Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting opened in public session at 2.01 p.m.

1. Apologies

As above.

2. Committee Membership

The Chairperson welcomed Members to the Committee and the Committee membership was noted.

3. Contact Details

The Chairperson requested that Members complete the form providing their contact details and return it to the Committee secretariat.

Agreed: Members agreed to complete and return the contact details form.

4. Declaration of Interests

The Chairperson reminded Members of the importance of declaring any interests in relation to business the Committee are considering. Members noted a memo from the Clerk on declaring their interests.

Mr Clarke joined the meeting at 2.05 p.m.

5. Procedures

Members noted the following guidance:

The powers and operation of Statutory Committees;

Departmental timescales for interaction with Committees;

The role of the Committee Chairperson;

The role and functions of the Committee office; and

Good practice for providing an effective Research Service to the Committee.

6. Subordinate Legislation

Agreed: The Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister resolves, under Standing Order 43, to delegate to the Examiner of Statutory Rules the technical scrutiny of statutory rules referred to the Committee under the above mentioned Standing Order. The Committee further resolves that in carrying out this function the Examiner shall be authorised to report his technical findings on each statutory rule to the Assembly, through the Business Office, and to the relevant Department, as well as to the Committee itself and to publish his report.

7. Legacy Report

The Chairperson highlighted to the Committee the list of forthcoming issues that the outgoing Committee saw as priorities.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider the Legacy Report at next week’s meeting to consider the issues which the outgoing Committee saw as priorities.

8. Departmental First Day Brief

The First Minister, deputy First Minister and junior Ministers joined the meeting at 2.11 p.m.

The First Minister, the Rt Hon Peter Robinson MLA, the deputy First Minister, Mr Martin McGuinness MP MLA and Junior Ministers Bell and Anderson briefed the Committee on the Department’s First Day Brief and key issues. A question and answer session followed.

Agreed: The First and deputy First Ministers agreed to forward to the Committee the responses to the Cohesion, Sharing and Integration (CSI) Strategy consultation and analysis of those responses.

The First Minister, deputy First Minister and junior Ministers left the meeting at 3.34 p.m.

Ms Ruane left the meeting at 3.34 p.m.

9. SR 2011 No. 168 - Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Agreed: That the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister has considered the Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 (SR 168/11), and has no objection to the Rule.

Ms Ruane re-joined the meeting at 3.40 p.m.

10. SR 2011 No. 156 - The Sex Discrimination Order 1976 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Agreed: That the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister has considered the Sex Discrimination Order 1976 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 (SR 156/11), and has no objection to the Rule.

11. Draft Forward Work Programme

Members considered the Committee’s draft Forward Work Programme for the period before summer recess.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to hold a Roundtable meeting of Northern Ireland’s representatives in Europe and other interested parties in the Long Gallery on Monday 20 June 2011. The Committee agreed a guest list and the outline agenda for the event.

Mr Spratt left the meeting at 3.47 p.m.

Agreed: The Committee agreed the draft Forward Work Programme for the period before summer recess.

12. Correspondence

Members considered correspondence requesting to brief the Committee from:

Age NI;

The Community Relations Council;

Children in Northern Ireland;

The Northern Ireland commissioner for Children and Young People; and

The Big Lottery Fund.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Committee office would schedule these briefings into the Forward Work Programme where possible.

13. Any Other Business

No other business.

14. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held in Room 30 on Wednesday 1 June 2011 at 2 p.m.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.50 p.m.

Mr Tom Elliott MLA
Chairperson,
Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister