In attendance: Mr P Moore
Mr B Kennedy
Mr J Small

The Chairman declared the meeting open in private session at 2.00pm.

1. Fishing Vessel Decommissioning Scheme Issues.

1.1. Members discussed issues arising from DARD's investigation report into its officials' dealings with the fishermen and the Committee. Members deliberated.

Resolved: that the Committee noted the legal advice, as contained in Appendix 14 of the investigation report, and agreed that it provided the Committee with at least part of the information sought by members during discussions last year on the Department's decision not to retain Track Record within the Northern Ireland fleet. In light of the existence of this advice, which was contained in a letter dated 20 February 2001, the Committee would ask the Minister to explain her assertions, made in the fourth paragraph of her letter to the Chairman dated 25 May 2001, that no paper, recording, in a comprehensive fashion, the legal analysis of difficulties facing DARD, had ever been produced and that advice had been oral. The Committee would also invite the Minister to suggest a date when members can explore this with her in person.

Mr Armstrong left the meeting at 2.25pm.

Resolved: That, having noted the contents of the DARD investigation report, the Committee considered that it remained both reasonable and appropriate to meet the two previously-named officials, in order that members may reach their own conclusions. The Committee would therefore ask the Minister to make the officials available to attend the meeting on Friday 8 March 2002 at 11.15 a.m. in room 135 Parliament Buildings; the meeting to be held in private with senior officials attending as observers if desired. In making this request the Committee would ask the Minister to respond by 12 noon on Thursday 7 March 2002.

Resolved: That if the Minister did not agree to the attendance of these officials on 8 March 2002, the Committee would, reluctantly, approach the Speaker of the Assembly and ask him to give notice in writing, in accordance with the Committee's power to call for persons and papers, as outlined in Section 44 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
Resolved: that the Committee would defer discussions, on how best to apply lessons learned from this experience, until the meeting with officials has taken place.

Mr Ford left the meeting at 2.36pm.

1.2. The Clerk informed members that DARD's investigation report had referred to information on the fishing vessel 'strike price' mechanism being supplied to the Committee, whereas in fact it appeared that the associated fax message, received by the Committee, had been incomplete. Members deliberated.

Resolved: that the Clerk would alert the report's author to the discrepancy, in order to clarify what papers were available to the Committee regarding the 'strike price' mechanism.

2. Rural Development Programme Inquiry.

2.1. The Chairman advised that no members had raised any amendments to the draft findings and conclusions prepared by the Clerk and included in papers for the meeting on Friday 1 March 2002. Members deliberated.

Resolved: that those draft findings and conclusions were approved and that the Clerk was instructed to prepare a first draft of the Committee's Inquiry report based on these, and previous, outline findings and conclusions approved by the Committee and on discussions, surrounding specific issues, that took place in Committee on 1 March 2002.

The Deputy Chairman left the meeting at 2.47pm

3. IFEX Food Conference.

3.1. Members further considered the invitation to this conference on Wednesday 24 April 2002 at Balmoral Conference Centre.

Resolved: that Messrs Douglas, McHugh and Murphy would attend and that the Committee staff were instructed to make the necessary arrangements.

4. Foodex Meatex 2002 Trade Exhibition.

4.1. A member had drawn the Committee's attention to this event at the meeting on Friday 1 March 2002. Members had subsequently received information from the event website showing that this was a trade exhibition, to be held in Birmingham on 17-20 March 2002. The Deputy Chairman had earlier indicated his interest in attending the event because of reference to animal traceability. Members noted that such reference related to the demonstration of equipment to facilitate beef labelling at all stages of the supply chain. Members deliberated.

4.2. Resolved: that there would be no attendance by, or on behalf of the Committee, at the Foodex Meatex 2002 event and that in general, it would not be appropriate for the Committee, or individual members other than in a capacity unrelated to the Committee, to attend trade exhibitions.

5. UFU Beef Conferences.

5.1. Members noted an e-mail from the Ulster Farmers' Union, with an attached poster, announcing beef conferences on 5th and 7th March 2002 at 8.00pm at Templepatrick and Dungannon respectively.

6. Date of Next Meeting.

6.1. Resolved: that the next Committee meeting, on Friday 8 March 2002 in room 135 Parliament Buildings, would commence at 9.45am rather than at 10.00am as had been agreed at the meeting on 1 March 2002.

The Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 2.54pm.

Ian R K Paisley
Chairman

1 March 2002 / Menu / 8 March 2002