MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF
THE COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
FRIDAY 25 JANUARY 2002
HELD IN ROOM 135 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:Dr IRK Paisley MP MEP(Chairman)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr J Dallat
Mr B Douglas
Mr D Ford
Mr G Kane
Mr G McHugh
Mr I Paisley Jnr
Apologies:Mr G Savage (Deputy Chairman)
In attendance:Mr P Moore Mr B Kennedy
Mr J McCourt
Miss R Foster
The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 10.05am.
1. Minutes of proceedings on 18 January 2002.
1.1 Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 18 January 2001 were approved.
2. Matters arising from the meeting on 18 January 2002.
2.1 Correspondence. Members noted that copies of letters to the Minister, the Public Accounts Committee Chairman, DARD and Newry Agricultural Society had been e-mailed to them.
2.2 Farm Quality Assurance Scheme. Members noted that the Committee's letter to the Livestock and Meat Commission seeking information on the quality standards required for membership of the scheme had now been issued.
2.3 Fishing Industry - Cod Recovery Plan Closures. Members noted a copy of a letter from the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation Ltd to the Minister seeking a meeting to discuss the closures and fishing vessel 'tie-up' funding. Members were reminded that the Committee had arranged to meet the Minister to discuss these issues on Monday 28 January 2002.
2.4 DARD Counter Fraud Strategy. Members noted that the Minister has agreed to let the Committee have sight of DARD's redrafted strategy document, with an opportunity for further Committee comment, before publication.
3. Chairman's Business.
3.1 BSE Testing and Beef Exports. Members noted a letter from the Minister about action to press for the removal of the ban on the export of Northern Ireland cattle and beef and her offer to discuss this with the Committee. Members also noted that the Public Accounts Committee proposed to launch a report on Tuesday 29 January 2002 into the brucellosis outbreak at the Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland.
Resolved: that the Committee would ask the Minister to include BSE testing and the Beef Export Ban in the agenda for discussion with the Committee on 22 February 2002.
4. DARD's Service Delivery Agreement 2002/2003.
4.1 The Chairman welcomed DARD officials Messrs Gerry Lavery, Jim Ditchfield and Tom Rodgers to the meeting and invited Mr Lavery to make an opening statement.
4.2 In his statement Mr Lavery included reference to the relationship between the Service Delivery Agreement (SDA) and the Department's Public Service Agreement (PSA) in that the SDA supports the PSA by being a much more detailed document including actions and specific performance targets.
4.3 Officials then questioned officials on various related issues including a monitoring programme for Vision Group targets when established; adequacy of resources; the revision of performance targets under the Irish Sea Cod Recovery Plan; the absence of Rivers Agency targets in relation to preserving the productive potential of agricultural land; targets for brucellosis eradication, checks at ports, fraud, organic farming, woodlands, the creation of employment and 'relaxation' of the beef export ban.
4.4 Mr Lavery undertook to report back to the Committee in relation to initiatives under the Peace II programme (including those related to women in the rural community); details of the 'baseline' figure for exports of beef from Northern Ireland; clarification of the extent of checks on animal imports; and in relation to the lifting of the 21-day 'holding' period for animal movements.
Resolved: that the Committee will write to the Department with further questions that members were unable to cover in the time available.
Mr Bradley attended the meeting at 11.00am.
4.5 The Chairman thanked the officials and they left at 11.03am, at which point the Chairman adjourned the meeting.
The Chairman called the meeting to order at 11.07am. Messrs Armstrong, Bradley, Douglas, Ford, Kane and McHugh were present.
5. Organic Farming - Stopes Report.
5.1 The Chairman welcomed DARD officials Messrs Liam McKibben and Ian McKee and Dr Sam Kennedy at 11.08am and invited Mr McKibben to make a statement.
5.2 Mr McKibben referred to the size of the organic farming sector; the necessity for producer involvement in organic production to be based on sound, and informed, business decisions; and the need to consider relevant responses to the consultation on the Vision Group report.
Mr Dallat returned to the meeting at 11.10am. Mr Paisley Jnr returned to the meeting at 11.19am.
5.3 Officials then answered questions from members on issues including the level of interest to date in organic farming; the feasibility and likely costs of produce branding; marketing capability, funding and performance; consistency of supply; liaison with retailers; the difficulties raised by one organic farming group in the north-west; the requirement for organic producers to have technical and business management competence; imports of organically-produced milk; and the need to ensure that support for the organic sector is not at the expense of conventional food production.
5.4 Mr McKibben undertook to let the Committee know what percentage of organically-produced milk sold in Northern Ireland is imported.
Mr Dallat left the meeting at 11.52am.
5.5 The Chairman thanked the officials and they left the meeting at 11.59am. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee will write to the Department with further questions that members were unable to cover in the time available.
Mr Bradley and Mr Ford returned to the meeting at 12.01pm.
6. Proposed Committee Inquiry into the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak.
6.1 Members considered a number of options for Inquiry into last year's Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, bearing in mind that the Minister had announced an independent review into the outbreak.
Mr Bradley left the meeting at 12.12pm.
