MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
FRIDAY 8 MARCH 2002
HELD IN ROOM 135 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Dr IRK Paisley MP MEP(Chairman)
Mr G Savage
Mr B Armstrong
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr D Ford
Mr M Murphy
Mr G McHugh
Mr I Paisley Jnr
Apologies:
Mr B Douglas
Mr G Kane
In attendance:
Mr P Moore
Mr B Kennedy
Mr J Small
The Chairman declared the meeting open in private session at 10.01am.
1. Fisheries Decommissioning Scheme Issues.
1.1. The Chairman and the Clerk reviewed Committee discussions on 1 March and 5 March 2002 and members considered correspondence related to the Committee's requests to meet officials. The Chairman also informed members of his meeting with, and submission to, the Speaker in accordance with resolutions made on 5 March 2002, and reminded members that the DARD internal investigation report should remain confidential. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the committee would await the Speaker's response to the Chairman's submission.
Resolved: that the scheduled meeting with the Minister on 22 March 2002 would be deferred.
2. Date of Next Meeting.
2.1. Members considered whether they would be available for a Committee meeting on Friday 15 March 2002.
2.2. Resolved: that, as it was unlikely that a quorum could be achieved, the Committee would not meet on Friday 15 March 2002 and that the next Committee meeting would be held on Friday 22 March 2002 at 9.30am in room 135, Parliament Buildings.
3. Meeting with the Parliament of Canada Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.
3.1. Members were informed that an itinerary for the Canadian Committee's visit to Northern Ireland, organised by DARD, had now been obtained informally through another Assembly Clerk's personal relationship with the Senate Committee Clerk. This showed a reception and lunch at Stormont to be hosted by the Committee at 12.45pm on Friday 15 March 2002, although no formal approach had been made to the Committee. Members deliberated and agreed that they wished to avoid the discourtesy of a probable low turnout
Resolved: that, with the Chair and some members out of the country; the uncertainty about the availability of other members; and the cancellation of the Committee meeting on 15 March 2002, the Committee would therefore write to the Canadian visit organisers regretting its inability to facilitate the visit on this occasion.
The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 10.18am. Mr Armstrong attended the meeting at 10.18am.
4. Rural Tourism.
4.1. The Chairman welcomed representatives from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to the meeting at 10.19am. They were Messrs Roy Bailie (Chairman) Alan Clarke (Chief Executive) and Fergal Kearney (Marketing Executive).
4.2. Mr Bailie made an opening statement, followed by presentations by his colleagues. Sales packs and copies of presentation slides were tabled for members' information.
4.3. The Tourist Board delegation then answered questions from members. Mr McHugh declared an interest as a member of a Regional Tourism Organisation (RTO).
During the question and answer session, Mr Ford left the meeting at 11.20am.
4.4. Mr Bailie undertook to supply the Committee with details of the tourism grant programmes available and Mr Kearney undertook to provide details of the itinerary of visiting tour operators. The Chairman thanked Mr Bailie and his colleagues and they left the meeting at 11.36am. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the minutes of evidence covering the discussions with the NITB representatives, together with the NITB paper on Policies and Strategies for Rural Areas and a short covering note, would form the Committee's response to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment Tourism Inquiry.
The Chairman adjourned the meeting at 11.40am. The meeting resumed in private session at 11.52am. The Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Messrs Armstrong, Bradley, Murphy and Paisley Jnr were present.
5. Committee Bill Procedures.
5.1. The Chairman welcomed Mr Martin Wilson (Principal Clerk of Bills) and Mr Denis Arnold (Clerk) who spoke to their paper explaining the procedures and timings involved, and outlined the issues to be addressed, in relation to a Committee seeking to introduce a Bill in the Assembly.
Mr McHugh returned to the meeting at 11.58am.
5.2. Members discussed the issues in detail with Messrs Wilson and Arnold, including the feasibility of seeking the Assembly's support for a motion that the Minister should take specific action; in particular, to introduce a scheme for early retirement for farmers.
