Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened in public session at 2.03 p.m.        

Apologies

As above

1.  Chairperson’s Business

Race Relations Order

The Committee considered a paper provided by the Department in relation to the Race Relations Order (Seafarers) that was received just before the commencement of the Committee meeting.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that in order to allow Members time to consider the paper that the briefing on the Race Relations Order (Seafarers) would be rescheduled.

Visit to Brussels

The Committee considered a draft programme for the visit to Brussels on 30 January 2013 to attend a Peace Conference.

Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee would travel the most cost efficient route to Brussels.

Visit to Maze/Long Kesh

The Chairperson reminded Members that the Committee will be visiting the Maze/Long Kesh site on Wednesday 16 January 2013 to receive an informal briefing from the Chair of the Corporation Board on progress and priorities.

Subsidiarity

The Committee considered a proposal for the consideration of EU legislation in relation to the principle of subsidiarity.

Agreed: The Committee agreed the proposal.

Save the Children

The Committee noted an invitation from Save the Children to attend a seminar addressing “Child Poverty in Austere Times” on 7 February 2013.

List of Invitations

The Committee noted the list of current invitations.

2.  Draft minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2012

Agreed: The draft minutes of proceedings of 12 December 2012 was agreed by the Committee.

3. Matters Arising

Mapping Poverty and Social Deprivation

The Committee noted a response from the Department in relation to correspondence from the DSD Committee on mapping poverty and social deprivation.

Childcare Consultation

The Committee considered correspondence from the Department to stakeholders advising of its consultation on a draft Childcare Strategy, which closes on 5 March 2013.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request a briefing from the Department on the Strategy and to seek briefings from key stakeholders on this issue.

Review of the Balance of Competences

The Committee noted responses from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the Department for Regional Development in relation to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Review of the Balance of Competences.

Programme for Government: Strategic Online Report

The Committee noted a copy of the Programme for Government - Strategic Online Report, which was published on the Department’s website.

Agreed: The Committee would continue to press for the briefing on PFG Delivery postponed from 28 November 2012.

Mr Lyttle joined the meeting at 2.16 p.m.

January Monitoring Round: Final Amendments

The Committee noted an update from the Department on the Department’s final amendments to its proposals for the January Monitoring Round.

Committee for Social Development

The Committee considered correspondence from the Department for Social Development in relation to the future plans for the Fort George site.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request a briefing from OFMDFM on the ‘One Plan’, to include coordination of development across sites.

List of Outstanding Issues

The Committee noted the list of outstanding issues.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to remind the Department that its request of 29 November 2012 for an update on the progress of the sexual orientation strategy was outstanding.

4. Correspondence

Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment

The Committee noted correspondence from the ETI Committee in relation to the Barosso Taskforce.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward this correspondence to the Department.

The Committee noted correspondence from the Department in relation to the ETI Committee’s Inquiry into Renewable Energy in 2011.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward this correspondence to the ETI Committee.

Association of British Insurers

The Committee noted correspondence from the Association of British Insurers in relation to changes to insurance pricing based on gender.

Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure

The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure forwarding a letter from Mr Mervyn Storey MLA in relation to the Japanese Cultural Centre.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward to the Department for consideration in the context of its international relations remit.

Committee for the Environment

The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for the Environment to the Department in relation to the process of keeping committees informed promptly regarding EU legislative proposals raising issues of subsidiarity.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward this correspondence to the Department.

Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure

The Committee considered a response from the Department to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure in relation to the Department’s work with the NSPCC.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward this correspondence to the CAL Committee.

HM Revenue and Customs – Revised Equality Scheme

The Committee considered correspondence from HM Revenue and Customs advising of its consultation on a revised Equality Scheme.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to seek further information regarding the issues raised with a view to appropriate briefing on these issues.

Investing Activity Report

The Committee noted a copy of December’s ‘Investment Strategy - Investing Activity Report’.

Big Lottery Fund

The Committee noted correspondence from the Big Lottery Fund providing details of grants provided through ‘Reaching Out: Empowering Young People’.

Man Matters

The Committee noted a copy of ‘Understanding Fatherhood in the 21^st Century’, which was launched by Man Matters on International Men’s Day.

Equality Commission Monitoring Report

The Committee noted a copy of the Equality Commission’s 22^nd monitoring report.

Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived

The Committee considered a response from the Department on the European Commission’s proposal for a Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department again for its view on the subsidiarity issue raised in the UK’s Explanatory Memorandum describing the proposal.

Ad-hoc Committee on Conformity with Equality Requirements, Welfare Reform Bill

The Committee considered a request from the Ad-hoc Committee on Conformity with Equality Requirements - Welfare Reform Bill to forward correspondence to First Minister and deputy First Minister in relation to the Ad Hoc Committee’s requests for briefing/submission from OFMDFM’s Equality and Human Rights Unit on its work in ensuring that legislation is compliant with Equality considerations and the ECHR.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward this correspondence to the Department, to support the Ad Hoc Committee’s request, and to seek further information on why the Department has not engaged with the Ad-hoc Committee on this issue.

Baseline for Competitive EU Funds Drawdown

The Committee considered a response from the Department providing further information on how the Department established the baseline for measuring its target for increasing the drawdown of competitive EU funds.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request a further breakdown of funding.

5.  Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities  

Representatives from the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities joined the meeting at 2.30 p.m.

Mr McCallister joined the meeting at 2.34 p.m.

Mr Eastwood left the meeting at 2.43 p.m.

Representatives from the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities, Mr Patrick Yu, Ms Helena Macormac and Ms Karen McLaughlin briefed the Committee on issues relevant to ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland. A question and answer session followed.

Representatives from the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities left the meeting at 2.59p.m

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request a briefing on the issues raised by the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities.

Mr Maskey left the meeting at 3.00 p.m.

6.  European Issues  

Ms Colette Fitzgerald joined the meeting at 3.00 p.m.

Mr Eastwood left the meeting at 3.10 p.m.

Ms Colette Fitzgerald, Head of the European Commission’s Office in Belfast briefed the Committee on European issues and highlighted some upcoming priorities. A question and answer session followed.

Ms Colette Fitzgerald left the meeting at 3.31 p.m.

Mrs Jane Morrice joined the meeting at 3.31 p.m.

Mr Eastwood left the meeting at 3.10 p.m.

Mrs Jane Morrice, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee briefed the Committee on European issues and highlighted some upcoming priorities. A question and answer session followed.

Mrs Jane Morrice left the meeting at 3.59 p.m.

Miss Fearon left the meeting at 4.00 p.m.

7.  Sex Discrimination Order 1976 (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2012  

The Committee considered the revised Sex Discrimination Order 1976 (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2012 which came into operation on 21 December 2012.

Agreed: The Committee has considered the Sex Discrimination Order 1976 (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2012 (No.462) and, subject to the report of the Examiner of Statutory rules, has no objection to the Rule.

8.  Race Relations Order (Seafarers)

Miss Fearon re-joined the meeting at 4.03 p.m.

The Chairperson reminded Members that the Committee had earlier agreed to reschedule this briefing to allow Members time to consider the paper provided by the Department.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to ask for details of any EU legislation or decisions of the European Court of Justice which will require regulations in 2013 or 2014 and details of the Department’s timetable for bringing forward any draft regulations. 

9. Any Other Business

The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme

10. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held in Room 30, Parliament Buildings on Wednesday 23 January 2013 at 2 p.m.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.04 p.m.

Mr Mike Nesbitt MLA
Chairperson,
Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister