COMMITTEE FOR CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2007
ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Dominic Bradley
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr Nelson McCausland MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Jim Shannon MLA

Apologies:
Mr Francie Brolly MLA
The Lord Browne MLA
Mr Paul Maskey MLA
Mr Pat Ramsey MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Martin Wilson (Principal Clerk)
Mrs Linda Gregg (Clerk)
Dr Kathryn Bell (Assistant Clerk)
Mrs Florence Stocker (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Mairéad Higgins (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Alister Strain (Clerical Officer)

The meeting opened at 10.15am in public session.

1. Draft minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2007

Agreed – the draft minutes were agreed.

2. Matters arising

Agreed – the Committee agreed to publish on its website the Hansard transcript of the evidence taken on 22 November 2007 regarding the Northern Ireland Events Company.

Agreed – the Committee agreed that in future it would stipulate the deadline for witnesses to amend Hansard transcripts classified as confidential.

The Chair advised members that the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure had forwarded a copy of Phase 1 of the VALCAL study to the Committee, and had informed the Committee that the study will not proceed beyond Phase 1.

The Chair advised members that a response to the Committee’s request for the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s historical spend was currently being prepared by the Department and would be sent to the Committee before the end of the year.

The Chair advised members that a response to the Committee’s request for the breakdown of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s Draft Budget allocations was currently being prepared by the Department and would be sent to the Committee before the end of the year.

Mr Robinson joined the meeting at 10.26am.

3. Chairperson’s business

The Chair referred members to correspondence from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, enclosing the response from PriceWaterhouseCoopers to the Committee’s request for copies of interviews notes with the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Community Relations Council, regarding the location for the proposed multi-sports stadium.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to seek legal advice regarding PriceWaterhouseCoopers’s response to the Committee.

Mr Bradley joined the meeting at 10.34am.

Mr McCausland proposed the following:

That this Committee adjourn until 11.30am.

Question put.

The Committee divided: Ayes 5; Noes 1; Abstentions 1.

AYES

Dominic Bradley, Nelson McCausland, David McNarry,Ken Robinso , Jim Shannon,

NOES

Kieran McCarthy

ABSTENTIONS

Barry McElduff

Question accordingly agreed to.

The meeting was adjourned at 10.45am.

The meeting re-opened in public session at 11.32am.

The Chair advised members that the Clerk and he had met with the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure and his Deputy Secretary during the period the meeting had been adjourned.

Mr McCarthy rejoined the meeting at 11.35am.

Mr McNarry proposed the following:

That this Committee takes evidence from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure on the proposed multi-sports stadium in closed session.

Question put.

The Committee divided: Ayes 4; Noes 3.

AYES

Nelson McCausland, David McNarry, Ken Robinson, Jim Shannon

NOES

Barry McElduff, Dominic Bradley , Kieran McCarthy

Question accordingly agreed to.

4. Briefing from Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure on multi-sports stadium

The meeting moved into closed session at 11.40am.

The Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Mr Edwin Poots MLA, and the following official joined the meeting at 11.40am:

Mr Edgar Jardine (Deputy Secretary)

The Minister briefed the Committee on progress with the proposals for a multi-sports stadium. This was followed by a question and answer session.

The Minister left the meeting at 11.54am. Mr Jardine remained to answer further questions from members.

Mr McNarry left the meeting at 11.55am.

Mr McCarthy proposed the following:

That this Committee receives a presentation from HOK Sport today on the design for the proposed multi-sports stadium.

Question put.

The Committee divided: Ayes 3; Noes 3.

AYES

Barry McElduff, Dominic Bradley, Kieran McCarthy

NOES

Nelson McCausland, Ken Robinson, Jim Shannon,

Question accordingly negatived.

Mr McNarry rejoined the meeting 12.18pm

Mr McElduff proposed the following:

That this Committee receives a further briefing from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure on progress with the proposals for a multi-sports stadium at 3pm today.

Question put.

The Committee divided: Ayes 5; Noes 2.

AYES

Barry McElduff, Dominic Bradley, Kieran McCarthy, David McNarry, Ken Robinson,

NOES

Nelson McCausland, Jim Shannon,

Question accordingly agreed.

The Chair advised members that it would not be possible to secure a quorum of members for a meeting at 3pm, and therefore it was agreed that the meeting with the Minister would be postponed.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to receive a briefing from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure on the proposed multi-sports stadium after he has submitted the business case to the Department of Finance and Personnel.

The Committee moved into open session at 12.21pm.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to clarify the rationale for briefing the media on the design for the proposed multi-sports stadium before it briefed the Committee.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Strategic Investment Board to request information concerning approval and delivery of the briefing to the media on the design for the proposed multi-sports stadium on 12 December 2007.

