Proceedings of the Regional Development Committee
Minutes of meeting held on Wednesday, 9 February 2000 at 10.30am
In room 135, Parliament Buildings
1. Minutes of the Last Meeting
2. Matters Arising
3. The Department's Budget
4. Regional Strategic Framework
5. Any Other Business
6. Date of Next Meeting
Present were:
Mr A Maginness (Chairman)
Mr A Mc Farland (Deputy Chairman)
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr J Byrne
Mr D Ervine
Mr W Hay
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)
1. Minutes of last meeting
The minutes of the meeting held on 2 February 2000 were agreed.
2. Matters arising
(a). Parliamentary Private Secretary Post - Potential Conflict of Interests.
The Chairman advised that the matter has not yet been resolved.
(b). Port of Belfast.
(i) A discussion took place on the Department's options paper on the future of the Port.
Agreed: That the Committee will hold a formal inquiry into option D - Restructured Trust Port, with extended powers. The Committee agreed the terms of reference of the inquiry and the issue of a press release.
(ii) Leases issued by Belfast Harbour Commissioners (BHC).
Agreed: The Committee agreed that BHC should be asked to supply a more detailed response.
(c). The possible expansion of Belfast City Airport.
A reply from the Department is awaited on this matter.
3. The Department's Budget
The Chairman welcomed the Minister and his officials and declared the meeting to be in public session.
The Minister made a presentation on the Department's budget for 2000/2001. He gave a breakdown of the budget for each area of the Department i.e.
- the Roads Service;
- the Water and Sewerage Services;
- Transport; and
- Administration and other which covers Air and Sea Ports, Regional Strategy, Finance and Personnel.
He advised that there were increases in planned expenditure for Roads Service, Water Service and Transport but there was still serious underfunding.
The Committee questioned the Minister and the officials and received the following information:
- The figures do not include funding which might arise from the possible sale of the Port of Belfast;
- Available funds will be allocated to road improvement schemes according to priorities;
- Alternative ways of obtaining required funding, including private sector initiatives, are being examined. The Department hopes to be able to produce a report on public transport funding options in the near future;
- There is an obligation to maintain all roads to at least a minimum standard;
- European Union Structural Fund money is not additional to the Northern Ireland Block but the Department of Finance and Personnel are negotiating to try to obtain additional funding from the Peace 2 programme;
- The Department undertook to provide draft business plans for the Department and its Agencies during March 2000.
The Chairman thanked the Minister and his officials and declared the meeting to be in closed session.
4. Regional Strategic Framework (RSF)
The Minister advised that copies of the draft Regional Strategic Framework document would be sent to the Committee as soon as they are available - hopefully next week - and he would welcome the Committee's views on it. He hopes to be able to publish the final document before the summer recess.
Mr Denis Glass from the Department reported that the Public Examination Panel had reported favourably on RSF but has asked that the Department give more consideration to issues such as:
- The link with strategy 2010;
- The Spatial Development Strategy;
- Increased housing - urban and rural;
- Methods of implementing and monitoring the RSF.
The Department offered to brief the Committee on the RSF at its next meeting.
The Minister left the meeting at 12.10pm.
At this point the Committee discussed its response to the Department's budget.
Agreed: That the Chairman writes to the Minister to advise that the Committee notes that the budget has been inherited from the previous administration but Members are concerned that there is significant underfunding in many areas. The letter will be copied to the Committee for Finance and Personnel.
5. AOB
Free concessionary fares for older people.
Agreed: That Members would consider the Department's paper on free concessionary fares for older people and discuss it in more detail at another meeting.
That the Clerk should obtain the draft documents on the pilot carried out by Newry and Mourne and Castlereagh District Councils.
6. Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 16 February 2000.