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Report on the Executive's Draft Programme for Government 2011

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Report on the Executive's Draft Programme for Government 2011 Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister Report on the Executive’s draft Programme for Government 2011-2015 and draft Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland 2011-2021 Report on the Outcome of Consideration by Statutory Committees Together with Proceedings of the Committee Relating to the Report Ordered by the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to be printed on 15 February 2012 Report: NIA 29/11-15 Mandate 2011/15 First Report Committee Powers and Membership Committee Powers and Membership Powers The Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister is a Statutory Committee established in accordance with paragraphs 8 and 9 of the Belfast Agreement, Section 29 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and under Assembly Standing Order 48. The Committee has a scrutiny, policy development and consultation role with respect to the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister and has a role in the initiation of legislation. The Committee has the power to; ■ consider and advise on Departmental Budgets and Annual Plans in the context of the overall budget allocation; ■ approve relevant secondary legislation and take the Committee stage of primary legislation; ■ call for persons and papers; ■ initiate inquiries and make reports; and ■ consider and advise on matters brought to the Committee by the First Minister and deputy First Minister. Membership The Committee has eleven members, including a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, and a quorum of five members. The membership of the Committee is as follows: ■ Mr. Tom Elliott (Chairperson) ■ Mr. Chris Lyttle (Deputy Chairperson) ■ Mr. Trevor Clarke ■ Mr. Colum Eastwood ■ Mr. William Humphrey ■ Mr. Alex Maskey ■ Mr. Francie Molloy ■ Mr. Mike Nesbitt ■ Mr. George Robinson ■ Ms. Caitríona Ruane ■ Mr. Jimmy Spratt i Report on the Executive’s draft Programme for Government 2011-2015 and draft Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland 2011-2021 ii Table of Contents Table of Contents List of Abbreviations used in the Report iv Report Introduction, Paragraphs 1.1 - 1.3 1 Approach, Paragraphs 2.1 – 2.4 1 Responses from Statutory Committees, Paragraphs 3.1 – 3.2 1 Strategic Priorities, Paragraphs 4.1 – 4.3 2 Gaps in the PfG, Paragraphs 5.1 – 5.9 2 Comments on milestones/outcomes, Paragraphs 6.1 – 6.10 3 Monitoring progress, Paragraphs 7.1 – 7.4 4 Appendix 1 Minutes of Proceedings 7 Appendix 2 Minutes of Evidence 17 Appendix 3 Statutory Committees - Written Submissions 87 Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development 87 Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure 88 Committee for Education 93 Committee for Employment and Learning 96 Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment 101 Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment - Supplementary Response 104 Committee for the Environment 110 Committee for Finance and Personnel 115 Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety 123 Committee for Justice 124 Committee for Regional Development 127 Committee for Social Development 133 Appendix 4 List of Witnesses 139 Appendix 5 Other Papers Submitted to Committee 143 iii Report on the Executive’s draft Programme for Government 2011-2015 and draft Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland 2011-2021 List of Abbreviations and Acronyms used in this Report BBC British Broadcasting Corporation BT British Telecom CBI Confederation of British Industry CFP Committee for Finance and Personnel CIFNI Construction Industry Forum for Northern Ireland CIIF Creative Industries Innovation Fund CoPEs Northern Ireland Centres of Procurement Expertise CPD Central Procurement Directive CSI Cohesion Sharing and Integration CSR Comprehensive Spending Review CTA Community Transport Association DARD Department of Agriculture and Rural Development DCAL Department of Culture, Arts and leisure DE Department of Education DECC Department of Energy and Climate Change DEL Department of Employment and Learning DETI Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment DFP Department of Finance and Personnel DSD Department of Social Development DUP Democratic Unionist Party EC European Commission EQIA Equality Impact Assessment e-PIMS electronic Property Information Management System ESA Educations Skills Authority EU European Union EYF End Year Flexibility FE Further Education FSB Financial Services Board GB Great Britain GAA Gaelic Athletic Association GCSE General Certificate of Secondary Education HMT Her Majesty’s Treasury HMRC Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs HR Human Resources HSSPS Health, Social Services and Public Safety ICT Information and Communications Technology iv List of Abbreviations and Acronyms used in