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COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE & INVESTMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Room 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Mark Durkan MP (Chairperson)
Mr Paul Maskey (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Leslie Cree
Mr Simon Hamilton
Ms Jennifer McCann
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr Sean Neeson

In Attendance:
Mr John Torney (Principal Clerk)
Miss Joanne Adair (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr Francie Molloy
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP

The meeting opened at 2.04 p.m. in public session.

  1. Apologies.

Apologies are detailed above.

  1. Declaration of Interests.

There were no new interests declared.

  1. Minutes of meeting held on 4 September 2007

Agreed - the draft minutes were agreed.

  1. Matters Arising.

The Principal Clerk provided an update with regard to investigations into the availability of room 106 and room 21 for use as committee rooms.

Members noted a report by the General Consumer Council regarding the outcome of its recent ‘MLA Transport Challenge’.

The Committee considered information provided by the Department on forthcoming trade delegations.

Mr McFarland joined the meeting at 2.09 p.m.

  1. Update on Developments at Giant’s Causeway

Mr Stephen Quinn (Permanent Secretary), Mr Noel Cornick (Head of Tourist Policy) and Mr Ciaran McGarrity (Tourism Special Projects) attended the meeting at 2.10 p.m. to brief members on recent developments regarding a visitors' centre at the Giant’s Causeway.

Officials left the meeting at 3.09 p.m.

Agreed: That the Chairman would write to the Minister seeking clarification on a number of key issues regarding recent developments.

  1. Briefing on ERINI Review of Industrial De-Rating

Mr Victor Hewitt attended the meeting at 3.10 p.m. and gave a presentation and answered members’ questions on the Economic Research Institute of Northern Ireland Review of Industrial De-Rating in Northern Ireland.

Key issues discussed included the background and terms of reference of the review, its methodology and progress and initial consideration of key issues arising from the review.

Mr Maskey left the meeting at 3.28 p.m.
Mr Hamilton left the meeting at 3.35 p.m.
Mr Hewitt left the meeting at 3.44 p.m.

  1. Subordinate Legislation

Mr John Hinds and Mr Ed Cairns joined the meeting at 3.45 p.m. to answer members’ questions regarding the Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations (Northern Ireland 2007.

Agreed: That the Committee had no comment to make on the proposed Regulations at this stage.

Officials left the meeting at 3.52 p.m.

  1. Forward Work Programme

Members considered the content and format of the draft Forward Work Programme and discussed the key issues likely to require consideration by the Committee during September – December 2007.

Agreed: That members were content with the format and content of the draft Forward Work programme
Agreed: That DETI officials should attend the meeting on 25 September to brief the Committee on the evaluation of the Regional Innovation Strategy.
Agreed: That officials from the Geological Survey Northern Ireland should attend the meeting on 25 September to present a policy paper on lignite mining rights.
Agreed: That DETI officials should brief members on departmental bids under the October Monitoring Round at the meeting on 2 October 2007.
Agreed: That the draft Forward Work Programme should be posted on the Assembly’s website.

  1. Any Other Business.

The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister regarding progress in implementing the Northern Ireland Sustainable Development Implementation Plan.

  1. Date, time and place of next meeting.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 18 September at 2.00 p.m. in Room 135 Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.13 p.m.

Mark Durkan MP MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
September 2007.

04 September 2007 / Menu