MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
FRIDAY 12 APRIL 2002
HELD IN ROOM 135 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr G Savage (Deputy Chairman)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr P J Bradley
Mr D Ford
Mr G McHugh
Mr M Murphy
Apologies: Dr I R K Paisley MP MEP (Chairman)
Mr J Dallat
Mr B Douglas
Mr G Kane
Mr I Paisley Jnr
In attendance: Mr P Moore
Mr B Kennedy
Mr J McCourt
Mr S McCann
Mr J Small
The Deputy Chairman declared the meeting open in private session at 10.08am and welcomed Mr Sean McCann to the Committee staff.
1. Minutes of Proceedings on Friday 22 March 2002.
1.1. Messrs Bradley and Murphy advised that their apologies had been sent to the Committee office in respect of that meeting. Amendment agreed accordingly. A member, who had not been present on 22 March 2002 sought, and received, an explanation in relation to the decision not to meet DARD researchers.
Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 22 March 2002 were approved as amended.
2. Matters Arising from the Meeting on 22 March 2002.
2.1. Fisheries decommissioning scheme issues. Members considered the Minister's response in relation to a meeting with officials about the 'strike price' mechanism. Members agreed the need to conclude consideration of this issue at the next meeting with officials.
Resolved: that the Committee would write to the Minister confirming arrangements for a meeting with named officials on 19 April 2002, and to the Speaker to advise that the issue of a formal notice was not now sought.
Resolved: that the Committee would ask DARD to provide a worked example to illustrate the operation of the 'strike price' mechanism, and that a list of questions, as agreed by the Committee, would be followed at the meeting with officials on 19 April 2002.
3. Programme for Government and Budget 2002 - DARD Position Report.
3.1. Members deliberated on the papers submitted by DARD and considered issues to be explored with officials.
The Deputy Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 10.37am.
3.2. The Deputy Chairman welcomed DARD officials Messrs Jim Ditchfield, Gerry Lavery, Tom Rodgers and Tom Stainer to the meeting at 10.38am and invited Mr Lavery to make an opening statement.
3.3. Mr Lavery referred to the draft Position Report and explained its significance in the sequence of events in the budget process. He advised that it had also been issued to the Ulster Farmers' Union and the NI Agricultural Producers' Association for comment.
3.4. Members then questioned the officials on various aspects of the draft Position Report including DARD's provisional objectives; farm waste management and other environmental issues; payments mechanisms; non-provision of costs or targets under "strategic issues"; outputs not addressed under "output-based analysis"; and the eradication of TB and Brucellosis.
During discussions, Mr Ford attended the meeting at 10.58am and Mr Bradley left the meeting at 11.25am.
3.5. The Deputy Chairman thanked the officials and they left the meeting at 11.38am.
The Deputy Chairman declared the meeting to be in private session at 11.39am.
3.6. Members deliberated on the DARD position report and discussion with officials.
3.7. Resolved: that the Clerk would write to the Department, on behalf of the Committee, with further questions, with a view to the Committee agreeing its response on 19 April 2002.
4. Matters arising from the meeting on 22 March 2002 - continued.
4.1. Brucellosis Outbreak at the DARD Research Institute. Members noted the Department of Finance and Personnel memorandum on the 5th report from the Public Accounts Committee session 2001 in relation to the brucellosis outbreak at the Agricultural Research Institute at Hillsborough, and that a further copy of the memorandum had been submitted by DARD as a response to concern raised by a member at the Committee meeting on 22 March 2002. Following deliberations, members agreed that the Memorandum would provide useful background information for the proposed Committee Inquiry into the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak and other animal disease issues, and that the matter of army patrols, or other personnel, traversing farmland could be included as an issue in the Inquiry.
4.2. Suckler Cow Premium Leaflet and Form. Members noted a DARD response accepting that there had been errors in these documents and explaining the action taken to address these.
4.3. The Medicated Feedingstuffs (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 and the Feedingstuffs (Zootechnical Products) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002. Members, having deliberated on 22 March 2002 and having been content for DARD to proceed to make these Rules, noted a letter from DARD advising the result of consultation on these proposed rules and addressing concerns raised.
Resolved: that the Committee remained content for DARD to proceed to make these Rules.
5. Legislation.
5.1. Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002. Members considered this proposed rule to correct some minor drafting errors relating to an erroneous reference and the terminology used in expressing the level of fine, in regulations made in 2000.
Resolved: that the Committee was content for DARD to proceed to make the Rule.
5.2. Eighth and Ninth Reports of the Examiner of Statutory Rules. Members noted that the Examiner had drawn attention to defective drafting in the Marketing of Quality Agricultural Products Grant Regulations (NI) 2002 and the Agricultural Processing and Marketing Grant Regulations (NI) 2002 and breach of the 21-day rule in relation to the Less Favoured Area Compensatory Allowances Regulations (NI) 2002. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee would write to the Minister to ask why DARD appeared to have more legislative defects, as drawn to the Committee's attention by the Examiner, than other Departments.
6. Any Other Business.
6.1. EU Processing & Marketing Grant Scheme and EU Marketing of Quality Agricultural Products Grant Scheme. Members noted a DARD letter and press release advising the launch of these schemes on 8 April 2002 for receipt of applications.
6.2. Seminar on Water Framework Directive. Members noted an invitation to an Assembly Research and Library Services seminar on Wednesday 17 April 2002 on this subject, which has implications for farmers. Four members indicated that they hoped to attend.
7. Committee's Rural Development Programme Inquiry Draft Report.
7.1. Members agreed to defer consideration of the draft report until the meeting on 19 April 2002.
8. Date of Next Meeting.
8.1. Resolved: that the next meeting will take place on Friday 19 April 2002 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings, at 10.00am.
9. Meetings with the Minister.
9.1. Committee staff had been approached by the Minister's Private Office staff with a view to setting dates for meetings between the Committee and the Minister up to December 2002. The first date offered was Friday 3 May 2002. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee would meet the Minister on 3 May 2002; that further possible dates for meetings with the Minister would be discussed on 19 April 2002; and that the Clerk would draw up possible agenda items for such meetings.
The Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 12.11pm.
Ian R K Paisley
Chairman