Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2010
CLARION HOTEL, CARRICKGERGUS

Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Cathal Boylan MLA
Allan Bresland MLA
Tommy Gallagher MLA
Danny Kinahan MLA
Ian McCrea MLA
George Robinson MLA
Brian Wilson MLA

In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Trevor Allen (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Andrew Larmour (Clerical Supervisor)
Alison Ferguson (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Willie Clarke MLA
Raymond McCartney MLA

The meeting commenced at10.14am in open session. The Deputy Chairperson took the chair.

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 10 February 2010

Agreed : The minutes were agreed for publication on the Assembly’s website.

3. Matters Arising
4. Arrangements for Committee visit to the salt mine at Kilroot

Members noted information in relation to the Committee’s visit to the salt mine at Kilroot following this meeting and also noted a list of Assembly questions on the issue of salt provision and road gritting.

5. Sustainable Transport Inquiry

10.28am Mr Wilson joined the meeting.

The Committee noted research papers from Assembly Research and Library Services entitled “Sustainable Transport: Actions in Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, England and Wales” and “Comparison of ‘First Steps’ strategy to the draft ‘everyone’s involved’ strategy”.

The Committee received a briefing from Assembly Research and Library Services on the above papers.

10.44am Mr Cobain joined the meeting and took the Chair.
10.44am Mr Robinson left the meeting.

The Committee received a briefing from Committee office staff on the issues emerging from submissions received on the Committee’s Sustainable Transport Inquiry.

10.47am Mr Robinson returned to the meeting.

Agreed: Members decided to extend invitations to this event to groups not represented in the written submissions received to date.

Agreed: Members agreed to host the Committee’s oral evidence gathering event with key stakeholders on 18 March 2010.

6. Subordinate Legislation

Members noted the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation:

Members noted that the SL1 memos from the Department on the above proposals made no reference to their having been the subject of a public inquiry. Members noted that the Department has confirmed that the police service and relevant local councils affected by the above proposals have been informed, and the Committee office has not received any comments from the relevant councils regarding this policy proposal.

Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department for Regional Development seeking further information on “ The Prohibition of Right-Hand Turn (Newtownards) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010 & The Waiting Restrictions (Newtownards) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010”.

Members considered the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation, which were noted at the Committee meeting on 10 February 2010:

Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it is content with the policy merits of The Candahar Street, Belfast (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010 SL1, subject to the resolution of the objections received.

Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it is content with the policy merits of the remaining SL1s.

7. Correspondence

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from t he Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment on the Draft Tourism Strategy for Northern Ireland and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development for comment.

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from t he Committee for Social Development on the “Access and Mobility Study for Belfast” and agreed to consider the correspondence further during the Committee’s work on accessible transport.

Members noted correspondence from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister in relation to the rescheduling of the PfG Delivery Report Take Note Debate.

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from t he Committee for the Environment on the issue of roads safety in rural areas and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development for consideration.

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from t he Department for Regional Development on the issue of procurement of road signs and agreed to write to the Department seeking additional information on this issue. Members also decided to consider the content of this item of correspondence and to revisit it, if necessary, in the coming weeks.

Members noted the following invitations:

Members noted the following newsletters:

Members noted the following press release:

Department for Regional Development – “Funding for water and sewerage charges”.

8. 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.

9. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 24 February 2010 at 10.30 am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.02am.

Fred Cobain , MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development
24 February 2010

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