AQW 7870/09

Mrs Naomi Long
Alliance Party
East Belfast

Tabled Date: 19/05/2009
Answered On Date: 28/05/2009
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to provide an update on the work of the Executive Sub committee on poverty and social inclusion and its forward work plan.

Answer:

In agreeing, on 20th November 2008, to formally adopt the broad architecture and principles of Lifetime Opportunities as the basis of its strategy to tackle poverty and social exclusion and patterns of deprivation based on social need, the Executive further agreed to the establishment of an Executive Sub-Committee on poverty and social inclusion.

This Executive Sub-Committee is responsible for agreeing, the priorities and key Executive actions for tackling poverty and social inclusion here and also agreeing the monitoring and reporting mechanisms associated with the ‘Lifetime Opportunities’ anti-poverty strategy.

To date the Executive Sub-Committee has met on two occasions, the most recent meeting taking place on 21 May 2009.

During the course of its first two meetings the Sub-Committee has;

agreed its Terms of Reference which take account of recommendations arising from the OFMDFM Committee, including it’s recent recommendations on child poverty, the PSI Reports on Lone Parents and People with a Disability and Departmental reports in as much as they are relevant to the Terms of Reference of the Committee;

been informed as to the extent of poverty in Northern Ireland;

agreed that work should be undertaken to identify the key co-ordinated priority actions that are needed to benefit those areas, groups and individuals in greatest objective need;

considered and agreed proposals in respect of a monitoring and reporting framework for the ‘Lifetime Opportunities’ Strategy; and

agreed to an early re-establishment of the Ministerial-led Poverty and Social Inclusion Stakeholder Forum.

It is proposed that initial recommendations, in respect of the key co-ordinated actions needed to benefit those areas, groups and individuals in greatest objective need, will be considered at the Executive Sub-Committee’s next meeting.