COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE & INVESTMENT
Minutes of Proceedings
Tuesday, 25 september 2007
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Mark Durkan MP (Chairperson)
Mr Paul Maskey (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Simon Hamilton
Ms Jennifer McCann
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr Sean Neeson
Mr Robin Newton
Mr David Simpson MP
In Attendance:
Mr John Torney (Principal Clerk)
Ms Lucia Wilson (Assembly Clerk)
Miss Joanne Adair (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Leslie Cree
Dr Alasdair McDonnell
The meeting opened at 2.11 p.m. in public session.
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Apologies.
Apologies are detailed above.
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Declaration of Interests.
There were no new interests declared.
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Minutes of meeting held on 18 September 2007.
Agreed - the draft minutes were agreed as amended.
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Matters Arising.
Members noted an invitation from Belfast Media to attend the Developing Belfast Top 50 Awards in the Long Gallery on Thursday 27 September 2007.
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Subordinate Legislation.
The Committee considered 9 Statutory Rules which replicate ‘in-service’ provisions contained in GB Regulations to implement the European Directive on Measuring Instrument (2004/22/EC).
Agreed: ‘That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered:
The Measuring Instruments (Automatic Catchweighters) (Use for Trade) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
The Measuring Instruments (Automatic Gravimetric Filling Instruments) (Use for Trade) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
The Measuring Instruments (Liquid Fuel and Lubricants) (Use for Trade) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
The Measuring Instruments (Beltweighters) (Use for Trade) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
The Measuring Instruments (Capacity Serving Measures) (Use for Trade) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
The Measuring Instruments (Liquid Fuel by Road Tanker) (Use for Trade) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
The Measuring Instruments (Automatic Discontinuous Totalisers) (Use for Trade) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
The Measuring Instruments (Material Measures of Length) (Use for Trade) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
Measuring Instruments (Liquid Fuel and Lubricants) (Amendment) (Use for Trade) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
and, subject to the ESR’s Report, has no objection to the Rules’.
Members noted the Report of the First Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules 2007/08.
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Briefing from Geological Survey Northern Ireland on Policy Paper on Lignite Prospecting Rights.
Mr Noel Cornick (Head of Tourism, Agency Liaison and Equality) and Mr Garth Earls (Director of Geological Survey Northern Ireland) joined the meeting at 2.22 p.m. and gave a presentation and answered members’ questions on the review of the 2004 moratorium on the issue of lignite prospecting licences in the Ballymoney area.
Key issues discussed included the background to the existing moratorium, DETI Strategic Framework and the value of energy diversity, international research and options on the way forward,
Officials left the meeting at 2.40 p.m.
Agreed: That the Committee would write expressing support for the extension of the existing moratorium until 2010 and that it should be widened to include the Crumlin and Ardboe areas.
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Briefing from Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) on Developments at the Giant’s Causeway.
The Committee considered an item of internal correspondence regarding planning and car park issues at the Giant’s Causeway.
Members noted uncorrected transcripts of the evidence sessions on developments at the Giant’s Causeway on 11 September and 18 September.
The Committee considered a background paper and information in relation to developments at the Giant’s Causeway.
The meeting was suspended at 2.43 p.m. to allow members to vote in a plenary division.
The meeting was resumed at 2.46 p.m.
Mr Simpson rejoined the meeting at 2.54 p.m.
Mr Neeson rejoined the meeting at 3.00 p.m.Mr Alan Clarke (Chief Executive, NITB), Ms Kathryn Thompson (Director, Finance & Business Planning NITB) and Mr Ciaran McGarrity (DETI, Tourism Special Projects) joined the meeting at 3.00 p.m. and gave a presentation and answered members’ questions on recent developments regarding plans for a new visitors’ centre at the Giant’s Causeway.
Ms McCann rejoined the meeting at 3.30 p.m.
The meeting was suspended at 3.49 p.m. to allow members to vote in a plenary division.
The meeting was resumed at 4.14 p.m.
Mr Newton left the meeting at 4.24 p.m.
Officials left the meeting at 5.25 p.m.
Mr Simpson rejoined the meeting at 5.56 p.m.Agreed: That the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson would seek a meeting with the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for the Environment with a view to clarifying and discussing possible developments at the Giant’s Causeway.
Agreed: That, at the meeting, the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson would discuss an invitation from the Heritage Lottery Fund to host a meeting at Hadrian’s Wall on the prerequisites for developing and managing a World Heritage Site.
Agreed: That the Chairperson should write seeking clarification on a number of issues in relation to the DETI decision to put on hold the public sector plans for a visitors’ centre at the Giant’s Causeway.
Agreed: That the Clerk would make arrangements for members to have access to Seaport Investments’ plans for a visitors’ centre at the Giant’s Causeway.
Mr Neeson left the meeting at 6.27 p.m.
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Forward Work Programme.
Members noted the Forward Work Programme September – December 2007.
Agreed: That an alternative meeting day would be considered at the next meeting of the Committee.
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Any Other Business.
Members noted the Health & Safety Executive (NI) Annual Report and Statement of Accounts 1 April 2006 – 31 March 2007.
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Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 2 October at 2.00 p.m. in Room 135 Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 6.35 p.m.
Mark Durkan MP MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
September 2007.