COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2011
ROOM 30 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Stephen Moutray MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr William Irwin MLA
Mr Pat Doherty MP MLA
Mr Simpson Gibson MLA
Mr PJ Bradley MLA
Mr George Savage MLA
Mr Francie Molloy MLA

In attendance:
Mr Paul Carlisle (Clerk to the Committee)
Mr Mark O’Hare (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Dagmar Walgraeve (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr Trevor Clarke MLA

1.31pm The meeting commenced in Public Session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Minutes of 8 February 2011

The Committee agreed the Minutes of the meeting of 1 February 2011.

3. Matters arising

(a) Correspondence issued

The Committee noted the correspondence issued since the meeting of 8 February 2011.

(b) Correspondence received

The Committee noted the correspondence received since the meeting of 8 February 2011.

Agreed : The Committee agreed to write to the Department re. details of the £1.75m capital easement declared by the Rivers Agency.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department re. payment scales surrounding the Seed Potatoes Regulations.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward correspondence from other Committee onto relevant Departments.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to defer the Saintfield Regeneration Group request for a meeting until future consultation with local action groups.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request a copy of Minister Gildernew’s response to Ms A McNally in relation to tail docking.

4. Presentation DARD: Draft Budget Proposals

The Clerk briefed the Committee that the presentation from the Department was deferred until next week to enable Members to get sight of the budget papers.

5. Presentation: NI Assembly Research Team: Rural Economy Issues

The following Officials joined the meeting:

Mark Allen – Assembly Researcher; and
Aidan Stennet – Assembly Researcher.

The witnesses presented to Committee in respect of the above.

Following the presentation, Members put questions.

During questions Mr Savage declared an interest.

13:57 Mr Doherty left the meeting.
14.01 Mr Molloy left the meeting

The witnesses left the meeting

6. Briefing: Upcoming meeting with Minister and NILGA

The Clerk briefed the Committee that a meeting with the Minister, Committee and local Councillors has been arranged for Tuesday 1 March 2011 to be held at 11.00am in the Members dining room. The meeting will launch the start of the consultation between the Department and Councils in respect to delegation of power and resource as recommended in the Committee Report on the Welfare of Animals Bill.

7. SL1: The Vegetable Seeds (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2010

Agreed: Members agreed that the Vegetable Seeds (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2010 should progress to the next legislative stage.

8. SL1: Prices of Milk Products (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2011

Agreed: Members agreed that the Prices of Milk Products (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2011 should progress to the next legislative stage.

9. AOB

Mr Savage raised a question on finding out the exact location that cattle imported from Bluetongue restricted areas where coming from. Mr Irwin also asked if there was any threat of Bluetongue anywhere in the UK.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department in respect of these queries.

10. Date of the next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development will take place on Tuesday 22 February 2011.

The meeting was adjourned at 2.09pm

Mr Stephen Moutray
Chairperson, Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development

08 February 11 / Menu