Committee for Communities
Minutes of Proceedings - Thursday 24 February 2022
Committee for Communities - Minutes fo Proceedings 24 February.pdf (173.56 kb)
Committee for Communities
Minutes of Proceedings
Thursday 24 February 2022
Meeting Location: Starleaf Virtual Meeting
Present by Video or Teleconference:
Ms Paula Bradley MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Paul Frew MLA
Mr Stephen Dunne MLA
Mr Andy Allen MBE MLA
Mr Mark Durkan MLA
Ms Ciara Ferguson MLA
Ms Áine Murphy MLA
Ms Aisling Reilly MLA
Apologies: Ms Kellie Armstrong MLA
In Attendance by Video or Teleconference:
Dr Janice Thompson (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Sean McCann (Assistant Clerk)
Ms Rachel Ashe (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Antoinette Bowen (Clerical Officer)
The Chairperson, Paula Bradley, assumed the Chair. The meeting began at 9.36 am in open session. The following Members were present at the start of the public session: Paula Bradley, Ciara Ferguson, Stephen Dunne, Andy Allen and Mark Durkan.
Declaration of Interests
Andy Allen declared an interest as a private landlord.
Paul Frew declared an interest as a private landlord.
Ciara Ferguson declared an interest as having previously been employed by a community sector organisation which had benefitted from funding for the Warm Well initiative.
1. Apologies
Kellie Armstrong.
2. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 17 February 2022.
3. Chairperson’s Business
The Chairperson informed the Committee that they had received correspondence from the Business Committee in relation to legislative pressures facing the Assembly before the end of the mandate. The Committee was content to note.
4. Matters Arising
The Chairperson informed Members that they had received a Departmental response regarding the closure of Regina Coeli House. The Committee was content to note.
The Chairperson informed Members that they had received the latest report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules. The Committee was content to note.
5. Departmental briefing on the Sub-Regional Stadia Programme
Áine Murphy joined the meeting at 9.42 am.
Aisling Reilly joined the meeting at 9.44 am.
Paul Frew joined the meeting at 10.03 am.
The Chairperson welcomed the following Officials to the meeting:
Kathryn Hill
Shirley Chambers
The Officials briefed the Committee and participated in a question and answer session with Members.
The Chairperson thanked the Officials for their attendance.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite the Minister to brief the Committee on the Sub-Regional Stadia Programme. The Committee also agreed to write to the Department to ask for the total costs to date in relation to this programme.
6. Matters Arising
The Chairperson returned to Chairperson’s Business and reminded Members that they had received correspondence from NIACTA during last week’s meeting asking to brief the Committee on SL1 - Gaming and Lotteries (Variation of Monetary Limits) Order (NI) 2022.
The Chairperson informed Members that they would receive a briefing from a Department Officials on further amendments to the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Bill at the end of the meeting.
Aisling Reilly left the meeting at 10.24 am.
7. Departmental briefing on the Licensing and Registration of Clubs Act Phase 2 Commencement
The Chairperson welcomed the following Officials to the meeting:
- Carol Reid
- Liam Quinn
The Officials briefed the Committee and participated in a question and answer session with Members.
The Chairperson thanked the Officials for their attendance.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Committee for Justice to encourage them to expedite the secondary legislation to rectify the issue relating to section 11 of the Act.
The meeting went into closed session at 10.26 am.
The meeting resumed in public session at 10.41am.
8. Departmental briefing on the Notice to Quit Consultation
The Chairperson welcomed the following Officials to the meeting:
- David Polley
- Rhonda McFall
- Eilish O’Neill
The Chairperson informed Members that they had been provided with a letter from Housing Rights in relation to amendments made to the Private Tenancies Bill at Consideration Stage.
The Officials briefed the Committee and participated in a question and answer session with Members.
The Chairperson thanked the representatives for their attendance.
9. Departmental briefing on the work of the Community Development Networks Forum
The Chairperson asked Members if they were content to forward a copy of the briefing paper from the Community Development Networks Forum to RaISe who are preparing a paper for the Committee on urban and rural community networks.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward a copy of the briefing paper to RaISe.
The Chairperson welcomed the following representatives to the meeting:
- Cathy Polly
- Janice Cherry
- Raymond Jackson
- Louise Little
- Deborah Neil
The representatives briefed the Committee and participated in a question and answer session with Members.
The Chairperson thanked the representatives for their attendance.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department requesting:
- Further information on community funding programmes due for renewal;
- An update on the review of the regional infrastructure support programme and its current status; and
- The due date for the conclusion and publication of the review.
10. SL1 – Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order (NI) 2022
Agreed: The Committee was content for the Department to proceed to make the Rule.
11. SL1 – Protection Fund and Occupational Pensions Schemes (Levy Ceiling) Order (NI) 2022
Agreed: The Committee was content for the Department to proceed to make the Rule.
12. SL1 – The Social Security Re-valuation of Earnings Factors Order (NI) 2022
Agreed: The Committee was content for the Department to proceed to make the Rule.
13. SL1 – The Social Security Benefits (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2022
Agreed: The Committee was content for the Department to proceed to make the Rule.
14. Correspondence
The Chairperson informed Members that they had received correspondence from the Committee for the Executive Office (TEO) seeking the Committee’s views on TEO’s consultation on a draft Investment Strategy for NI. The Committee was content to note.
The Chairperson informed Members that they had received correspondence from the Chairpersons’ Liaison Group (CLG) regarding increasing the diversity of witnesses before Assembly Committees. The Committee was content to note.
The Chairperson informed Members that they had received a copy of the PAC report on the Sports Sustainability Fund.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to discuss the PAC report during a closed session at the end of the meeting as the report was embargoed until Friday 25 February 2022.
The Chairperson informed Members that they had received amendments from the Department for the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Bill for Further Consideration Stage on Monday 28 February.
The Chairperson welcomed the following Official to the meeting:
- Martina Campbell
The Official briefed the Committee on the new amendments for the Bill and participated in a question and answer session with Members.
The Chairperson thanked the Official for her attendance.
The Committee agreed to note the following items of correspondence:
- A copy of the Charitable Donations and Bequests, Year End Accounts March 2020 from the Department for Communities;
- A copy of the Chairpersons’ Liaison Group’s (CLG) report on Strengthening Committee Scrutiny; and
- A copy of the Public Consultation on Policy Directions for the National Lottery Heritage Fund from the Department for Communities.
15. Forward Work Programme
The Chairperson informed Members that, at the meeting on 3 March 2022, the Committee would receive a briefing from the Department regarding the Women in Community Transformation (WICT) programme and briefings regarding supported and assisted living from Shelter NI and Leonard Cheshire. A briefing from the Department on the Supporting People Programme was awaiting confirmation.
16. Any Other Business
There was no other business.
17. Date, Time and Location of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday 3 March 2022 at 9.30 am in room 29, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting went into closed session at 12.39 pm.
The meeting was adjourned at 12.59 pm.
Paula Bradley MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Communities