5.3. The Chairman thanked Messrs Wilson and Arnold and they left the meeting at 1.02pm. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that a draft motion for Assembly debate, calling on the Minister to introduce an early retirement scheme for farmers, would be drawn up for consideration by the Committee at the earliest opportunity.
The meeting continued in private session at 1.04pm.
6. Fisheries Decommissioning Scheme Issues - continued.
6.1. The Chairman distributed, to members, a letter dated 7 March 2002 from the Minister, which had been received during the meeting. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee would write to the Minister, noting receipt of the letter and members' consideration of it and advising that the Committee awaited the Speaker's response to the Chairman's letter of 6 March 2002.
The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 1.14pm.
7. Minutes of Proceedings on Friday 1 March 2002 and Tuesday 5 March 2002.
7.1. Members considered an amendment to the draft minutes of proceedings on 1 March 2002 and to the draft minutes of proceedings on 5 March 2002.
Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 1 March 2002 and 5 March 2002 were approved as amended.
8. Matters Arising from the Meeting on 1 March 2002.
8.1. Brucellosis. A member raised concerns about the incidence of brucellosis and suggested a need for a Committee Inquiry into this matter. The Deputy Chairman referred to the current outbreak of botulism. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Terms of Reference of the Committee's Inquiry into the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak should be extended to include inquiry into animal disease prevention and control, including brucellosis, tuberculosis and botulism, and that the Clerk was instructed to prepare revised Terms of Reference for the Committee's consideration.
Resolved: that the Committee would seek to meet DARD officials on 22 March 2002 to discuss the current situation in relation to TB and Brucellosis and that this session should be formally recorded in order that it may be included in the revised Inquiry.
9. Committee's Rural Development Programme Inquiry.
Resolved: that the Committee would not consider a partial first draft of the initial sections of the report, but would consider a completed first draft at the next meeting.
10. Matters Arising from the Meeting on 1 March 2002 - continued.
10.1. DARD Issue of Good Farming Practice Information Packs. Members noted DARD's response to the Committee's enquiry, explaining that those still not issued relate to farmers who are not required to follow the good farming practice, or who are not members of an agri-environment scheme, but that the information packs are available on request to any who are interested.
10.2. Organic Farming. Members noted DARD's response to the Committee's enquiry about the availability of funds for conversion of farm buildings.
Mr Bradley left the meeting at 1.24pm.
11. Legislation.
11.1. Milk Marketing Board (Residuary Functions)(Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002. Members agreed to defer consideration of this item until the next meeting.
11.2. Fur Farming (Prohibition) Bill (Northern Ireland). Members noted a DARD policy memorandum on this proposed Bill to prohibit the keeping of animals for slaughter for the value of their fur.
12. Committee Forward Work Plan.
12.1. The Clerk drew attention to a paper setting out known and potential items of forthcoming Committee business, with proposals for prioritisation. Members agreed to consider this issue at the next Committee meeting.
12.2. Members also noted a letter from the Minister about the timing of Programme for Government and Budget 2000 Departmental Position Reports and a response from Wilson's Country Ltd inviting the Committee to visit their potato packing plant headquarters in Portadown. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that officials would be invited to meet the Committee on 12 April 2002 to discuss the Department's Position Report.
Resolved: that a Committee delegation would visit Wilson's Country Ltd after the Easter recess.
13. Any Other Business.
13.1. World Trade Organisation (WTO): Doha Talks. Members noted the report that they had commissioned, from the Assembly Research Services, on the WTO ministerial conference in November 2001 in Doha, Qatar. The Research Services had also sought approval to publish the report. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee approved the publication, on the Assembly Intranet and on the Internet, of the Assembly Research Services report on the WTO Doha talks.
13.2. UK Sustainable Development Commission. Members considered an invitation from the Committee of the Environment to a seminar/reception for the Commission on Tuesday 12 March 2002 at 2.15pm in the Long Gallery. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that Messrs Armstrong and Savage would attend, also Mr McHugh if available.
13.3. Revised Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) Application Form. Members noted a letter from the Minister enclosing a revised and simplified IACS area aid application form.
The Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 1.39pm.
George Savage
Deputy Chairman