MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
FRIDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2000
HELD IN ROOM 135 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
1. Minutes of the Meeting
2. Planning for the Final Evidence Session on 4 October
3. Fisheries (Amendment) Bill - Committee Stage
4. New TSN Action Plan
5. DARD Equality Statement
6. Stautory Rule
7. Dogs (Amendment) Bill - Draft Report
8. Response Received from Malton Bacon Factory Ltd
9. Any Other Business
Present: Dr IRK Paisley MP MEP MLA (Chairman)
Mr G Savage MLA (Deputy Chairman)
Mr B Armstrong MLA
Mr PJ Bradley MLA
Mr J Dallat MLA
Mr D Ford MLA
Mr G Kane MLA
Mr G McHugh MLA
Mr F Molloy MLA
Mr I Paisley Jnr. MLA
Apologies: Mr B Douglas MLA
In attendance: Mr M Wilson
Mr P Moore
Miss K Hewitt
The Chairman brought the meeting to order at 10.30 in closed session.
1. Minutes of the Meeting held on 22 September 2000
Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 22 September were agreed.
Mr Bradley attended the meeting at 10.35.
Top2. Planning for final Inquiry Evidence Session on 4 October
The Chairman distributed copies of the Minister's response to the Inquiry and draft questions for the Minister. The Committee deliberated.
Resolved: that the questions should be sent in advance to the Minister, inviting her to answer each in turn during the meeting on 4 October, with members to consider supplementary questions which they may wish to put. The meeting would begin at 08.30 and take place in Room 152.
Mr Ford attended the meeting at 10.40.
The Chairman distributed copies of an e-mailed invitation from the Chief Executive of the NI Meat Exporters Association to visit a meat plant before the evidence session on 4 October.
Resolved: that a short reply should issue to Mr Mathers advising him that it would not be possible to undertake a group visit within the time available and that any member who wished to take up the invitation on a personal basis could do so and should make direct contact with Mr Mathers.
Top3. Fisheries (Amendment) Bill - Committee Stage (DARD-Relevant Clauses Only)
The Committee deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee should consider all the submissions made to it in more detail at the meeting on 6 October, with no witnesses to be examined. The meeting would be open to the public. Following this, the Department officials would be invited to attend on 13 October, during which consideration of Clauses 1 and 2 of the Bill would be undertaken.
The Chairman advised that one of the organisations which had responded to the Committee on the Bill, the RSPB, had invited members to a conference on agri-environment schemes in Scotland on 13 October.
Resolved: that members should contact the Clerk if they wished to attend.
The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 11.00.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Fisheries Division, Mrs Hilda Hagan, Mr Nigel Quinn and Mr Chris Hunter were called in and examined.
The Chairman thanked the officials for their input and advised that they would be called again on Friday 13 October. The officials left the meeting at 11.50.
Top4. NEW TSN ACTION PLAN
The DARD officials, Mr Noel Cornick and Mrs Colette Connor, were called in at 11.55.
Mr Cornick made a presentation to the Committee after which members asked questions. Among the issues covered were:
- The use of Robson indicators of deprivation and the current review;
- the Department's proposed social survey which was intended to provide baseline information for the Action Plan;
- the apparent concentration, in the Plan's preface, on DARD's inability to apply new TSN principles to much of its work;
- the apparent uncertainties regarding the application of new TSN to the new FIFG Programme's design and targeting;
- the continued application of Robson indicators to the Processing and Marketing Scheme;
- the option of further decentralisation of DARD staff as an application of new TSN principles;
- the inclusion of women in the proposed social survey;
- the apparent suspicions surrounding the policy of new TSN;
- the speed with which new TSN would effect change to the social infrastrusture of rural areas; and
- the Forestry aspects of the Action Plan.
(Mr Ford left the meeting at 12.20.)
(Mr Ford re-joined the meeting at 12.45.)
Resolved: that the Department should arrange a presentation to Committee members on the proposed social survey on Wednesday 4 October following the taking of evidence to the Inquiry.
Top5. DARD EQUALITY STATEMENT
The Committee deliberated.
Resolved: that there was insufficient time available to take the planned presentation on the DARD Equality Statement and that this should be rescheduled at a future date.
The Chairman thanked the DARD officials who left the meeting at 13.05. The Chairman then declared the meeting closed to the public.
Mr Bradley left the meeting at 13.10.
Top6. Statutory Rule - Welfare of Farmed Animals Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000
The Committee deliberated.
Resolved: that in view of the fact that members had no opportunity to comment on this Rule at draft stage, the Committee should call the Department to explain the Rule and advise on the results of consultation.
Top7. Dogs (Amendment) Bill - Draft Report
The draft report was brought up and read.
Title Page, preamble and contents page read and agreed.
Paragraphs 1 to 8 of the report read and agreed.
Resolved: that the Report, together with the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee on 15 and 22 September 2000 and Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence be printed, with the Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee relating to the Report (subject to any amendments to the Minutes of Evidence from witnesses or members (to be forwarded by 4 october)).
Top8. Response Received From Malton Bacon Factory Ltd.
The Committee deliberated.
Resolved: that the information contained in the letter should be taken into consideration when the report on the Pig Industry was being prepared.
Top9. Any Other Business
- Assembly Debate on the Retailing Report
- The Chairman's Policy on Writing to Sinn Fein Ministers
- Motion- Sheep Grazing in the Silent Valley area
The Committee deliberated.
Resolved: that a copy of the transcript of the debate on 25 September 2000 should be issued to those organisations who gave evidence to that part of the Inquiry, and comment sought on any action each organisation intended to take with a view to implementing the Report's recommendations.
Mr McHugh raised the issue of the Chairman having written to the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (enclosing a copy of the Committee's Report) rather than the Minister.
The Chairman said he had issued the letter as Committee Chairman but that the content did not imply other members' support for the procedure that he had followed. He explained that his action had been in line with his Party's policy and that all members were fully aware of this. The Chairman advised members that he would not be changing his approach to his correspondence with Sinn Fein Ministers.
Proposed: That this Committee should write to the Minister for Regional Development asking whether there were sheep grazing on the Silent Valley at the time when he announced the grazing ban, and what effects his decision has had on farmers with regard to their eligibility for grants.
[Mr Dallat]
Amendment
Proposed: that the motion is amended by replacing "this Committee" in line 1 with "Mr Dallat, in a formal written Assembly Question," and inserting the following sentence at the end of the motion: "If the response received from the Minister of Regional Development is not satisfactory then the Committee should consider taking the matter up with the Minister".
[Mr Paisley Jnr.]
After deliberation, members voted on the amendment by a show of hands. The result was four for the Amendment and four against and the Amendment fell. The Chairman declared the vote invalid, as his vote had not been counted and the Amendment was put a second time. The result of the second vote was five for the Amendment and none against and the Amendment was carried.
Mr Dallat voiced his concern that improper procedures had been followed in dealing with his motion and that he would consider making a formal complaint.
The Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 13.45.