Minutes of Proceedings 29 September 2021

Committee for The Executive Office

Minutes of Proceedings

Wednesday 29th September 2021

Meeting Location: Room 30, Parliament Buildings

Present:

Mr Colin McGrath MLA (Chairperson)
Mr John Stewart MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Pádraig Delargy MLA

Present via Video Conferencing:

Ms Diane Dodds MLA
Mr Alex Easton MLA
Mr Pat Sheehan MLA
Ms Emma Sheerin MLA

Apologies:

Mr Trevor Lunn MLA 

In Attendance:

Mr Michael Potter (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Carla Campbell (Assistant Clerk)
Ms Sarah-Anne McKinley (Assistant Clerk)
Ms Andrienne Magee (Clerical Officer)

The meeting commenced at 2:05pm in open session

1.Apologies

As Above.

2.Chairperson’s Business

The Chairperson welcomed new Committee Members Pádraig Delargy MLA, who has replaced Martina Anderson, and Alex Easton MLA, who has replaced George Robinson MLA.

The Chairperson expressed his thanks to George Robinson MLA for his service to the Committee for the Executive Office and its predecessor Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, which he served on from 2009 until 2014.

The Chairperson informed Members that the Justice Committee has been engaged on the issue of the Troubles Permanent Disablement Scheme, which is shared between the Executive Office and the Department of Justice.

He advised Members that the division of responsibilities between the departments is to be provided to the Committee for the Executive Office, however, the Committee for Justice is seeking an informal meeting with the Victims Payments Board in order to ensure there is effective oversight of the process.

Agreed:  The Committee agreed to organise an informal meeting of the Committee for Justice and the Committee for the Executive Office with the Victims Payments Board, potentially on the morning of 6 October.

The Chairperson raised the issue of vaccine passports and the lack of clarity on which Executive Minister is responsible for the decisions in relation to the implementation of such a scheme.

Agreed:  The Committee agreed to write to the First and deputy First Minister to ask where the responsibility lies for decisions in relation to the implementation of a vaccine passport scheme.

Diane Dodds joined the meeting at 2:09pm.

The Chairperson informed Members that the Equality Commission has ruled that the Northern Ireland Office has breached its duties by not carrying out a consultation and an equality impact assessment document on how victims of the conflict in Northern Ireland would be affected by the policy on addressing the legacy of the past.

Agreed:  The Committee agreed to invite the Equality Commission NI to a Committee meeting to present its findings.

3.Draft Minutes

Agreed:  The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 22^nd September 2021.

4.Matters Arising

The Chairperson reminded Members that at last week’s meeting Diane Dodds MLA had raised the issue of the implications to Northern Ireland of the Subsidy Control Bill at Westminster.

The Chairperson informed Members that the Committee for the Economy is aware of the implications of the Subsidy Control Bill and referred Members to a Commons Library Briefing Paper on the Subsidy Control Bill 2021-22, which the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service had provided for Members’ information.

5.UK Exit from European Union – junior Ministers – Oral Briefing

The junior Ministers joined the meeting at 2:16pm.

• Mr Declan Kearney, junior Minister, The Executive Office.
• Mr Gary Middleton, junior Minister, The Executive Office.

The junior Ministers briefed Committee Members on UK Exit from EU issues.

The oral evidence was followed by a question and answer session.

The Deputy Chairperson took the chair at 2:52pm.

The Chair left the meeting at 2:53pm.

Diane Dodds left the meeting at 2:58pm.

The Deputy Chairperson thanked the junior Ministers for their attendance.

Agreed:  The Committee agreed to write to the Executive Office for details on work the Interdepartmental Steering Group was undertaking on labour shortages.

6.Scrutiny of Arms-Length Bodies – Equality Commission – Written Briefing

The Committee noted a written briefing from the Equality Commission NI.

7.Forward Work Programme

The Committee noted the Forward Work Programme for September to October 2021.

The Committee noted that an evidence session on the Travel Agents (Coronavirus) Financial Assistance Scheme is to be scheduled for November 2021 and a list of potential stakeholders would be provided to Members for approval at next week’s meeting.

8.Correspondence

i.The Committee noted a written ministerial statement from the First Minister and deputy First Minister - decisions of the Executive on Covid 19 – 23 September 2021.

ii.The Committee noted correspondence from the Department of Agriculture to the Executive Office advising of the upcoming launch of a consultation on a draft Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework.

iii.The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Infrastructure to the Executive Office asking for their views on correspondence from Lord Jay, Chairman of the European Affairs Sub Committee, on details of the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

iv.The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance sharing an analysis of 2021-22 Outturn and Forecast Outturn for Round 05 August, including analysis of forecasting performance relating to the month of July.

v.The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance in relation to the 3-year budget-setting process.

vi.The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Finance asking the Committee for the Executive Office to follow-up with the Executive Office in respect of its detailed spending proposals relating to the Unique Circumstance funding.

Agreed:  The Committee agreed to write to the First Minister and deputy First Minister to request a breakdown of the Unique Circumstances funding, as indicated in the letter from the Secretary of State dated 21 December 2020.

vii.The Committee noted a written ministerial statement from the First Minister and deputy First Minister – Decisions of the Executive on Covid-19 – 27 September 2021.

viii.The Committee noted a response from the Executive Office in relation to the timeline for the recruitment process and appointment for the new Commissioner for Victims and Survivors.

ix.The Committee noted correspondence from the Executive Office in relation to the NIAO audit of the Executive Office’s Annual Report and Accounts for the 2020/21 financial year and its findings.

x.The Committee noted a response from the Victims and Survivors Service providing an update on progress regarding any plan to expand the Victims and Survivors Service to include support to survivors of Historical Clerical Childhood Abuse.

xi.The Committee noted the Investment Strategy Northern Ireland Investing Activity Report September 2021.

xii.The Committee noted a report from Pivotal Public Policy Forum NI – Transforming the 14-19 education and skills system in Northern Ireland – youth voices and solutions.

9.Any Other Business

None.

10.Date, Time and Place of the next meeting

The next Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday 06 October 2021 at 2:00pm, in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:38pm.

Colin McGrath MLA
Chairperson, Committee for the Executive Office