The Northern Ireland Assembly - Proceedings of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee
1. Dogs (Amendment) Bill
2. Committee Inquiry into Debt
3. Minutes of the Meetings
4. Matters Arising
5. Fisheries Amendment Bill
6. Any Other Business
7. Date of next Meeting
Present:
Dr IRK Paisley MP MEP MLA (Chairman)
Mr G Savage MLA (Deputy Chairman)
Mr PJ Bradley MLA
Mr J Dallat MLA
Mr B Douglas MLA
Mr D Ford MLA
Mr G Kane MLA
Mr G McHugh MLA
Mr I Paisley Jnr. MLA
Apologies:
Mr B Armstrong MLA
In attendance:
Mr M Wilson
Mr P Moore
Miss K Hewitt
The Chairman brought the meeting to order at 09.35 in closed session
Top1. Dogs (Amendment) Bill - Committee Stage
The Chairman reminded members of the three outstanding issues on which DARD was to provide answers and that all of these related to Clause 1 sub-section 2 of the Bill.
Mr Bradley attended the meeting at 09.45. The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 09.45 and the DARD official, Johnston Given of Animal health Division, was called in and examined.
Following this examination the Committee re-considered Clause 1 sub-section 2 and agreed that it should stand part of the Bill.
Resolved: that no amendments to the Bill would be proposed in the Committee's report.
Mr Given left the meeting at 09.55.
Top2. Committee Inquiry into Debt - the Particular Circumstances Faced by the Pig and Beef Industries
Mr Robert Foster (Chief Executive), Mr Harry Marquess (NI Chairman), Mr Tom O'Brien (Vice-Chairman) and Mr Arthur McKevitt (Secretary) of the National Beef Association (NBA) were called in and examined at 10.00.
The Chairman declared the meeting closed to the public at 10.45 and the Committee took further evidence in camera from the NBA. The NBA representatives left the meeting at 11.15.
Mr Bradley left the meeting at 11.15.
The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 11.20 and Mr David Rutledge (Chief Executive), Dr Mike Tempest (Agricultural Manager) and Mr Phelim O'Neill (Marketing Manger) of the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) were called in and examined.
Mr Bradley re-joined the meeting at 11.35.
The representatives from the LMC left the meeting at 12.10 and the Chairman declared the meeting closed to the public.
Mr Dallat and Mr Paisley Jnr left the meeting at 12.10.
The Committee deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee should make contact with the Office of Fair Trading to establish whether or not they were currently undertaking an inquiry into allegations of a cartel among meat processing plants in Northern Ireland and, if so, to ascertain when a report could be expected.
Mr Paisley Jnr. re-joined the meeting at 12.25.
Top3. Minutes of the Meetings held on 15 and 18 September 2000
The Committee deliberated.
Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 15 September were agreed and that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 18 September (as amended by the inclusion of the time at which the Chairman brought the meeting to a close) were agreed.
Top4. Matters Arising
The Chairman advised those members who had not been present at the meeting on 18 September that the press release which issued immediately after the meeting had been read out to, and approved by, members. Mr Bradley agreed with the 3 ha recommendation contained in the release, although the language was somewhat stronger than he would have used. Mr Ford agreed with the principle of a Committee press release being issued with the approval of a quorum of members and therefore added his endorsement to the release.
Top5. Fisheries Amendment Bill - Planning
The Committee deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure (CAL) should take the lead role in dealing with the Committee Stage of this Bill. The Agriculture Committee would seek memoranda on the Shellfish element of the Bill (from NIFPO, ANIFPO, Strangford Lough Management Committee, RSPB and NI Seafood Ltd.) and carry out a scrutiny of the relevant clauses with DARD officials.
Resolved: that the Committee had no objection to the CAL Committee approaching the Loughs Agency or to its requesting copies of the written submissions made to DARD during consultation on the Bill (provided that the Committee also received copies of these). On a related matter the Committee had no objection to the CAL Committee approaching the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission as part of its fishing inquiry.
Top6. Any Other Business
The Committee deliberated.
Resolved: that transcripts of public evidence sessions held by the Committee should be published on the internet as soon as witnesses' and members' corrections had been made and the Committee had formally agreed them.
Top7. Date of next Meeting
Resolved: that the next meeting of the Committee would be at 10.30 on Friday 29 September in Room 135.
The Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 12.55.
TopIan R K Paisley
Chairman