committee considered the draft Forward Work Programme up to 4 July 2012.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content to schedule these briefings.

10.  Any Other Business

• There was no other business.

11.  Date, time and place of next meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the next meeting should be held on Tuesday, 29 May 2012, at 10.00 am in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.12 pm.

Mr Basil McCrea
Chairperson, Committee for Employment & Learning
29 May 2012