Correspondence Committee Report Submitted To: Council Meeting
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Title of Report: Correspondence Committee Council Meeting Report Submitted To: Date of Meeting: 5 November 2019 For Decision or FOR INFORMATION For Information Linkage to Council Strategy (2019-23) Strategic Theme Leader and Champion Outcome Establish key relationships with Government, agencies and potential strategic partners Lead Officer Director of Corporate Services Budgetary Considerations Cost of Proposal Included in Current Year Estimates YES/NO Capital/Revenue Code Staffing Costs Screening Required for new or revised Policies, Plans, Strategies or Service Delivery Requirements Proposals. Section 75 Screening Completed: Yes/No Date: Screening EQIA Required and Yes/No Date: Completed: Rural Needs Screening Completed Yes/No Date: Assessment (RNA) RNA Required and Yes/No Date: Completed: Data Protection Screening Completed: Yes/ No Date: Impact Assessment DPIA Required and Yes/No Date: (DPIA) Completed: 191105 – Correspondence – Version No. 1 Page 1 of 4 1. Purpose of Report The purpose of the report is to present correspondence for Members’ consideration. 2. The following are listed: 2.1 The Executive Office, Northern Ireland, correspondence dated 3 October 2019 The Executive Office has recently published its Section 75 Equality Annual Progress Report for 2018/2019 and can be located on the Department’s Website at https://www.executiveoffice- ni.gov.uk/publications/annual-report-equality-commission-northern- ireland. The Department welcomes Elected Members comments on the proposed action measures in the Equality Annual Report or views on other ways in which the commitment to the Section 75 duties would be better demonstrated. Further detail is within the correspondence. 2.2 NILGA – Key Outcomes, Central – Local Government Political Partnership Forum 27 September 2019 dated 9 October 2019 Correspondence has been received from NILGA with the Key Outcomes Report from Forum on Friday 27th September 2019, together with presentations provided by NI Water and NIFRS, and The Drinking Water Inspectorate’s most recent Report. https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/drinking-water-quality-northern- ireland Also included is a template for Councils to complete on issues they wish to be raised at future meetings of the Forum. The next meeting of the Central – Local Government Political Partnership Forum is scheduled to take place on Friday 31st January 2020, from 10am at the NILGA Offices in Bradford Court, Castlereagh. 191105 – Correspondence – Version No. 1 Page 2 of 4 2.3 The Northern Ireland Housing Council – October Housing Council Bulletin The Northern Ireland Housing Council met on Thursday 10 October 2019 at 10.30am in the Town Hall, Bangor (report attached). 2.4 Non Domestic Revaluation – Reval2020 Information Sheet for Local Councillors Reval2020 – Revaluing Properties for Business Rates information sheet for Local Councillors (attached). 2.5 Western Health and Social Care Trust – Invitation to Join Local Engagement Partnership for Adult Learning Disability dated 21 October Correspondence has been received from the Western Health and Social Care Trust seeking a nomination from Elected Members, with an interest in Learning Disability, to join the Local Engagement Partnership (LEP) for Adult Learning Disability. The next meeting of the LEP is on Monday 4 November 2019. 2.6 Conradh na Gaeilge – Irish Language Week Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish Language week), takes place from the 1st of March to St. Patrick's Day and is the biggest and longest running Irish language festive event in the calendar year. Communities and groups, both locally and abroad, come together to organise events with a focus on the Irish language. These events range from intensive language courses, to street parties and everything in between. We in Conradh na Gaeilge, the Irish language advocacy group, encourage and assist as many groups as possible to involve themselves in some way in Seachtain na Gaeilge, no matter how small or big the event. The Mayor of Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council has been asked to engage with the elected representatives of the Council and the Irish speaking community in the Borough so that the Council would promote Seachtain na Gaeilge annually within the area. 2.7 Newry, Mourne and Down District Council – Early Diagnosis of Bowel and Breast Cancer – dated 16 October 2019. 191105 – Correspondence – Version No. 1 Page 3 of 4 At a meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council held on Monday 7 October 2019, the following Notice of Motion was agreed: "Newry Mourne and Down District Council notes that early diagnosis of Bowel and Breast Cancer offers Patients the best chance of a successful treatment. England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland all currently use the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) and have a lowered age for screening. NHS England are currently trialling Breast Cancer Screening at the lower age of 47 and the upper age of 72. