MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
FRIDAY 19 APRIL 2002
HELD IN ROOM 135 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Dr IRK Paisley MP MEP(Chairman)
Mr G Savage (Deputy Chairman)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr P J Bradley
Mr J Dallat
Mr B Douglas
Mr D Ford
Mr G Kane
Mr G McHugh
Apologies: Mr M Murphy
Mr I Paisley Jnr
In attendance: Mr P Moore
Mr B Kennedy
Mr J McCourt
Mr S McCann
Mr J Small
The Chairman declared the meeting open in private session at 10.05am. He advised members that Mr Jonathan Small was leaving the Committee staff and welcomed new staff member Mr Sean McCann.
1. Minutes of Proceedings on Friday 12 April 2002.
1.1. Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 12 April 2002 were approved.
2. Matters Arising from the Meeting on 12 April 2002.
2.1. Correspondence. Members noted that copies of letters to the Minister and to the Speaker about fishing vessel decommissioning issues, and to DARD with further questions on the draft Position Report, had been e-mailed to them for information.
3. Any Other Business.
3.1. Kilkeel Fishing Vessel Tragedy. The following motion was agreed: That members of this Committee wish to record their condolences to the Greene family circle, following the loss of the trawler the Tullaghmurray Lass and all those on board. Members also recognised and appreciated the efforts of all those, including individual members of the local community who, in their desire to offer help and solace, were involved in any way during the search for the vessel and the subsequent recovery of the bodies.
Mr Armstrong attended the meeting at 10.17am.
3.2. Europe Day Celebration: Reception. Members considered an invitation to this event hosted by the European Commission and the Committee of the Centre, to be held on 9 May 2002. One member indicated his intention to attend.
Resolved: that the Committee would finalise proposed attendance at the Committee meeting next week.
3.3. Rural Sector Seminar on Sustainable Development. Members considered an invitation from the Director of Development, Sustainable Northern Ireland Programme, to this event on 9 May 2002 at Loughry College, Cookstown. Two members indicated their intention to attend.
Resolved: that the Committee would finalise proposed attendance at the Committee meeting next week.
Mr McHugh attended the meeting at 10.27am.
3.4. Investing For Health: Strategy Document. Members noted the issue of this document and its launch on 28 March 2002 by the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
4. Fisheries Decommissioning Issues: Strike Price Mechanism.
4.1. The Chairman welcomed DARD officials Messrs Peter Small, Pat Toal and Peter Toner and Ms Evelyn Cummins to the meeting at 10.32am and explained the purpose of, and format for, discussions. Mr Small introduced his colleagues and Mr Toner made an opening statement referring to the origin of the strike price mechanism and previous discussions with the Committee.
4.2. The Chairman and Deputy Chairman then asked questions on the operation of the strike price mechanism as agreed by the Committee on 12 April 2002 and Mr Toner answered these. The Chairman thanked Mr Toner, who left the meeting at 10.51am.
5. Working Arrangements between DARD and the Committee.
5.1. There followed a full and frank discussion between officials and members in relation to a number of issues including the respective rôles of the Committee and DARD; approaches to Committee briefing; the need for explanations for non-parity with GB when appropriate; outstanding correspondence; defects in DARD's drafting and handling of legislation as drawn to attention by the Examiner of Statutory Rules; and timetabling of DARD events that members would wish to attend.
5.2. Mr Small undertook to prepare a paper for consideration by the Committee, setting out proposals for the handling of future business being referred to the Committee or sought by the Committee.
During discussions, Mr Douglas attended the meeting at 11.20am and Mr Ford attended the meeting at 11.22am.
5.3. The Chairman thanked the officials and they left the meeting at 11.34am, at which point the Chairman adjourned the meeting.
The meeting resumed at 11.41am. the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Messrs Bradley, Dallat, Douglas, Ford and Kane were present.
6. Matters arising from the meeting on 12 April 2002 - continued.
6.1. Programme for Government and Budget 2002: DARD Initial Position Report. Members considered DARD's replies to further questions raised by the Committee following the meeting with officials on 12 April 2002. Members deliberated and considered a draft response.
Mr McHugh returned to the meeting at 11.47am; Mr Bradley left the meeting at 12.00noon; and Mr Armstrong returned to the meeting at 12.02pm.
Resolved: that the Committee would submit, to the Department, its agreed response to the Initial Position Report.
7. Any Other Business - continued.
7.1. Brucellosis Control Measures. A member raised the matter of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommendations about the isolation of incoming animals following its Inquiry into the brucellosis outbreak at DARD's Hillsborough Institute. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the Committee would write to the Minister suggesting that a requirement for all farmers to isolate incoming animals should be borne in mind when considering the outcome of the TB and Brucellosis policy reviews.
The Chairman adjourned the meeting at 12.22pm. The meeting resumed at 12.45pm with the Deputy Chairman in the chair. Messrs Armstrong, Dallat, Douglas, Ford, Kane and McHugh were also present.
