Department for the Economy Board minutes 2025 - 30 April 2025

Ian Snowden presented

Employment Bill

• Plans for a major upgrade in employment law announced. Not a lot of media coverage but many Assembly Questions.

US Position on Tariffs

• Difficult to predict all impacts. Businesses need to understand where their supply chains are from. Negative implications and likely impact on investment decision making.

Business Plan

• The business plan is drafted and in the process of being printed with a 3-4 week turnaround.

Budgets

• The Executive agreed the budget at the end of March. There were a few last-minute additions and will be a difficult settlement to manage.
• Departments have been asked to look at 5-year budget and sustainability plans.

Assembly Business

• A number of issues could be challenging for DfE.
• Reducing the size of the State and Welfare Reforms could be general issues.

PAC Hearing of DfE 2022/23 Accounts

• A disclaimer opinion has been given.
• There is concern about achieving the statutory laying deadline for the 2024/25 accounts as early indication are NIAO will commence the audit later than last year, and NIAO has not provided the department with the audit strategy or a detailed plan.  The Permanent Secretary will discuss this with the C&AG at a meeting on 2 May 2025.

Johanna Park presented

2024/25

• In the middle of year end processes.
• Potential underspend of £600k RDEL, of which £500k is earmarked. Potential underspend of £500k CDEL.
• Tight year end position.

2025/26

• The pay award and ERNI increase has meant an overcommitment which will be monitored.
• Impact assessments expected later in the week from ALBs as a result of the pay allocation. This can be managed but not without consequence.
• There are opportunities with alternative funding sources.

3 Year Budget, 5 Year Sustainability Plan

• This brings opportunities but challenges. Need to think about modelling, legislate changes, changes of structure and consider which functions to stop.
• Groups will consider; Objective – what can we do in the Economy; Work out priorities; Advice/ options to Minister; Who will take the lead; How can everyone contribute to this? Reps from Groups to discuss with Johanna and (Name redacted).
• A conversation to be had at Leadership meeting in 2 weeks re progress.

(Name redacted) presented

• The new 5-year People Strategy has been launched.
• Intergr8 will be launched in the next couple of years.
• Jill Minne has offered to speak to Board.
• There are 3 priority groups and 9 key areas in the next 2 years. Ian is responsible for the digital side.
• Co-pilot is in its infancy.
• The recruitment process is being simplified and streamlined.
• Ongoing work with retention strategy.
• G6 and G7 promotion boards live. DP hopefully launched next month.
• NICS People Survey launched yesterday.
• Ratios of male/females and ages discussed.
• Partial retirements discussed.
• Sick absence trends creeping up across NICS and common reasons for absence discussed.
• In the middle of health & wellbeing action plan.

(Name redacted) presented

• There have been informative Group sessions. Charts showing the results were shared and discussed. These need some interpretation.
• The biggest issue is that the current risk appetite must be causing a lot of confusion, tension and lost time.
• There is a perception that we hinder people.
• People were asked in practice what behavioural change they see in the Department.
• The desired position is to be hungry.
• Culture and delivery are big strands.
• There is work to be done on structures and policies.
• A paper will be brought to June Board.

Corporate Risk Register

• 2 risks have escalated – Impact on FE delivery due to escalation of industrial action and DfE Group Annual Report & Accounts.
• The residual risk of 2 risks has increased from high to extreme – Budget Risk 81 and HE Risk 1205. Wording of HE Risk 1205 to be amended.
• US Tariffs – the Trade Policy Risk has been updated.
• The Board agreed the quarter 4 updates.

February ARAC Minutes

• There were no comments.