this Report ICTU Irish Congress of Trade Unions IFA Irish Football Association IREP Independent Review of Economic Policy ISNI Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland LPS Land and Property Services MLA Member of Legislative Assembly NAMA National Asset Management Agency NAV Net Asset Value NEET Not in Education, Employment or Training NI Northern Ireland NIA Northern Ireland Assembly NICCY Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People NICS Northern Ireland Civil Service NICVA Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action NIIRTA Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association NISEP Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme NIW Northern Ireland Water NSMC North South Ministerial Council OFMDFM Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister OGC Office of Government Commerce OTC Odyssey Trust Company PAC Public Accounts Committee PEDU Performance and Efficiency Delivery Unit PfG Programme for Government PSA Public Service Agreement R & D Research and Development RPA Review of Public Administration RTS Regional Transport Strategy RVH Royal Victoria Hospital SBRR Small Business Rate Relief Scheme SDLP Social Democratic and Labour Party SIB Strategic Investment Board SIF Social Investment Fund SME Small and Medium Sized Enterprises STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathmatics SWaMP Southern Waste Management Partnership UK United Kingdom UN United Nations UUP Ulster Unionist Party v Report on the Executive’s draft Programme for Government 2011-2015 and draft Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland 2011-2021 vi Introduction Introduction 1. Background 1.1 The Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister has the lead in co-ordinating the responses of Assembly statutory committees to the draft Programme for Government (PfG) and draft Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland (ISNI). In addition, the Committee also wishes to highlight some of the issues raised during its consideration of the proposals in the PfG/ISNI relating to the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. 1.2 The PfG supported by the Budget and ISNI collectively set out the Executive’s strategic vision for Northern Ireland and how this vision is to be resourced and delivered. The PfG establishes five strategic priorities for the Executive. Each priority is supported by a number of key commitments which each have milestones/outputs for each year in the PfG period. The five priorities are: ■ Growing a Sustainable Economy and Investing in the Future ■ Creating Opportunities, Tackling Disadvantage and Improving Health and Well-Being ■ Protecting Our People, the Environment and Creating Safer Communities ■ Building a Strong and Shared Community ■ Delivering High Quality and Efficient Public Services 1.3 The draft Investment Strategy reflects the Executive’s priorities from the PfG and seeks to invest a total of £5.376bn in years 2011/12 to 2014/15 and £7.218bn in years 2015/16 to 2020/21. The ISNI document also highlights key achievements since 2008. Although OFMDFM does not expend a large amount of capital funding, the Committee has a key role in ensuring that the Investment Strategy effectively delivers on the investment needed to achieve the Executive’s priorities. 2. Approach 2.1 In co-ordinating the responses of other statutory committees, the OFMDFM Committee wrote to committees seeking their views on the draft PfG/ISNI, with particular focus on: ■ Gaps in the Programme for Government ■ Comment on the Milestones/Outcomes of departmental commitments ■ Monitoring progress 2.2 The Committee held an evidence session with the First Minister and deputy First Minister on 14 December 2011, in which they briefed the Committee on the content of the draft PfG/ISNI (a copy of the Minutes of Evidence are included). 2.3 The Committee also held a round-table event with the Commissions that fall within the Department’s remit (Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, the Commissioner for Children and Young People, the Commissioner for Older People and one of the Commissioners for Victims and Survivors) on 11 January 2012 (a copy of the Minutes of Evidence are included). 2.4 The Committee’s response to the draft PfG/ISNI will look to highlight its overall strategic views in addition to commenting on the 3 areas mentioned at 2.1. 3. Responses from Statutory Committees 3.1 At its meetings on 8 and 15 February 2012 the Committee considered responses from the Assembly’s statutory committees to the draft PfG/ISNI. These responses are produced in full at Appendix 3 to this report. 1 Report on the Executive’s draft Programme for Government 2011-2015 and draft Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland 2011-2021 3.2 It is not the role of the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to comment on the views of other statutory committees or to seek to substitute its views for those
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