MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE
COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
FRIDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2001
HELD IN ROOM 135 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
1. Committee Business
2. Draft Code of Practice
3. Meeting with the Minister
4. Members' Business
5. Minutes of Proceedings on Friday 9 November 2001
Present:
Dr IRK Paisley MP MEP(Chairperson)
Mr G Savage (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr J Dallat
Mr B Douglas
Mr D Ford
Mr G Kane
Mr G McHugh
Mr I Paisley Jnr
Apologies:
Mr PJ Bradley
In attendance:
Mr P Moore
Mr B Kennedy
Mr J McCourt
Miss N McCourt
The Chairperson opened the meeting in closed session at 10.05am. Mr Savage attended the meeting at 10.08am.
1. Committee Business.
1.1. Members discussed the Minister's letter of 15 November 2001 relating to business that the Committee was to discuss during the session with the Minister today and for future meetings with the Committee.
Resolved: that the Chairperson would ask the Minister to make a brief statement on Rural Proofing.
Resolved: that the Committee would prefer to discuss the EC Food & Veterinary Office inspection visit in open session and that the Chairperson should discuss this item with the Minister in view of her request for a closed session.
1.2. Members discussed a letter from Mr Lawrence Smyth, NIAPA General Secretary and Public Relations Officer which stated that the Minister is now satisfied that Mr Sean Clarke is functioning as Chairman of the NIAPA organisation and that she would be prepared to receive representations from Mr Clarke and the NIAPA organisation.
Mr McHugh attended the meeting at 10.14am.
Resolved: that the Chairperson would confirm this with the Minister during the meeting today and then discuss further with members.
2. Draft Code of Practice on Farm Subsidies Payments and the Farm Subsidies (Review of Decisions) Regulations.
Mr Douglas attended the meeting at 10.21am.
2.1. Members noted and discussed a reply from DARD on the draft Code of Practice on Farm Subsidies Payments and Review of Decisions Regulations.
2.2. Resolved: that the Chairperson would advise the Minister of the Committee's suggested compromise regarding the refund, in certain circumstances, of the £100 fee paid by an appellant at the independent panel review stage.
The Chairperson declared the meeting open to the public at 10.34am.
3. Meeting with the Minister to discuss Fisheries and other issues.
3.1. The Chairperson welcomed the Minister and DARD officials Mr Jim Prentice (Grade 7) and Ms Evelyn Cummins (Grade 5), to the meeting at 10.36am.
3.2. The Chairperson and the Minister exchanged views regarding a local newspaper article. The Chairperson then clarified with the Minister the situation in relation to the Department's paper on Rural Proofing, the EC Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) inspection visit to Northern Ireland and the Department's policy on NIAPA representation. The Chairperson undertook to write to the Minister regarding the Farm Subsidies (Review of Decisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001.
3.3. The Minister then made a statement referring to the forthcoming December Fisheries Council meeting and her work in trying to get the reinstatement of the 10% in nephrops total allowable catch and the fishing vessels decommissioning scheme. The Minister and her officials answered questions from members.
The Chairperson and Mr Kane left the meeting at 11.19am and the Deputy Chairperson took the chair. The Chairperson and Mr Kane returned to the meeting at 11.21am and the Chairperson then assumed the chair. Mr Ford left the meeting at 11.24am.
3.4. The Minister and officials left the meeting at 11.28am.
Resolved: that, in view of the Minister's stated wish to take the Committee's views on board before deciding the final version of her response to the EC FVO Inspection Report, the discussion with the Minister on 7 December 2001 on that issue will be in closed session.
Resolved: that the Committee will ask to see a paper on Rural Proofing as far as possible in advance of the meeting on 7 December 2001.
Resolved: that in light of the apparent resolution of NIAPA's internal dispute, and the Minister's recognition of NIAPA officials, the Committee would be prepared to take representations from NIAPA as and when appropriate.
Resolved: that the Clerk should liase with the Minister's Private Secretary in order to establish dates for future meetings between the Committee and the Minister, in the New Year.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.29am. The Chairperson resumed the meeting at 11.37am with Messrs Dallat, Douglas, Kane, McHugh, Paisley Jnr and Savage present.
4. Members' Business.
4.1. Mr Dallat sought clarification from the Chairperson regarding his use of a note, received from the public seating area, during questioning of the Minister. The Chairperson advised the member that the note had been a private one, from a member of his staff, which had no relevance to the Committee's business. Mr Dallat asked that the Clerk seek confirmation of guidelines relating to the receipt of notes.
5. Minutes of Proceedings on Friday 9 November 2001.
5.1. Members considered a revised set of draft Minutes of Proceedings that incorporated changes to the draft included in members' papers.
5.2. Resolved: that the revised draft Minutes of Proceedings for 9 November 2001 were approved.
6. Matters arising from the meeting on 9 November 2001.
6.1. Correspondence. The Committee noted that letters to DARD about Flood Plain Development and welfare of farmed animals (laying hens) regulations, and a minute from the Assistant Clerk referring DARD's Flood Plain Development document to the Environment Committee had been e-mailed to members. Members agreed to this method of distribution of correspondence in future.