Resolved: that the Committee would write to the Minister for an update on DARD's review, including Terms of Reference; details of the independent consultants and the 'stakeholders' providing input to the review; and the date when the review report is to be completed.
Resolved: that the Clerk was instructed to draft outline Terms of Reference for the Committee's Inquiry for members' consideration.
7. Beef Quality Initiative.
7.1 Members considered a response from the Minister to the Committee's letter of 31 October 2001 seeking a progress report on the Beef Quality Initiative. In discussion, many members voiced reservations about the viability of this initiative in the light of reports from producers that prices obtained from processors do not properly reward quality production. A member reported an instance of producers having a promised quality bonus withdrawn by the processor, leaving the producers with no option, at that stage, but to take the proffered price. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee would write to the Minister raising the question of viability in the face of apparent lack of commitment by processors to encouraging the production of quality beef.
Resolved: that the Beef Quality Initiative will be put on the agenda for discussion with the Minister on 22 March 2002.
8. SR435/02 - Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-natural Areas) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001.
8.1 The Committee, having examined these regulations in draft on 14 December 2001, formally considered this Rule.
Question put and agreed:
That the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development has considered the Environmental Impact Assessment (Uncultivated Land and Semi-natural Areas) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules' Report, has no objection to the Rule.
9. SR7/02 - Potatoes Originating In Germany (Notification) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002.
9.1 The Committee formally considered this Rule, which members had examined in draft form on 5 October 2001.
Question put and agreed:
That the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development has considered the Potatoes Originating In Germany (Notification) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules' Report, has no objection to the Rule.
10. Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food & Feeding Stuffs) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002.
10.1 The Committee considered the Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Crops, Food & Feeding Stuffs) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002.
Resolved: that the Committee is content for DARD to proceed to make the Rule.
11. Plant Protection Products (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002.
11.1 The Committee considered the Plant Protection Products (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002.
Resolved: that the Committee is content for DARD to proceed to make the Rule.
12. Adjacent Waters Boundaries (Northern Ireland) Order 2002.
12.1 Members noted the proposed Adjacent Waters Boundaries (Northern Ireland) Order 2002 that is to be laid at Westminster.
Resolved: that Committee staff would ask DARD to supply, for members' information, the map mentioned in the Order's Explanatory Note.
13. Sea Fisheries (Northern Ireland) order 2002.
13.1 Members noted the proposed Sea Fisheries (Northern Ireland) order 2002 that is to be laid at Westminster.
14. Second and Third Reports of the Examiner of Statutory Rules.
14.1 Members noted the Third Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules drawing attention to a breach of the 21-day rule and the inclusion of meaningless wording in relation to the Sheep Annual Premium (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001. Members also noted the Examiner's Second Report in which nothing was drawn to the Committee's attention. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee would write to the Minister, noting that the Examiner had again drawn the Committee's attention to the breach of the 21-day rule and the defect in wording of the specified Rule.
The Chairman declared the meeting to be in private session at 12.37pm.
15. Report of the Committee's Inquiry into the Rural Development Programme.
15.1 Members had considered draft significant evidence and outline findings and other papers issued on 18 January 2002.
Resolved: that members would advise the Clerk of any relevant views in relation to the findings.
Resolved: that the Clerk was instructed to proceed to a first draft report in line with the outline findings, taking into account any views submitted by members.
The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 12.40pm.
16. Committee Forward Work Plan.
16.1 Members examined a proposed forward work plan prepared by Committee staff.
Resolved: that members were content with the proposed schedule of, and agendas for, future meetings in the present session.
17. Any Other Business.
17.1 Proposal to Prohibit the Landing of Berried Lobsters. Members noted a proposal by DARD to consult about its intention to prohibit the landing of berried lobsters as a measure for the protection of lobster breeding stock.
17.2 Review of Higher and Further Education and R&D in Agriculture and Food Science. Members noted the Executive Summary of the University of Ulster's response to the review and that the full document is available for reference in the Committee office.
17.3 Appointment to the Livestock and Meat Commission. Members noted the letter and press release from the Minister announcing an appointment to the Livestock and Meat Commission.
17.4 Export Refunds on Dairy Products. Members noted the Minister's response, to the Committee's letter of 11 December 2001, about the market situation and efforts to secure a further increase in export refunds. The Chairman advised members that he and the other Northern Ireland MEPs had arranged to meet EC Commissioner Fischler in two weeks and would raise this matter with him. Members deliberated.
17.5 Resolved: that the Committee would issue a press notice welcoming further increases in export refunds for milk powders already announced; urging the Minister to keep up the pressure for further increases; and announcing the Committee's intention to meet United Dairy Farmers' representatives on 1 February 2002 as arranged.
17.6 Review of Decisions Regulations. A member suggested that it would be appropriate for the Committee to be made aware of the membership of the 'pool' from which independent panels would be drawn as the need arose for the hearing of applications for review at Stage 3 of the review process. Members deliberated.
17.7 Resolved: that the Committee would write to the Minister seeking details of the competition held by DARD, including membership of the independent panel 'pool' and also the reasons for rejection of those applicants who were unsuccessful in being appointed to the 'pool'.
The Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 12.50pm.
Ian R K Paisley
Chairman