5. Forward work programme

The Chair referred members to the forward work programme for January 2008 to June 2008.

Agreed – the Committee agreed that the demonstration from Karate Do-Wadi Kai would take place in the Long Gallery after a committee meeting.

Agreed – the Committee agreed that it wished to receive copies of the Research Service papers scheduled to be discussed in the forward work programme.

Mr McCarthy left the meeting at 12.37pm.

6. Committee consideration of Statutory Rules

‘Question put and agreed:

That the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure has considered the Eel Fishing

Licence Duties Regulations and has no objection to the rule’.

‘Question put and agreed:

That the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure has considered the Fisheries

(Amendment) Licence Duties Byelaws and has no objection to the rule’.

Mr McCarthy re-joined the meeting at 12.40pm.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to suggest that in future a photograph should be included on fishing licences.

7. Committee response to consultation on Strategy for Sport 2007 -2017

Agreed – the Committee agreed its response to the Strategy for Sport 2007 – 2017 consultation.

8. Libraries Bill (NIA 5/07)

The Chair referred members to the letter which has been sent from the Committee to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, setting out the Committee’s views on Schedule 1 (2) and Schedule 2 of the Bill.

The Chair advised members that the Chief Executive Designate of the Library Authority would brief the Committee on the proposed operational structure of the Library Authority on 17 January 2008.

The Chair referred members to correspondence from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure on the budget for redundancies for the Northern Ireland Library Service.

9. Correspondence

The Chair referred members to correspondence from Mr Murphy regarding his proposal to establish a Northern Ireland Theatre Initiative.

The Chair referred members to correspondence from the Arts Council on the Draft Budget allocation for the arts.

Agreed – the Committee agreed that the Chair and Deputy Chair would meet representatives from Equity.

The Chair referred members to correspondence from the Minister Health, Social Services and Public Safety regarding his Department’s review on spending on artwork.

The Chair referred members to correspondence from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure on Northern Ireland’s potential involvement in the 2012 Olympics, and on the impact of the loss of Big Lottery funding on local projects due to the diversion of monies to the 2012 Olympics.

The Chair referred members to correspondence from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure on per capita spend for regional minority languages in the United Kingdom.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Human Rights Commissioner to seek permission to copy her correspondence to the Committee regarding Irish language legislation to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, and to ask for his comments on it.

The Chair referred members to correspondence from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure on its policy for the stocking of elvers in Lough Neagh.

The Chair referred members to correspondence from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure in which he enclosed a copy of his response to Dr McTeggart regarding Waterways Ireland.

The Chair referred members to correspondence from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure on the ‘Oh Yeah’ project.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to invite the Northern Ireland Music Industry Commission and the Northern Ireland Recording Studio Association to brief it on the ‘Oh Yeah’ project.

The Chair referred members to the paper from ADSEA on their proposal for a hatchery for Strangford Lough.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to request details of the information that he is awaiting from ADSEA.

The Chair referred members to the copy of the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s submission to the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister’s inquiry into child poverty.

The Chair referred members to the copy of the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s submission to the Committee for Social Development’s inquiry into town centre regeneration.

The Chair referred members to the correspondence from the Library and Information Services Council regarding the Draft Budget.

Mr McCausland declared the following interest:

Chair of the Library Committee of the Belfast Education & Library Board.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to make an addition to its response on the Draft Budget to the Committee for Finance and Personnel, noting its concern with the level of funding available for libraries within the Belfast Education and Library Board for 2008 -2009.

The Chair referred members to the correspondence from the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure regarding the Northern Ireland Events Company.

The Chair advised members that a copy of the ‘Education Reform 21’ newsletter was available in the Committee Office.

10. Any Other Business

The Chair advised members that the Clerk could be contacted by mobile phone over the Christmas period if required.

Mr McCarthy left the meeting at 12.55pm.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to ask Hansard to make a presentation on its services to the Committee in the new year.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to ask for details of the proposal to obtain funding for sport and physical recreation from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety’s budget.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to write to the Irish Football Association, the Gaelic Athletic Association, and Ulster Rugby to ask for details of how their modernisation programmes are contributing to the promotion of healthy living and combating obesity.

Agreed – the Committee agreed to ask Research Service for a research paper to establish what evidence is available to quantify the health outcomes of investment in sport and physical recreation.

11. Date and time of next meeting

Agreed: The Committee agreed to hold its next meeting on Thursday 10 January 2008 at 10.30am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.00pm.

Mr Barry McElduff MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure

10 January 2008

29 November 07 / Menu