COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE & INVESTMENT
Minutes of Proceedings
TUESDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2007
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Mark Durkan MP (Chairperson)
Mr Leslie Cree
Mr Simon Hamilton
Ms Jennifer McCann
Dr Alasdair McDonnell
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr Robin Newton
Mr David Simpson MP
In Attendance:
Ms Lucia Wilson (Assembly Clerk)
Miss Joanne Adair (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Stephen White (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Paul Maskey (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Francie Molloy
Mr Sean Neeson
The meeting opened at 2.09 p.m. in public session.
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Apologies.
Apologies are detailed above.
Agreed: That a letter of condolence would be sent to Mr Neeson regarding the recent death of his mother-in-law.
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Declaration of Interests.
There were no new interests declared.
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Minutes of meeting held on 25 September 2007.
Agreed - the draft minutes were agreed.
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Matters Arising.
Members noted that a letter expressing support for the extension of the existing moratorium on lignite prospecting rights until 2010 had been sent to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
Members considered a letter from Women in Belfast NI Ltd seeking a meeting with the Committee.
Agreed: - That a letter should be sent advising that the Clerk would be in contact when a suitable opportunity arose.
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Consideration of Research Paper on Credit Unions.
Mr Aidan Stennett, Assembly Research and Library Services, attended the meeting at 2.10 p.m. and briefed members with regard to the research paper on credit union regulation, services and funding.
Mr McFarland joined the meeting at 2.15 p.m.
Mr Stennet left the meeting at 2.20 p.m.
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Briefing from the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU).
Mr Uel Adair (President, ILCU), Mr Kevin Helferty (Chairman, NI Committee, ILCU), Mr Liam O’Dwyer (Chief Executive, ILCU) and Ms Fiona Cullen (Secretary, ILCU) attended the meeting at 2.21 p.m. and gave a presentation and answered members’ questions on the current issues and future challenges of credit unions in Northern Ireland.
Mr Newton joined the meeting at 2.24 p.m.
Mr Simpson and Dr McDonnell joined the meeting at 2.25 p.m.
Key issues discussed included ILCU’s role in tackling poverty and promoting financial inclusion, the regulatory structure in Northern Ireland, the conditions required for further progress and the benefits and difficulties in the provision of activities such as banking, insurance and Child Trust Funds.
The witnesses left the meeting at 3.20 p.m.
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Briefing from the Ulster Federation of Credit Unions (UFCU).
Mr John Junkin, Mrs Gladys Copeland and Mr Tommy Jeffers of the Ulster Federation of Credit Unions attended the meeting at 3.20 p.m. and gave a presentation and answered members’ questions on the current issues and future challenges of credit unions in Northern Ireland.
Key issues discussed included the history of the UFCU, the role of UFCU in promoting financial awareness among school children and the need to consolidate an approach to financial education in Northern Ireland, the regulatory structure in Northern Ireland, the conditions required for further progress and the provision of activities such as banking, insurance and Child Trust Funds.
Mr Simpson left the meeting at 3.46 p.m.
The witnesses left the meeting at 4.40 p.m.
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Briefing from DETI Officials on October Monitoring Round.
Mr Trevor Cooper (Head of Finance and EU Programmes), Ms Bernie Brankin (Head of Finance) and Mr Jeff Partridge (Deputy Head of Finance) attended the meeting at 4.10 p.m. and briefed members on DETI’s bids, reallocations and reprofiling under the October Monitoring Round.
Agreed: The Committee noted the October Monitoring Round but that officials would provide clarification on a number of Invest NI projects and tourism activities for which bids for additional resources had been made or reprofiling sought.
Officials left the meeting at 4.36 p.m.
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Consideration of Developments at Giant’s Causeway.
The Chairperson updated members on the meeting with the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Committee for the Environment to discuss developments at the Giant’s Causeway.
The Committee noted that the Chairperson had written to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment seeking clarification on a number of issues in relation to the Giant Causeway’s Visitor Facilities (GCVF) Project.
Members noted that research had been commissioned on a range of issues surrounding UNESCO’s role in providing World Heritage Site (WHS) Status and the criteria required to maintain WHS status for the Giant's Causeway.
The Chairperson advised members that work is ongoing to identify key issues and common themes from the transcripts of evidence taken on 11 th, 18 th and 25 th September 2007.
Members noted that arrangements had been made for members to have access to the Seaports Investments’ plans for a visitors’ centre at the Giant’s Causeway.
The Committee noted a press release issued by the Department of the Environment announcing that outline planning permission is to be granted to phase two of the Titanic Quarter.
Agreed: That transcripts of evidence taken on 11 th, 18 th and 25 th of September 2007 would be forwarded to the Committee for the Environment.
Agreed: That members would return any suggested amendment to the transcripts to the Committee Office by 11 October 2007.
Agreed: That the Heritage Lottery Fund would be invited to brief the Committee.
Agreed: That the Clerk would liaise with the Clerk of the Committee for the Environment regarding information on other planning applications relating to the Giant’s Causeway area.
Agreed: That the Clerk would incorporate all of the above evidence/information into a single briefing paper for consideration by the Committee at a meeting in mid October.
Ms McCann rejoined the meeting at 5.10 p.m.
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Subordinate Legislation.
The Committee considered the Gas (Designation of Pipelines) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
Agreed: ‘That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered the Gas (Designation of Pipelines) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007 and, subject to the ESR’s Report, has no objection to the Rules’.
The Committee considered the Health & Safety at Work Order (Applications to Environmentally Hazardous Substances) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007
Agreed: ‘That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered Health & Safety at Work Order (Applications to Environmentally Hazardous Substances) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 and, subject to the ESR’s Report, has no objection to the Rules’.
The Committee noted a number of typographical and presentational amendments to the Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
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Forward Work Programme.
Members discussed the Forward Work Programme September – December 2007.
Agreed: That DETI officials would be asked to provide a pre-brief in preparation for consideration of the draft Programme for Government/draft Budget in early November.
Agreed: That briefing on PSA framework/CSR would be deferred until consideration of the draft Programme for Government/draft Budget in early November.
Mr Newton left the meeting at 5.25 p.m.
Agreed: That consideration of an alternate meeting day would be considered at the next meeting of the Committee.
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Any Other Business.
Members noted that the planned postal strike on Thursday 4 October would affect delivery of meeting packs
Agreed: That packs would be pigeon-holed for collection by members.
Members noted that the Committee for Regional Development planned to visit Belfast Harbour on Wednesday 3 October and receive a presentation on the Belfast Harbour Commissioners’ involvement in Titanic Quarter development as part of its preparation for its scrutiny of the forthcoming Ports Policy Review.
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Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 9 October 2007, in room 135, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 5.37 p.m.