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has written to the other 10 Councils’ requesting that they join them in calling on the Permanent Secretary to commit to a review of Bowel and Breast Cancer Screening as outlined. Members were unanimous in their support for lowered age for breast and bowel cancer screening services in Northern Ireland, along with the use of Faecal Immunochemical tests for bowel cancer screening in line with England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council would ask for your support in calling on the Permanent Secretary to commit to a review of Bowel and Breast Screening. 3.0 It is recommended that Council note the correspondence. 191105 – Correspondence – Version No. 1 Page 4 of 4 Heloise Brown Block 2 Knockview Buildings Stormont Estate BT4 3SJ Tel: 02890 528301 Date: 3 October 2019 Dear Consultee, The Executive Office Section 75 Equality Annual Progress Report Like all public authorities, the Executive Office has an Equality Scheme which sets out how the Department proposes to fulfil the duties imposed by Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act. The Act requires public authorities to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity and regard to the desirability of promoting good relations across the S75 categories when carrying out their functions. Each year all public authorities are required to report to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland on the progress made towards implementing their statutory equality duties. The annual report also covers Section 49A of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and highlights the measures the Department has taken to encourage disabled people to participate in public life. The Executive Office has recently published its Section 75 Equality Annual Progress Report for 2018/19 and it has been placed on the Department’s Website at https://www.executiveoffice- ni.gov.uk/publications/annual-report-equality-commission-northern- ireland The Department would welcome your comments on the proposed action measures in the Equality Annual Report or views on other ways in which the commitment to the Section 75 duties could be better demonstrated. Contact the Equality, Human Rights and Delivering Social Change Unit by Email:- [email protected] Or by post:- Equality, Human Rights and Delivering Social Change Unit The Executive Office Knockview Buildings Stormont Estate Belfast BT4 3SJ If you have any queries regarding these documents, or their availability in a different format, please contact us at the address above. Yours faithfully Head of Equality & Human Rights Central – Local Government Political Partnership Forum – 27th September 2019 KEY OUTCOMES The fifth meeting of the Central- Local Government Political Partnership Forum, took place on Friday 2019. This Outcomes Note is provided by NILGA, the Northern Ireland Local Government Association, to provide immediate update to member Councils and Councillors and MLAs appointed to the Forum. The following MLAs were in attendance on 27th September 2019: Fra McCann MLA, Sinn Fein; Peter Weir MLA, DUP and Robbie Butler MLA, UUP. With apologies received from John Blair, Alliance, and Mark H. Durkan MLA, SDLP. The following Local Government Members were present: Ald Stephen Moutray, NILGA Office Bearer Alternate; Cllr Stephen Dunne, Ards and North Down Borough Council; Ald Tom McKeown, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council; Ald Billy Ashe MBE, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council; Cllr Robert Burgess, Newry Mourne and Down District Council; Cllr Matt Garrett, NILGA Office Bearer /Belfast City Council; Cllr Christine McFlynn, Mid Ulster District Council; Cllr Martin Kearney, NILGA Office Bearer; and Ald Alan McDowell, NILGA Office Bearer. With apologies received for Cllr Frances Burton, NILGA President / Mid Ulster District Council; Ald Danny Kinahan, NILGA Office Bearer / Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council; Cllr Sheamus Greene, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council; Cllr Geraldine McAteer, Belfast City Council; and Cllr Ruairi McHugh, Derry City and Strabane District Council; Keynote presentations were provided by: NI Water: Sara Venning, Chief Executive NIFRS: Michael Graham, Chief Fire and Rescue Officer Local Government Officer Representation: Louise Kennedy, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Ann McCullough, Ards and North Down Borough Council NILGA: Derek McCallan, Karen Smyth, Lisa O’Kane, Antoinette Kennedy KEY OUTCOMES & ACTIONS from the Central – Local Government Political Partnership Forum, 27.09.2019 1. Issues raised by Councils for discussion and debate at Forum, 27.09.2019