COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 03 FEBRUARY 2010
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Cathal Boylan MLA
Allan Bresland MLA
Tommy Gallagher MLA
Danny Kinahan MLA
Raymond McCartney MLA
Ian McCrea MLA
George Robinson MLA
In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Trevor Allen (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Andrew Larmour (Clerical Supervisor)
Alison Ferguson (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Willie Clarke MLA
Brian Wilson MLA
The meeting commenced at 11.06am in open session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
Members noted papers which were tabled for consideration later in the meeting.
2. Draft Minutes of Meeting held on 27 January 2010
Agreed : The minutes were agreed for publication on the Assembly’s website.
3. Matters Arising
- Members noted correspondence, and a Statutory Rule, from the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, dated 20 January 2010, in relation to The Disability Discrimination (Transport Vehicles) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2009.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Education, dated 28 January 2010, in response to the Committee for Regional Development’s Accessible Transport event report and agreed to consider the submission as part of the Committee’s planned work on this issue in April 2010.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, dated 22 January 2010, in response to the Committee for Regional Development’s Accessible Transport event report and agreed to consider the submission as part of the Committee’s planned work on this issue in April 2010.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 22 January 2010, on the review of structural maintenance funding requirements for Roads Service, and agreed to write to the Department seeking clarification on issues raised.
- Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 26 January 2010, to the Chairperson of the Committee for Employment and Learning in relation to the University of Ulster, Jordanstown Campus, Uni-Link Service and an update on work on the A2.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 28 January 2010, in response to a request for information on the Transport Emissions Baseline Report and agreed to consider the response as part of the Committee’s Sustainable Transport Inquiry.
- Members noted a memo from the Committee office in relation to the forthcoming Committee meeting at the Clarion Hotel, Carrickfergus, and the visit to the salt mine at Kilroot on 17 February 2010. The following Members indicated their intention to attend the visit: Michelle McIlveen, Danny Kinahan, Cathal Boylan, Allan Bresland and George Robinson. The following Members indicated their intention to attend the meeting only: Raymond McCartney and Ian McCrea.
4. Northern Railway Corridor Development Study
The Committee received a briefing from Departmental officials Ciaran Doran, Briege Lafferty and Seamus Fay, and from Mal McGreevy of Northern Ireland Railways, on the findings of Price Waterhouse Coopers’ Northern Railway Corridor Development Study.
11.46am Mr McCrea left the meeting.
5. Proposed Changes to the Water Supply (Water Quality) (Amendment) Regulations
The Committee received a briefing from Departmental officials Stuart Wightman and Paul McKenna, and from Margaret Herron of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, on proposed changes to the Water Supply (Water Quality) (Amendment) Regulations and on the content and implications of the reasoned opinion letter from the EU Commission to the UK with regard to the transposition of the Drinking Water Directive .
6. Price Control 2010/13 Final Determination by the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation
12.13pm Mr McCrea returned to the meeting.
Members noted the Utility Regulator’s Price Control 2010/13 Final Determination, published on 3 February 2010. Members also noted that briefings on the Final Determination have been scheduled for 10 February 2010 from the Utility Regulator, the Department for Regional Development and Northern Ireland Water.
A statement from Northern Ireland Water, and a BBC news article on the Final Determination were also noted by the Committee.
In response to the Committee’s invitation to brief at the meeting of 10 February 2010, the Consumer Council indicated that it would be unable to brief on that day, but suggested a pre-brief for Members on Monday 8 February 2010, and to brief the Committee at a later meeting.
Agreed: Members agreed to meet with the Consumer Council to receive a pre-brief and to also receive a briefing at a future Committee meeting.
Members noted correspondence from the Utility Regulator outlining the updated programme for the publication of the Final Determination. Members also noted previous correspondence from the Committee Chairperson to the Minister for Regional Development in relation to the Minister’s draft environmental and social guidance for PC10.
Agreed: Members discussed and agreed a Committee press release for issue today.
7. Revised Expenditure Plans 2010-11
12.21pm Mr Kinahan left the meeting.
Agreed: The Committee considered and agreed, subject to amendment, its response to the Committee for Finance and Personnel on the Executive’s Revised Expenditure Plans 2010-11.
Agreed: The Committee also agreed to write to the Minister for Regional Development highlighting its concerns that the Department was not in a position to brief the Committee on the Department’s Revised Expenditure Plans 2010-11 on either of the agreed dates.
8. February 2010 Monitoring Round
12.25pm The meeting moved into closed session.
Members noted the Department for Regional Development’s submission on the February 2010 Monitoring Round.
Agreed: Members agreed a response to the Department on its February 2010 Monitoring Round position, for issue today.
12.27pm The meeting returned in open session.
9. Subordinate Legislation
Members considered the following Departmental proposal to make subordinate legislation, which was noted at the Committee meeting on 27 January 2010 :
- The Road Races (Cookstown 100) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010.
Agreed: that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it is content with the policy merits of this SL1.
Members also noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development indicating that the SL1 for The Road Races (Tandragee 100) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010, noted at the meeting of 27 January 2010, will not need to proceed as the race has been abandoned.
Members considered the following Statutory Rule which was laid in the Assembly’s Business Office by the Department for Regional Development and is subject to the negative resolution procedure. Members noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules, in the Eighth Report to the Assembly for 2009/10, made no comment on the rule.
- SR 2009/406 The T8 Moira-Antrim-Magherafelt-Moneymore Trunk Road Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to defer consideration of the Rule to the meeting on 10 February 2010.
10. Correspondence
Members noted correspondence from t he Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee ( IMTAC) on regulations that apply aspects of the Disability Discrimination Act to providers of transport services.
Members noted an invitation from BMF Business Services to attend the Infrastructure Ireland 2010 conference on 11 March 2010 at the Fairways Hotel, Dundalk.
Members also noted publication of the Department for Regional Development’s River Basin Management Plans.
11. Any Other Business
Agreed: Members considered a revised forward work programme for the Committee and agreed that the revised work programme should be published on the Assembly website.
12. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 10 February 2010 at 10.30 am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.
The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.30pm.