COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
MONDAY 29 JULY 2002 AT 10.42 AM IN
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr P Doherty MP (Chairperson)
Mr S Neeson (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr B Armstrong Mr W Clyde
Dr A McDonnell
Mr D McClarty
Ms J Morrice
Mr J Wells
Apologies:
Mrs A Courtney
Mr E McMenamin
Dr D O'Hagan
In attendance:
Mrs C White (Committee Clerk)
Mr M Anderson (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Mr R Anderson (Clerical Supervisor)
Miss A Fowler (Clerical Officer)
Mr H Widdis (Assembly Legal Adviser)
In attendance for the public evidence session at 10.47 am: Mr M Bohill, Mr J Reid, Mr R Nesbitt, Ms J Broadway (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment).
The Committee agreed to open the meeting in public at 10.42am.
1. Minutes of the last meetings
Agreed - the minutes of the meetings held on 3 July.
2. Insolvency Bill
2.1. Departmental Officials discussed the background of the Bill.
Mr Clyde joined the meeting at 10.55am.
Agreed - to include the Minister's letter of 21 July in the Report.
Dr McDonnell joined the meeting at 11.15am.
2.2. The Committee carried out a detailed clause-by-clause scrutiny of the Insolvency Bill. The clauses were read along with the related commentary in the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum.
The Long Title was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the long title as drafted.
Clause 1 was considered.
Mr Neeson joined the meeting at 11.23am.
Mr Clyde left the meeting at 11.24am.
Mr McClarty left the meeting at 11.24am.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 1 as drafted.
Schedule 1 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the Schedule 1 as drafted.
Clause 2 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 2 as drafted.
Schedule 2 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the Schedule 2 as drafted.
Clause 3 was considered.
Mr McClarty rejoined the meeting at 11.35am.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 3 as drafted.
Schedule 3 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the Schedule 3 as drafted.
Clause 4 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 4 as drafted.
Clause 5 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 5 as drafted.
Clause 6 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 6 as drafted.
Clause 7 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 7 as drafted.
Clause 8 was considered.
Agreed - to seek further clarification from the Department and the views of the Equality Commission regarding Clause 8.
Clause 9 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 9 as drafted.
Clause 10 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 10 as drafted.
Clause 11 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 11 as drafted.
Clause 12 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 12 as drafted.
Schedule 4 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the Schedule 4 as drafted.
Clause 13 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 13 as drafted.
Clause 14 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 14 as drafted.
3. Company Directors' Disqualification Bill
Dr McDonnell left the meeting at 12.15pm.
3.1 The Committee carried out a detailed clause-by-clause scrutiny of the Company Directors' Disqualification Bill. The clauses were read along with the related commentary in the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum.
The Long Title was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the long title as drafted.
Clause 1 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 1 as drafted.
Clause 2 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 2 as drafted.
Clause 3 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 3 as drafted.
Clause 4 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 4 as drafted.
Mr Clyde rejoined the meeting at 12.20pm
Clause 5 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 5 as drafted.
Mr McClarty left the meeting at 12.21pm.
Clause 6 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 6 as drafted.
Clause 7 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 7 as drafted.
Clause 8 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 8 as drafted.
Clause 9 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 9 as drafted.
Clause 10 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 10 as drafted.
Mr McClarty rejoined the meeting at 12.40pm.
Clause 11 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 11 as drafted.
Schedule 1 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the Schedule 1 as drafted.
Clause 12 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 12 as drafted.
Clause 13 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 13 as drafted.
Clause 14 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 14 as drafted.
Dr McDonnell rejoined the meeting at 12.45pm.
Clause 15 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 15 as drafted.
Clause 16 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 16 as drafted.
Clause 17 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 17 as drafted.
Clause 18 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 18 as drafted.
Clause 19 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 19 as drafted.
Clause 20 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 20 as drafted.
Clause 21 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 21 as drafted.
Clause 22 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 22 as drafted.
Clause 23 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 23 as drafted.
Clause 24 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 24 as drafted.
Clause 25 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 25 as drafted.
Schedules 2,3 and 4 were considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with Schedules 2,3 and 4 as drafted.
Clause 26 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 26 as drafted.
Clause 27 was considered.
Agreed - that the Committee is content with the clause 27 as drafted.
3.2 The Committee discussed the content of the draft report on the Company Directors' Disqualification Bill.
Agreed - the draft report on the Company Directors' Disqualification Bill and ordered it to be printed.
4. Rating Policy Review
4.1. The Committee discussed the written submissions received relating to the inquiry on Industrial De-rating.
Agreed - to meet with John Simpson, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Ulster Farmers' Union on Tuesday 3 September at 10.30am.
5. Any Other Business
5.1. The Committee discussed the Caminus Report.
Agreed - to note the report.
5.2. The Committee discussed the US-Ireland Business Summit.
Agreed - that the Chairperson would represent the Committee at the conference.
5.3. The Committee discussed correspondence from Aspire Micro Loans for Business Limited asking to make a presentation to the Committee.
Agreed - to invite Aspire to give a presentation on Tuesday 3 September.
5.4. The Committee noted that a conference jointly organised by the University of Ulster and Harvard University would take place on 19-21 September in Belfast.
Agreed - that Dr McDonnell would represent the Committee at the Conference on 20 and 21 September.
Dr McDonnell left the meeting at 1.28pm
5.5. The Committee Clerk reported that the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee of the Scottish Parliament had invited 2 Members of the Committee and the Committee Clerk to attend an event relating to it's own Tourism Inquiry on 30 August.
Agreed - that more information would be sought from the Scottish Parliament and circulated to Members.
Agreed - in principle, that the first two Members to confirm their attendance would represent the Committee in Edinburgh.
5.6. The Committee discussed correspondence from the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment regarding the roll-out of broadband telecommunications infrastructure.
Agreed - to note the position.
Dr McDonnell rejoined the meeting at 1.32pm.
Mr McClarty left the meeting at 1.33pm.
5.7. The Committee Clerk read a minute received from the Committee Clerk to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure regarding a seminar it was holding on 19 September 2002 which coincided with the visit to Northern Ireland of the French Ministere de la Culture and a dinner to mark the event on 18 September.
Agreed - that Jane Morrice would represent the Committee at the dinner but that due to its own event on 19 September no Members of the Committee could attend the seminar.
5.8. The Deputy Chairperson updated Members on progress made to find a solution to the building of a new Giant's Causeway Visitors' Centre.
6. Date of next meeting.
6.1. The next meeting of the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment will be held on Monday 29 July 2002 at 1.42pm in Room 144.
The meeting closed at 1.41pm.
Pat Doherty MP MLA
Chairperson