Proceedings of the Regional Development Committee
Minutes of meeting held on Wednesday 25 October 2000
in room 135, Parliament Buildings
1. Statutory Rules
2. Minutes of last meeting
3. Matters arising
4. Presentation by the Minister and Officials
5. 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 D Hussey
Mr R Hutchinson
Mr P McNamee
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)
Absent:
Rt Hon JD Taylor MP
The meeting commenced at 10.31am.
1. Statutory Rules
Question Put and Agreed: That the Regional Development Committee has considered the Statutory Rule 280 -
Back Street at Carrick Hill, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000;
and has no objection to the Rule.
Question Put and Agreed:That the Regional Development Committee has considered the Statutory Rule 281-
Longlands Court, Newtownabbey (Footway) (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000;
and has no objection to the Rule.
Question Put and Agreed:That the Regional Development Committee has considered the Statutory Rule 283 -
Waterside, Coleraine Cycle/Pedestrian Bridge Order (Northern Ireland) 2000.
and has no objection to the Rule.
2. Minutes of last meeting
The minutes of the meeting held on 18 October 2000 were agreed.
3. Matters arising
Mr Ervine joined the meeting at 10.35am.
(a) Multinational Retailers
The Committee noted the reply from the Department about the review of PPS 5.
(b) Implications of using private bus companies for public transport.
The Committee agreed the reply to the Department.
Agreed: That the Clerk will issue the reply.
(c) Railways - Proposed visit to the Chilterns Railways.
Agreed: The dates for the visit were agreed. Committee staff will finalise arrangements.
Members will confirm with Committee staff that they will be going.
(d) Flooding.
The Committee noted the Department's report on recent flooding in Northern Ireland. Members agreed to raise queries arising from the report with the officials from the Water Service during their presentation.
(e) Visit to Roads Service.
Agreed: That the Committee staff will place notices in the local papers informing the public of the Committee meeting in Enniskillen on 15 November 2000.
That Members will inform Committee staff of their plans for getting to Omagh for the presentation by the Roads Service.
Mr McFarland joined the meeting at 10.46am.
(f) Possible visit to Strasbourg.
Agreed: That Members will consider a report on this matter at the meeting on 8 November 2000.
(g) For other outstanding matters, further information is awaited as follows.
- Trade Union submission on public transport.
- Port of Belfast - the Department's economic appraisal of the options for the future of the Port.
- Planning permission for farm diversification - the Department's reply is awaited.
- Permission for taxis to use bus lanes - the Department's reply is awaited.
- The reason for prohibiting a left-hand turn from Durham Street into Grosvenor Road - the Department's reply is awaited.
- The amount of brownfield land to be used for housing development under the Regional Development Strategy - the Department's reply is awaited.
The Chairman declared the meeting to be in public session.
4. (a) Presentation by the Minister and officials on the Water Service
The Minister and his officials joined the meeting at 10.55am. The officials were:
Mr Robin Musson Acting Chief Executive
Mr John Kelly Director of Operations
Mr George Alexander Senior Principal Scientific Office
Mr Tom Kerr Belfast Sewers
Mr David Carson Finance Director for the Water Service.
The Chairman welcomed the Minister and conveyed the Committee's best wishes to the Chief Executive of the Water Service, Mr Robert Martin, who is ill at present.
Mr Wells joined the meeting at 11.01am.
The Minister and officials described the difficulties facing the Water Service as a result of years of underfunding and their plans to address those difficulties. They answered Members' questions about the Water Service including those concerning recent flooding incidents.
Mr Hutchinson left the meeting at 11.20am.
He returned at 11.33am.
Mr Bradley joined the meeting at 11.39am.
Mr Ervine left the meeting at 12 O'clock.
Mr McFarland left the meeting at 12 O'clock.
He returned at 12.01pm.
The officials left the meeting at 12.39pm.
Mr Hussey left the meeting at 12.40pm.
Mr McFarland left the meeting at 12.40pm.
(b) Presentation by the Minister and officials on proposals for the budget and the Programme for Government.
The Minister was joined at 12.42am by;
Mr Paul Sweeney Deputy Secretary
Mr Jack McGibbon Director of Finance
Mr Andrew Grieve Principal Officer
They discussed with the Committee the budget proposals and the Programme for Government and answered Members' questions. The Minister thanked the Committee for its support and co-operation in preparing the case for additional resources for the Department, particularly in relation to the railways.
Mr Hussey returned at 12.49pm.
Mr McFarland returned at 12.51pm.
Mr Hutchinson left the meeting at 12.54pm.
Mr Byrne left the meeting at 1.14pm.
The Minister and his officials left the meeting at 1.42pm.
The meeting returned to closed session.
Agreed: That the Committee will consider responses to the Department on the proposals for the budget and the Programme for Government at the meeting on 8 November 2000.
5. Date of next meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 8 November 2000 at 10.30am. in room 135 Parliament Buildings.
The meeting closed at 1.46pm.