MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE SIXTEENTH MEETING OF THE HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEEIN ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS ON TUESDAY 4 JULY 2000
PRESENT: Dr E Birnie (Chairman)
Mr M Carrick (Deputy Chairman)
Mr R Beggs (Jnr)
Rev R Coulter
Mr W Hay
Mr J Kelly
Mrs M Nelis
IN ATTENDANCE: Mrs E Sung, Ms A Colville, Mr C Jones and Mrs C McGrattan
1. Apologies: Joe Byrne, John Dallat, Roger Hutchinson, Monica McWilliams.
2. Draft Minutes of Meeting on Tuesday 27/6/00
Agreed as amended.
3. Matters Arising
(a) Draft Forward Work Programme
Noted.
Draft Forward Work Programme from July - mid Autumn provided.
Agreed.
To ensure a quorum, the meeting on Thursday 6/7/00 would be rescheduled for 11:30 am with the Minister attending at 12 noon for an evidence session.
Committee staff would contact all Members regarding their availability for meetings in late August. This would be discussed at the meeting on 6/7/00.
The Forward Work Programme should also include the following:
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target dates for major pieces of work;
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evidence from New Deal providers focussing on experience to date; and
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evidence from Maydown Precision Engineering (Clerk to contact).
(b) Draft Response to Programme for Government
Noted.
Committee response required by the Minister by Friday 7 July.
Agreed.
The Committee recognised the importance of ensuring that the Department's priorities were highlighted within the Programme for Government. Areas listed under "Cross Cutting" issues in Section 3 of the response should be differentiated from issues within the Committee's remit. Committee staff to make agreed amendments for final discussion at the meeting on 6 July.
(c) Draft Response to "Shaping Our Future" (Regional Development Strategy)
Agreed.
Committee staff to clarify references to regional hubs (Paragraph 4) for consideration at the meeting on 6 July.
(d)Walsh Visa
Noted.
Briefing paper provided by the Department, which took account of inputs from officials who had just returned from the USA as part of the review process.
Agreed.
The Committee noted the statistics, which indicated high levels of completion and recognised the need for a balanced view. Information was needed on:
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success as well as problems experienced by participants;
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support available in the USA;
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relocation of dissatisfied participants; and
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participants leaving the programme early, regarding their eligibility for Northern Ireland training or benefit systems, and the possibility of returning to the programme in the future.
Further briefing on the Walsh Visa Programme will be requested in the autumn, after the initial evaluation of the Programme has been completed.
(e) Transcript of Briefing by Professor Bob Osborne, (27 June 2000)
Noted.
This will be available in due course as it was not a formal evidence session.
4. Chairman's Business
(a) TSN Action Plan
Agreed.
Members' comments to be forwarded to the Clerk of Committee by Wednesday 5 July. Clerk will draft response, to include information requested from Assembly Research, for final agreement at the meeting on 6 July.
(b) Reply from Minister of State, to questions from the Chairman
Noted.
Reply of 16/5/00 was included in folders. The information would be useful, both for the Committee Enquiry and its response to the Department's Review of Student Funding.
(c) Invitation to submit evidence to First Committee Enquiry into "Education and Training for Industry"
Noted.
The Committee Office would be contacting approximately 250 bodies during recess, inviting written submissions for the Committee Enquiry. A response rate of approximately 20% was anticipated.
Agreed as amended.
Community and voluntary providers to be included in Training Providers.
5. Legislation on Part-Time Workers
Noted.
Draft regulations put to the Committee at pre-consultation stage, before suspension, the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000, had been made on 20 June 2000. This would be handled by the confirmatory procedure.
Agreed.
The Forward Work Programme would include examination of the Regulations in the early autumn, by way of a briefing session by relevant officials. The Committee was particularly interested in how the legislation affected specific groups (eg part-time teachers, term time workers); and pension rights.
On a wider note, the Clerk would arrange for the provision of summary advice to all Members on the Committee's role in handling subordinate legislation. This would help to ensure that the Committee's examination of the programme of legislation after recess would be carried out efficiently and in accordance with procedures.
6. Any Other Business
(a) Draft Press Notice for meeting on 6 July
Agreed as amended.
(b) Ministerial Press Releases
Noted.
(c) Response from Minister on Spending Review
The Minister's response on the Spending Review provided some information relevant to the Committee's evidence session on the budget on 6 July. The Spending Review was the main issue to be tackled, including the Minister's advice on the bids that the Department would be making. Members should take into account that allocations would be influenced by the Programme for Government, and that the Executive, rather than the Minister, would decide on allocations between departments.
Agreed.
Desirable to have clarification of spending review/estimates/budget arrangements.
Sample questions for the Evidence session with the Minister on 6 July were tabled at the meeting.
(d) Next Meeting
Set for Thursday 6/7/00 at 11:30am, with the Minister attending at 12 noon.
Meeting closed at 1:50pm.
ESMOND BIRNIE
CHAIRMAN