8. Committee's Next Inquiry.
8.1. Members considered draft Terms of Reference and a draft methodology for a Committee Inquiry into animal disease - specifically tuberculosis, brucellosis and botulism - to be held in parallel with the Inquiry into the 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak previously announced. Members deliberated.
Resolved: that the draft Terms of Reference, as amended, and methodology were agreed.
Resolved: that the Committee would write to the Minister to seek memoranda from the Department in relation to the first and fourth terms of reference (regarding botulism and DARD's responses to PAC report conclusions) and to place these matters in the agenda for discussion at the next meeting with the Minister on 3 May 2002.
Resolved: that a press notice, to be agreed by the Chairman, would be issued announcing the new inquiry and that farming representative organisations would be invited to submit evidence.
9. Committee Forward Work Plan.
9.1. Members considered other possible agenda items and dates before next Assembly recess for discussions with the Minister.
Resolved: that the agenda for the meeting with the Minister on 3 May 2002 would include discussion on the new Committee Inquiry (as mentioned above); the Minister's response to the LMC report and Rural Proofing.
The Committee deliberated on the merits of meeting the Minister in both early June and July or agreeing one meeting at a later date in June.
Resolved: that Committee staff would liaise with the Minister's Private Office to agree provisional dates for further meetings for Committee consideration.
Resolved: that further consideration of the Committee's draft report on its inquiry into the Rural Development Programme; responses to the Committee's Livestock and Meat Commission Inquiry Report; a review of the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry into the 2001 FMD outbreak and forward planning would be included in the Committee's agenda for its next meeting.
10. Rural Development Programme Inquiry Draft Report.
10.1. The draft report into preparation for the next phase of the Rural Development Programme (2001-2006) was brought up and read a second time, paragraph by paragraph:
Title page was read and agreed.
Committee remit and table of contents pages were read and agreed.
Introduction
Paragraph 1.1 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 1.2 was read and agreed.
Paragraphs 2.1 to 2.11 were read and agreed.
Paragraphs 3.1 to 3.4 were read and agreed.
First Term of Reference
Paragraphs 4.1 to 4.4 were read and agreed.
Paragraph 4.5 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 5.1 to 5.11 were read and agreed.
Paragraphs 6.1 to 6.5 were read and agreed.
Paragraphs 7.1 to 7.7 were read and agreed.
Paragraph 7.8 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 7.9 and 7.10 were read and agreed.
Paragraph 7.11 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 8.1 to 8.13 were read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 8.14 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 8.15 to 8.18 were read and agreed.
Paragraphs 9.1 to 9.9 were read and agreed.
Paragraph 9.10 to 9.12 were read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 9.13 to 9.19 were read and agreed.
Paragraph 9.20 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 9.21 to 9.23 were read and agreed.
Paragraphs 10.1 to 10.25 were read and agreed.
Mr Armstrong left the meeting at 1.52pm. The Chairman returned to the meeting at 1.53pm and took the chair.
Paragraph 10.26 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 10.27 to 10.29 were read and agreed.
Paragraphs 11.1 to 11.7 were read and agreed.
Mr Ford left the meeting at 2.05pm.
Paragraph 11.8 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 12.1 to 12.12 were read and agreed.
11. Legislation.
11.1. SR125/02-Plant Protection Products (Amendment)(No2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002. Members formally considered the Plant Protection Products (Amendment)(No2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002.
Question put and agreed:
that the Committee has considered the Plant Protection Products (Amendment)(No2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 and had no objection to the rule.
12. Rural Development Programme Inquiry Draft Report - continued.
12.1. The Committee continued consideration of the draft report into preparation for the next phase of the Rural Development Programme (2001-2006) as follows:
Second Term of Reference
Paragraphs 13.1 and 13.2 were read and agreed.
Paragraph 13.3 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 13.4 was read and agreed.
Paragraph 14.1 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 14.2 was read and agreed.
Paragraphs 15.1 to 15.3 were read and agreed.
Paragraph 15.4 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 15.5 to15.16 were read and agreed.
Paragraph 15.17 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 15.18 to 15.25 were read and agreed.
Mr Ford returned to the meeting at 2.36pm.
Paragraphs 16.1 to 16.16 were read and agreed.
Paragraphs 17.1 and 17.2 were read and agreed
Paragraph 17.3 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 17.4 to 17.20 were read and agreed.
Mr Douglas left the meeting at 2.42pm
Paragraph 17.21 was read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 17.22 to 17.25 were read and agreed.
Paragraphs 18.1 to 18.6 were read and agreed.
Mr Douglas returned to the meeting at 2.55pm
13. Date of Next Meeting.
13.1. Resolved: that the next meeting will take place on Friday 26 April 2002 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings, at 10.00am.
The Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 2.56pm.
Ian R K Paisley
Chairman