Proceedings of the Regional Development Committee

Minutes of meeting held on Wednesday, 12 January 2000 in room 135, Parliament Buildings at 10.30am

1. Minutes of previous meetings
2. Matters arising
3. Presentations by Roads and Water Services Agencies
4. AOB

Present were:
Mr A Maginness (Chairman)
Mr A McFarland (Deputy Chairman)
Mr J Byrne
Mr W Hay
Mr D Hussey
Mr R Hutchinson
Mr C Murphy
Mr J Wells

In Attendance:
Mrs D Pritchard ( Committee Clerk)
Mr S Fay ( Assistant Committee Clerk)
Mr N Currie ( Executive Support)

Mrs S Young ( Administrative Support)
Mr D McVeigh (Administrative Support)

Apologies:
Mr D Ervine.

1. Minutes of previous meetings

The minutes of the meetings held on 14 December 1999 and 21 December 1999 were agreed.

2. Matters arising

1. Declaration of interests.

Copies of Mr Taylor's and Mr McFarland's declarations of interests were distributed to the Committee.

2. Parliamentary Private Secretary Post - Potential conflict of interests.

The Speaker will respond after he has considered legal advice.

3. Port of Belfast

The Chairman reported that the Department is still working on the progress report on the extension of powers to Port Authorities and the option paper on the Port of Belfast. Both papers will be sent to the Committee as soon as possible.

The Department has refused to release the report on the review of Trust Ports because it was completed prior to devolution.

Agreed: That further action on the Department's refusal to release the report will be considered after taking account of legal advice.

That the Committee should have sight of a copy of a report dealing with Trust Ports in Great Britain which was completed about two years ago.

Tour of Belfast Harbour.

Agreed: That the tour of Belfast Harbour will take place on Wednesday, 19 January 2000 at 10.30am. Mr Hussey cannot attend the tour.

That details of background, legal position and composition of Belfast Harbour Commissioners and details of awards and scope of leases in the harbour estate should be obtained prior to the tour.

4. Examiner of Statutory Rules.

The Chairman advised that the Speaker has confirmed that support will be available to the Examiner of Statutory Rules.

5. Committee budget.

Members noted details of the Committee budget.

6. Departmental funding.

Members noted the paper from the Department about EU structural funds.

(g) Roads Service's Expenditure.

Members noted the paper from the Department about Roads Service expenditure.

7. Climate change levy.

The Committee's approach will be decided when the views of the Departments and the other Committees involved in the matter are received.

3. Presentations by Roads and Water Services Agencies

Mr Colin James, Chief Executive, Roads Service,
Mr Leslie White, Senior Manager, Roads Service,
Mr Robert Martin, Chief Executive, Water Service,
Mr Charlie Grimes, Senior Manager,Water Service and
Ms Linda Brown, Director of the Central Policy and Management Unit joined the meeting at 11.10am.

Mr James made a presentation on the Roads Service covering the following:

• The Agency's structure;
• Its role;
• Its key tasks;
• An overview of its budget and spending plans;
• The consequences of underfunding;
• The case for a rural roads strategy.

The Committee discussed the matters raised and questioned the Agency representatives. Mr James confirmed that:

• meaningful co-operation with regards to roads was ongoing with the National Roads Agency in the Republic of Ireland;
• he will provide statistics about road usage and in particular for each of the main roads into Belfast ;
• he will provide details of the two targets which were not met by his Agency last year;
• he will give examples of ideas for public/private financing;
• he will supply an estimate of the funding he believes is required up to 2005 for structural maintenance and to take account of proposals in the Regional Strategic Framework.

Mr Martin made a presentation on the Water Service covering the following areas.

• The Agency's aims.
• The legislation and regulations governing its work.
• The infrastructure of the Water Service.
• Projected income and expenditure for 1999/2000.
• The consequences of underfunding and the capital investment backlog.
• Public/Private finance initiatives.

The Committee discussed the matters raised and questioned the Agency representatives. Mr Martin confirmed that:

• The Agency is doing all in its power to provide the best possible water supply to everyone but there are technical difficulties in making this available to all of the population.
• He will supply details of backwater pumping schemes.
• He estimates that £2.5 billion is required over the next 20 years to reach and maintain required standards.

The Chairman thanked the representatives of the Roads and Water Services Agencies for their presentations and they left the meeting at 12.50pm.

4. AOB

1. The Minister's invitation of seats on the Ministerial Advisory Boards will be discussed at the next meeting.
2. The Committee will re-visit the letter from the NIC-ICTU about disability impact studies.
3. At the next meeting the Chairman will update the Committee on the meeting he and the Deputy Chairman had with the Minister on 10 January 2000.
4. Representatives of Belfast International Airport have offered the Committee a briefing on their concerns about the expansion of Belfast City Airport (BCA). The Committee requested copies of the regulations governing the possible expansion of BCA.
5. The Department will be asked to submit its draft budget in time for the Committee to consider at the meeting of 26 January 2000 and will also be asked when the draft business plans for the Department and its Agencies will be sent to the Committee.
6. The Clerk will write to the Minister and ask if Committee Members could be given advance warning of Ministerial visits to their constituencies.

5. The next meeting is scheduled for 26 January 2000 at 10.30am in room 135.

21 December 1999 / Menu / 26 January 2000