COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 16 APRIL 2002 AT 10.52 AM IN
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr P Doherty MP MLA (Chairperson)
Mr B Armstrong Mr W Clyde Mrs A Courtney
Mr D McClarty
Dr A McDonnell
Dr D O'Hagan
Mr J Wells
Apologies: Mr S Neeson (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms J Morrice
Mr E McMenamin
In attendance: Mrs C White (Committee Clerk)
Mr M Anderson (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Mr R Anderson (Clerical Supervisor)
Miss A Fowler (Clerical Officer)
In attendance for the public evidence session at 11.13 am: Mr Andy McCrea, Ms Jenny Boyd (Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE)).
The meeting opened in public at 10.52am.
1. Minutes of the last meeting
Agreed - the minutes of the meeting held on 20 March 2002.
Mr Armstrong joined the meeting at 10.56am.
Dr McDonnell left the meeting at 10.57am.
2. Any Other Business
2.1. Letter from the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment on the proposal to submit a bid for allocations from the Infrastructure Fund to cover the cost of gas pipelines
Agreed - to issue a response to the Minister.
2.2 Request from Martin Stanley, Chief Executive of Postcomm, to meet Members to discuss the role of Postcomm and answer questions on their market opening proposals
Agreed - to meet Martin Stanley on Monday 22 April at 4pm.
Mr Clyde joined the meeting at 11.05am.
Dr McDonnell rejoined the meeting at 11.10am.
2.3 Insurance Premiums and Public Liability Insurance for Small and Medium Businesses
Agreed - to seek information from the Federation of Small Businesses and to write to the Rt Hon Andrew Smith MP, Chief Secretary to HM Treasury.
2.4 Response from the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment on a Banking Ombudsman for Northern Ireland
Agreed - to note the response.
2.5 Tourism Inquiry Conference
Agreed - that the Committee Clerk and Assistant Committee Clerk should visit the Scottish Parliament in May 2002 to discuss the organisation involved in holding a conference to take oral evidence.
2.6 The Insolvency Bill, Company Directors Disqualification Bill, Limited Liability Partnership Bill and Open-Ended Investment Company Bill
Agreed - to request written submissions from those organisations that responded to the Department's Public Consultation in advance of the Bills being introduced to the Assembly.
Agreed - to place Public Notices in the four local newspapers when the Committee Stage of the Bills has commenced.
2.7 Europe Day Reception on Thursday 9 May 2002
Agreed - that Members would advise the Committee Clerk of their attendance by Friday 19 April.
3. Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) Customer Energy Efficiency Levy
3.1. Representatives from NIE gave a presentation on the Energy Efficiency Levy and answered questions from Members.
Mr McClarty left the meeting at 11.44am.
Mrs Courtney left the meeting at 12.21pm
4. Date of next meeting
4.1. The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Wednesday 17 April at 10.30am in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting closed at 12.30pm.
Mr Pat Doherty MP MLA
Chairperson