COMMITTEE FOR CULTURE, ARTS AND LEISURE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY 16 DECEMBER 2010
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Barry McElduff MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Declan O’Loan MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Lord Browne MLA
Mr Thomas Burns MLA
Mr David Hilditch MLA
Mr William Humphrey MLA
Mr Billy Leonard MLA
Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA
Mr David McClarty MLA
Mr Ken Robinson MLA
Mr Pat Sheehan MLA

Apologies:
None

In attendance:
Mr Hugh Farren (Clerk)
Ms Lucia Wilson (Clerk)
Miss Emma Patton (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Jonathan Lamont (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Chris Baird (Clerical Officer)
Dr Dan Hull (Research Officer)

The meeting opened at 10.35 a.m.

Mr Sheehan was welcomed to the Committee as a new Member.

1. Apologies

The apologies are noted above.

2. Draft Minutes of 09 December 2010

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the Committee meeting of

09 December 2010.

3. Matters arising

The Committee considered the response from Sport NI regarding slow payments of invoices

Mr Hilditch declared an interest as he is awaiting a payment from Sport NI.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the response from Sport NI to the Construction Employers Federation.

The Committee noted the response from Sport NI regarding the Draft Play and Leisure Implementation Plan.

The Committee considered the response from the Department of Finance and Personnel regarding NICS art works.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department of Finance and Personnel requesting that they provide details of the missing artworks and what actions have been taken to retrieve them.

The Committee considered thetabled letter from the Minister in relation to the

Draft Museum’s Policy.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule a briefing from the Department on the Policy before it is finalised.

Mr Burns left the meeting at 10.53 a.m.

Mr Burns rejoined the meeting at 10.56 a.m.

The Committee considered the draft Committee response to the Committee for the Office of the First and deputy First Ministers report on European issues.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the response as drafted.

4. Assembly Research briefing on Environmental Governance relating to Inland Fisheries and DCAL

Dr Dan Hull, Assembly Research Officer briefed the Committee on Environmental Governance relating to Inland Fisheries and DCAL

Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite the Department to orally brief the Committee on the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ currently being drafted by the Department and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency in relation to the governance of Inland Fisheries.

5. Briefing from Waterways Ireland – developing the waterways potential of Lough Erne and Lower Bann

The following officials joined the meeting at 11.07 a.m.

Mr Martin Dennany, Director of Marketing and Communications – WWI

Mr Éanna Rowe, Head of Marketing Communications – WWI

Mr Nigel Russell, Director of Technical Services – WWI

The officials briefed the Committee on development of the potential of Lough Erne and Lower Bann.

Mr McCarthy joined the meeting at 11.39 a.m.

Mr Burns rejoined the meeting at 11.42 a.m.

A question and answer session followed.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Northern Ireland Tourist Broad via the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment to ascertain what actions they have taken to liaise with Waterways Ireland in relation to the development of the tourism potential of Lough Erne and the Lower Bann.

The officials left the meeting at 11.46 a.m.

6. Justice Bill (NI)

The Committee considered the draft response to Part 4 of the Justice Bill (NI)

Lord Browne declared an interest as he is a Member of the Justice Committee.

Mr Hilditch re-joined the meeting at 11.53 a.m.

Mr Hilditch declared an interest as Chairman/Director of Carrick Rangers Football Club.

Clause 36 – Regulated Matches

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure recommends clarification on the definition of regulated matches and designated grounds.

Clause 37 – Throwing Missiles

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure is content with the clause, subject to the inclusion of a definition of “missile”.

Clause 38 - Chanting

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure recommends the inclusion of the word “sectarian” and clarification on the definition of the term “chanting.”

Clause 39 – Going on the playing area

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure recommends the inclusion of the phrase “controlled celebratory occasions” as pitch celebrations are acceptable in some sports.

The Committee for Culture, Art and Leisure recommends more clarification on the phrase of “lawful excuse.”

The Committee for Culture, Art and Leisure recommends that the term ‘which shall be for that person to prove’ is removed from the clause.

Clause 40 – Possession of fireworks

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure is content with the clause, subject to the inclusion of laser pens.

Clause 41 – Being drunk at a regulated match

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure question the need for this clause on the basis of existing legislation and regulation by the sporting bodies.

Clause 42 – Possession of drink containers and Clause 43 – Possession of Alcohol

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure question the need for clauses 42 and 43.

The Committee for Culture, Art and Leisure recommends that further consideration is required in relation to the issue of containers and the needs of families e.g. children and babies bottles.

Clause 44 – Alcohol on vehicles travelling to a regulated match

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure is content with the clause, subject to due consideration of the concerns raised by stakeholders in written and oral submissions to the Committee for Justice and further clarification on the treatment of cross border events.

The Committee also noted that this clause does not include trains.

Clause 45 – Sale of tickets by unauthorised persons

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure questions the need for this clause which has limited relevance to local conditions, not withstanding Health and Safety Regulations, that address capacity issues.

Mr McClarty left the meeting at 12.15 p.m.

Mr McCartney left the meeting at 12.21 p.m.

Clause 46 – 54 – Banning Orders

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure recommends that clauses relating to banning orders should be extended to non regulated matches and other jurisdictions.

Clause 55 – Powers of enforcement

The Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure are content with the clause, subject to due consideration of the concerns raised by stakeholders in written and oral submissions to the Committee for Justice.

In addition to PSNI Constable the Committee recommends the inclusion of an ‘authorised person’ to cover circumstances when there is no visible PSNI presence .

Schedule 3 Regulated matches

That the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure was content with the clause subject to further clarification on jurisdiction issues.

7. Chairperson’s business

The Chairperson informed the Committee that work experience students - Amy Houlker from Sacred Heart College, Omagh and Ryan Donaghy from Omagh CBS attended the Committee meeting.

8. Correspondence

The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister regarding the Investment Strategy for November 2010.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety regarding the Autism Bill.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the letter to the Department.

The Committee considered the memo from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister regarding the Child Poverty Strategy.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the correspondence from Sport NI and the Department in relation to the Draft Play and Leisure Implementation Plan to the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to respond to the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister highlighting how the Department and ALB’s are working to combat childhood poverty including the Committee’s current work on the ‘Review on the Impact of Value of Museums’.

9. Forward work programme

Members noted the tabled forward work programme.

10. Any other business

There was no other business

11. Date and time of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure will take place on Thursday 13 January 2011 at 10.30am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.48 p.m

Mr Barry McElduff
Chairperson, Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure
13 January 2011

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