COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE & INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY, 12 JUNE 2007
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Mark Durkan MP (Chairperson)
Mr Paul Maskey (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Simon Hamilton
Ms Jennifer McCann
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Mr Sean Neeson
Mr Robin Newton
Mr David Simpson MP
In Attendance: Mr John Torney (Principal Clerk)
Ms Lucia Wilson (Assembly Clerk)
Miss Joanne Adair (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Stephen White (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Officer)
Dr Peter Gilleece (Senior Researcher)
Apologies:
Mr Leslie Cree
The meeting opened at 2.06 p.m. in closed session.
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Apologies.
Apologies are detailed above.
Mr Newton joined the meeting at 2.06 p.m.
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Varney Review of Tax Policy in Northern Ireland
Stephen Quinn (Permanent Secretary) and Graeme Hutchinson (Head of Economics) joined the meeting at 2.09 p.m. to outline the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s position with regard to the Varney Review of tax policy in Northern Ireland and to answer members’ questions.
Mike Smyth, Economist, also attended the meeting and briefed members on the key issues surrounding tax in Northern Ireland.
Dr McDonnell joined the meeting at 2.55 p.m.
The officials and Mr Smyth left the meeting at 3.02 p.m.
Members considered the Committee’s approach to responding to the Varney Review Team.
The meeting moved into public session at 3.02 p.m.
Agreed: - That the Clerk would liaise with Assembly Research to provide a draft response.
Agreed: - That the draft response would be considered at an extraordinary meeting to be held during week commencing 2 July 2007.
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Declaration of Interests.
Further to issues raised at the meeting on 5 June 2007, the Principal Clerk advised that members are not required to register membership of the United Kingdom Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, Seanad Éireann or ministerial office. He also provided guidance on the registering and declaring of interest when participating in committee proceedings.
The Committee noted Members’ interests which had been declared to the Clerk.
The Chairperson offered Members the opportunity to declare any further interests or to make changes to their declaration. Mr Robin Newton declared membership of Belfast City Council.
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Draft minutes of meeting held on 5 June.
Agreed - the draft minutes were agreed.
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Matters Arising
The Chairperson reminded members that Mr Peaples from Dow Jones would be available on 3 and 4 July to interview interested members.
Agreed: - That Members interested in being interviewed would contact the Committee Clerk by Friday 15 June so arrangements can be made.
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Briefing with Senior DETI Officials- June Monitoring Round
Mr Noel Lavery (Head of Management Services Group) and Mr Trevor Cooper (Head of Finance & EU Programmes) joined the meeting at 3.14 p.m. to give a presentation and answered Members’ questions relating to June Monitoring Round.
Agreed: - That the Committee noted and had no specific comment on the Department’s planned bids and reallocations.
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Consideration of Research paper on Tourism
Dr McDonnell declared an interest as a member of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.
Dr Peter Gilleece briefed the Committee on a research paper on recent reports into tourism in Northern Ireland. Members noted the Government’s response to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Report on Tourism in Northern Ireland.
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Briefing from Senior DETI Officials – Tourism Policy and Special Projects
Wilfie Hamilton (Head of Policy Group), Norman Houston (Tourism Policy Branch) and Ciaran McGarrity (Tourism Special Projects) joined the meeting at 3.50 p.m. to give a presentation and answer members’ questions on tourism policy and special tourist projects.
Mr McLaughlin joined the meeting at 4.00 p.m.
Key issues discussed included tourism structures, tourism budget and its contribution to the economy, special projects including the Giant’s Causeway and Titanic Signature project and the need for a joined-up approach to tourism development in Northern Ireland.
Mr Houston and Mr McGarrity left the meeting at 4.10 p.m.
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Briefing from Northern Ireland Tourist Board
Tom McGrath (Chairperson) and Alan Clarke (Chief Executive) joined Mr Hamilton at 4.11 p.m. Mr McGrath and Mr Clarke gave a presentation and answered members’ questions on the performance of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB).
The meeting was suspended at 4.35 p.m. to allow members to vote in a plenary division.
The meeting resumed at 4.49 p.m.
Mr Maskey and Ms McCann joined the meeting at 4.50 p.m.
Mr McLaughlin joined the meeting at 4.51 p.m.
Key issues discussed included NITB’s 2006 performance, visitor numbers and origins, the value of tourism to the Northern Ireland economy and the Exchequer, the need to improve the tourist product and to develop a distinct Northern Ireland brand of tourism.
Mr McGrath and Mr Clarke left the meeting at 4.56 p.m.
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Briefing from Tourism Ireland
Andrew Coppel (Chairperson) and Paul O’Toole joined Mr Hamilton at 4.57 p.m. to give a presentation and answer members’ questions on the performance of Tourism Ireland (TIL).
Dr McDonnell joined the meeting at 5.00 p.m.
Key issues included the objectives of Tourism Ireland, budget and outcomes, key markets and the importance of improving the tourist product, progress in developing signature projects and the need to develop and market a distinct brand of tourism which reflects all aspects of cultural life in Northern Ireland.
Mr McLaughlin left the meeting at 5.23 p.m.
Officials left the meeting at 5.37 p.m.
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Correspondence.
Members noted information from the British Holiday and Home Parks Association on issues relating to the caravan sector in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: - That a letter of acknowledgement should be sent to the British Holiday and Home Parks Association.
Dr McDonnell left the meeting at 5.40 p.m.
Members also noted a table setting out cross-departmental working groups and a letter and report entitled ‘GM Contamination: Imports of food and feed at risk’ provided by GM freeze.
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Forward Work Programme
Members noted the revised committee work programme.
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Any Other Business.
The Clerk briefed members on recent concerns raised in the media regarding the Cavan/Tyrone Interconnector.
Agreed: - that the Clerk would liaise with the Clerk to the Committee for the Environment and keep the Committee informed of any relevant developments.
There were no other items of business.
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Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 19 June at 2.00 p.m. in Room 135 Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 5.45 p.m.
Mark Durkan MP MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.19 June 2007.