COMMITTEE BEGINS SCRUTINY OF ENTERPRISE, TRADE & INVESTMENT PLANS FOR NORTHERN IRELAND

Date: Thursday 17 May 2007

ETI 1/07

Today the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment began its scrutiny of the Executive’s enterprise, trade and investment polices and plans for Northern Ireland.

Mr Mark Durkan, Committee Chairperson said:

‘This committee will be proactive in examining the work of the department and related agencies. We will play a major role in developing key policies and programmes and in scrutinising and approving legislation and spending.’

During today’s meeting, Nigel Dodds MP MLA, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment met with members to discuss the department’s key roles and responsibilities and its policy and legislative programme in order to inform the development of the Committee’s work programme for the new Assembly mandate. As part of the same process, the Committee agreed that senior departmental officials from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and its related agencies should attend the next few meetings to brief members on key issues and priorities.

NOTE TO EDITOR

The Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s membership is:

Chairperson	Mark Durkan MP (SDLP)
Deputy Chairperson	Paul Maskey (Sinn Fein)
Alliance	Sean Neeson
DUP	Simon Hamilton
	Robin Newton
	David Simpson
Sinn Fein	Jennifer McCann
	Mitchel McLaughlin
SDLP	Alasdair McDonnell
UUP	Leslie Cree
	Alan McFarland

All enquiries regarding the work of the Committee should be directed to the Committee Clerk, Lucia Wilson, Room 424, Parliament Buildings, Belfast, BT4 3XX ( ( 028 905 21230).