6.2. Vision Consultation Conference. Members were reminded of the forthcoming event on 27 November 2001. A number of members had already indicated their intention to attend.
Mr Ford returned to the meeting at 11.46am.
6.3. Meeting with the Higher Education and R&D in Agriculture and Food Science Review Panel. Members considered a letter from the secretary to the Panel, offering to meet the Committee. This was in keeping with the Committee's decision on 9 November 2001 to invite the Panel to discuss its preliminary findings.
Resolved: that the Chairperson would issue a formal invitation to the Review Panel, and the Clerk was instructed to make the necessary arrangments.
6.4. Draft Programme for Government. Members, having noted the Deputy Chairperson's agreed contribution to the plenary debate on 13 November 2001, considered a draft response to OFMDFM Junior Ministers.
Resolved: that the Committee's agreed formal response be issued to OFMDFM Junior Ministers, and copied to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Mr Armstrong returned to the meeting at 11.50am.
7. SR391/01-Farm Subsidies (Review of Decisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001.
7.1. The Committee considered the Farm Subsidies (Review of Decisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 in the light of their earlier discussion. Members remained concerned that the regulations did not permit refund of the £100 fee in cases where the Independent Panel's recommendation was in favour of the applicant, but the Minister subsequently did not accept that recommendation.
Resolved: that members had no wish to move a motion for annulment of the Rule, which would negate the entire formal review process, but would seek a commitment from DARD to include a provision in the Code of Practice to the effect that, on a case-by-case basis, without prejudice, DARD would consider making a refund of the fee in such cases.
Resolved: that, given the timescales envisaged for the various elements of the appeals process, DARD's proposal for a review after one year was reasonable.
8. SR393/01- Dogs (Licensing and Identification) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001.
8.1. The Committee, having examined the regulations in draft on 7 September 2001 and the results of DARD consultation with District Councils on 19 October 2001, formally considered this Rule.
Question put and agreed:
That the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development has considered the Dogs (Licensing and Identification) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and has no objection to the Rule.
9. SR 394/01 - Drainage (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001.
9.1. The Committee, having examined the regulations in draft on 5 October 2001, formally considered this Rule.
Question put and agreed:
That the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development has considered the Drainage (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and has no objection to the Rule.
10. Plant Breeders' Rights (Fees)(Amendment) Regulations 2001.
10.1. The Committee noted the Plant Breeders' Rights (Fees)(Amendment) Regulations 2001, which are UK-wide and lie outside the remit of the Assembly.
11. DARD Counter Fraud Strategy.
11.1. Members noted that the DARD Counter Fraud Strategy document had been referred to the Committee for comments, and that the Clerk had sought input from the Assembly Research Service.
Resolved: that officials would be asked to attend the Committee meeting on 23 November 2001 to discuss the DARD Counter Fraud Strategy.
12. Any Other Business.
12.1. Response to Committee Inquiry Reports. A member raised the matter of responses to Committee Inquiry Reports, with specific reference to the report of the Inquiry into the Livestock and Meat Commission. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Clerk was instructed to make informal approaches to the LMC and to DARD to get an indication of when responses might be expected.
12.2. Ban on Hunting with Dogs. A member brought to the Committee's attention the fact that relaxation of controls on hunting with dogs was being considered in GB. He felt that the continuing ban in Northern Ireland was having a detrimental effect on the related economy. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Minister would be asked for an update on her views on the removal of the ban on hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland.
12.3. BSE Testing. Members noted a response from DARD to queries raised by members on 19 October 2001 confirming that positive BSE cases were animals over 30 months old and not destined for the human food chain.
Resolved: that DARD would be asked to supply further updates, on BSE testing, to the Committee on a quarterly basis.
12.4. UK Chairs of European Committee Meeting in Brussels. Members noted correspondence from the Committee of the Centre which suggested that the agreement at the Berlin summit (that accession countries would not receive the direct payments currently available under the Common Agricultural Policy) was under review and that this might signal a possible change to direct payments available to farmers in current EU Member States following accession. Members deliberated on this, with reference also to the recent World Trade Organisation meeting.
Resolved: that the Assembly Research Service would be asked to prepare a paper summarising events and agreements reached at the recent WTO meeting in Doha as well as exploring the possible ramifications of these agreements for UK and NI agriculture, and covering any further information on possible changes to the Berlin summit position.
12.5. Annual Profile of Premia Payments 2001/2002. Members noted the Annual Profile of Premia Payments for 2001/2002 being published by DARD.
Resolved: that, given that many payment targets are in October, November, and December 2001, DARD would be asked to supply a report on the position in January 2002.
12.6. Natural Resource Rural Tourism. Members considered DARD's response to the Committee's request for a written update, and a further briefing paper prepared by the Clerk.
Resolved: that members would need some time to study the papers, and that this item would be revisited at the meeting on Friday 23 November 2001.
13. Date of Next Meeting.
13.1. Resolved: that the next meeting will take place on Friday 23 November 2001 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings, at 10.00am.
The Chairperson brought the meeting to a close at 12.28pm.
Ian R K Paisley
Chairperson