MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF
THE COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2000
HELD IN ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
1. Minutes of Proceedings on 17 October
2. Consideration of the draft Inquiry Report on pigs
3. Fisheries (Amendment) Bill - Committee Stage
4. Agricultural Wages Board
5. DARD Equality Statement - Presentation
6. EU Structural Funds - Update
7. Matters Arising
8. Statutory Rules
9. Any Other Business
10. Date of Next Meeting
Present:
Mr G Savage MLA (Deputy Chairman)Mr B Armstrong MLA
Mr PJ Bradley MLA
Mr D Ford MLA
Mr G Kane MLA
Mr G McHugh MLA
Mr I Paisley Jnr. MLA
Apologies:Dr IRK Paisley MP MEP MLA (Chairman)
Mr J Dallat MLA
Mr B Douglas MLA
In attendance:Mr M Wilson
Mr P Moore
Mrs R Barclay
Miss K Hewitt
In the Chairman's absence, the Deputy Chairman called the meeting to order at 10.25 and declared the meeting open to the public.
1. Minutes of Proceedings on 17 November
1.1 Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 17 November were approved.
Top2. Consideration of the draft Inquiry Report on pigs
2.1 Resolved: that the decisions taken on 23 November by the sub group, regarding sections 5.1 to 31.2 inclusive of the pigs report, were approved and that relevant sections were agreed, agreed as amended, or subject to additional input as recorded.
Messrs. Bradley and Armstrong attended the meeting at 10.30
Top3. Fisheries (Amendment) Bill - Committee Stage
3.1 The Committee deliberated.
3.2 Resolved: that, in view of the legal advice obtained by both the Minister and the Committee, members were not persuaded that the concerns raised by the Human Rights Commission were sustained and the Committee would not propose any amendment to the Bill as a result of these concerns.
3.3 Resolved: that the Committee's formal consideration of clauses 1,2 and 9 of the Bill was now concluded.
The Deputy Chairman declared the meeting closed to the public at 10.45.
3.4 Members considered the draft report.
3.4.1 Sections 1,2 and 3 read and agreed.
3.4.2 Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 read and agreed.
3.4.3 Section 4.4 read, amended and agreed.
3.4.4 Section 4.5 read and agreed.
3.4.5 Section 5 read, amended and agreed.
3.5 Resolved: that, should precedent suggest that it was inappropriate to publish legal advice in the report, a commentary on the advice to the Committee should be included as an Annex to the Committee's input to the Report.
3.6 Resolved: that, in view of the advice received, the Committee need take no further action regarding the changes to the contents page and Clause heading necessitated by the substitution of "Northern Ireland inshore waters" for "foreshore" in the Bill.
3.7 Resolved: that the Committee's input to the CAL Committee report should be printed.
TopThe Deputy Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 10.55.
4. Agricultural Wages Board
4.1 Messrs. Savage, Armstrong and Kane declared an interest as direct employers of agricultural workers.
4.2 The Committee deliberated, having before it the Minister's letter of 16 November, which included a report of the Department's review incorporating copies of consultation responses, and the Department's consultation document.
4.3 Motion:that the Committee recommends to the Minister that she abolish the Agricultural Wages Board.
[G Kane]
4.4 There being no amendment proposed, members voted on the proposal by a show of hands. The result was four for the Amendment and three against and the proposal was carried.
4.5 Mr Ford asked that the letter to the Minister, informing her of the Committee's decision, should reflect the differing opinions voiced during the deliberation. Resolved: that a draft letter should be prepared for the Committee's approval on Friday 1 December.
Messrs. Ford and Paisley Jnr. left the meeting at 11.25.
Top5. DARD Equality Statement - Presentation
5.1 DARD officials, Mr Noel Cornick and Mrs Colette Connor, were invited into the meeting at 11.25.
5.2 Mr Cornick made a presentation to the Committee on the background to the Scheme, the Equality Commission's response to it and the next steps proposed by the Department regarding the Scheme's approval and implementation.
5.3 Members raised a number of issues with Mr Cornick which included:
gender issues involving the Department;
proposals for reviewing the Scheme's implementation;
CAP impacts on equality;
DARD's views and proposals on making information available in ethnic and minority languages; and
the impact of TSN policies on DARD decisions.
5.4 Resolved: that DARD should provide a copy of the Equality Commission's response as well as the Department's reply to that response.
5.5 Mrs Connor left the meeting at 12.15.
Top6. EU Structural Funds - Update
6.1 Mr Cornick remained at the meeting to provide an update of the current position regarding the submission of Operational Programmes and the 'Programme Complement' to the European Commission. He reported that it was unlikely that these would be ready for submission until January 2001 and for schemes to be in receipt of applications until well after Easter 2001.
6.2 Resolved: that the Department should keep the Committee appraised of developments and discuss the Operational Plans and Programme Complement as they were finalised.
Top7. Matters Arising
7.1 Members were advised that the date on which they had agreed to meet the Vision Group (6 December) was not suitable to the Group and that the meeting was now likely to take place in the new year. Members agreed to await further contact from the Group's Chairman.
7.2 Members considered Mr Small's reply of 16 November to the Committee's letter of 13 November regarding the Silent Valley grazing ban. Resolved: that the Committee should invite farmers representative of those grazing sheep on the mountain to a meeting in Parliament Buildings on 8 December, followed immediately by a meeting with DARD official, Mr Jordan, as proposed by Mr Small.
7.3 Members noted that contact had been made by an official from the Office of Fair Trading following the Committee's letter of 17 November. It was expected that a formal reply, agreeing to a meeting with the Committee, would be received soon.
Top8. Statutory Rules
8.1 Members noted the Department's letter of 16 November which summarised the main provisions of a proposed new EC Regulation following a review of the Animal Waste Directive. The letter advised the Committee that implementing legislation would be required once the proposal had been adopted by the European Commission.
8.2 Resolved: that in view of the importance of this proposed Directive, the Committee may wish to input into the current consultation process. Accordingly the Committee agreed to invite DARD to brief the Committee about the proposals at the meeting to be held on 1 December 2000.
8.3 Members noted the Food Standard Agency's proposal to make Regulations consolidating amendments made to the Feeding stuffs regulations. This had been copied to the Committee for information by the Health, Social Services and Public Safety Committee.
Top9. Any Other Business
9.1 The Deputy Chairman drew members' attention to the letter, forwarded to each of them by the Ulster Farmers' Union, in which the Committee's support was sought to influence the Minister's operation of the appeals procedure regarding the allocation of additional milk quota. Messrs. Savage, Armstrong, Kane and McHugh declared an interest prior to the Committee's consideration of this matter.
9.2 Resolved: that the Committee would forward a copy of the UFU's letter to the Minister, seeking her detailed comments on it, particularly how she intends to operate the appeals procedure. Members also agreed that her response would be a suitable item for the agenda for the meeting with the Minister on 8 December.
Top10. Date of Next Meeting
10.1 Resolved: that the next meeting would take place on Friday 1 December in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.
TopThe Deputy Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 13.00.