COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2009
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Alban Maginness (Chairperson)
Mr Paul Butler (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Jennifer McCann
Mr Leslie Cree
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr Gerry McHugh
In Attendance:
Mr Jim McManus (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Sohui Yim (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Michelle McDowell (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr David Simpson MP
Mr Gregory Campbell MP
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP
Mr Sean Neeson
Mr Stephen Moutray
The meeting began at 10.42am in public session.
1. Apologies.
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Minutes of meeting held on 15 October.
Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on 15 October were agreed.
3. Matters arising.
Members noted the Departmental response relating to a complaint from a member of the public regarding the company Speedy Registrations.
Members noted a letter to David McClarty from the Chair regarding his concerns on the energy charges at AVX Ltd.
Members noted a letter sent to the Minister regarding the Sustainable Development Strategy.
Members noted information from the Finance and Personnel Committee regarding PSA targets.
Members noted a Departmental response to a query from the Committee on the delay in reporting the 1 st quarter of DETI PSA performance.
Members noted information relating to the Executive’s European Engagement Action Plan 2009/2010.
Members noted a letter to the Clerk from B9 Energy Offshore regarding Tor Head tidal scheme.
Members noted a response from Alastair Hamilton, Invest NI, regarding the delayed timescale for finalising their 2009/2010 operating plan.
Members noted a briefing paper from NITB with details of the breakdown of the Tourism Signature Projects budget, along with a list of projects.
Members noted a response from DETI regarding the Pension’s Regulator – Code of Practice.
Members noted a press article relating to the new jobs that are to be created in NI by the New York Stock Exchange.
Members discussed a research paper on public sector organisations uptake of natural gas.
Agreed: To write to the Strategic Investment Board (SIB) requesting the list of NI public sector facilities, when it becomes available.
Agreed: To defer the research paper until the Committee receives more information and considers the Natural Gas Extension study.
Members noted a Departmental correction regarding the timescale for the consultation on credit unions. The consultation will take 8 weeks instead of 12.
Members discussed a letter from the Minister on the consultation outcomes and current position of the Hydrocarbons Licensing Directive.
Agreed: To receive more information from the Department on the current major issues on the Directive.
Agreed: To request an oral briefing from the Department before SL1 stage of the Directive.
Members discussed a Social Economy Network venue for a Committee meeting.
Agreed: To hold a Committee meeting at Ulster Supported Employment on 26 th November and to ask the Ashton Centre if they would be happy to host a visit after the meeting.
Members noted that the Committee Office has arranged a bus for the visit to AVX and Wrightbus on the 5 November.
4. Law Society Report into Third Party Capture –Oral Briefing.
Departmental Officials joined the meeting at 10.57am.
Alban Maginness declared an interest, stating that he is a member of the Northern Ireland Bar.
The Committee received an oral briefing from Colin Caughey and Rory McShane from the NI Law Society. Key issues included the Law Society Report, current position and recommendations.
Leslie Cree left the meeting at 11:12am.
Agreed: To receive a copy of the high court protocol on how money damages cases should be processed from Rory McShane.
Departmental Officials left the meeting 11.38am.
5. Association of British Insurers on Third Party Assistance – Oral Briefing
Departmental Officials joined the meeting at11.39am.
The Committee received an oral briefing from Justin Jacobs, Association of British Insurers and Paul McConnell, Aviva Insurers. Key issues included third party assistance, current mechanisms in the industry to handle those cases, the cost of insurance to customers as it relates to legal costs.
Leslie Cree rejoined the meeting at 11:45am.
Jennifer McCann joined the meeting at 12.01pm.
Agreed: To receive information on the binding affect of small claims court decisions on higher courts from Aviva.
Agreed: To receive figures from the past 10 years of Compensation Recovery and Health Service Charges from Aviva and ABI.
Agreed: Forward briefing papers received from ABI and Aviva and to Finance and Personnel Committee.
Departmental Officials left the meeting at 12.30pm.
Agreed: To receive (when finished) the code of conduct that the ABI is currently producing.
Agreed: To write to the Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) Minister highlighting the issue of third party capture and to copy the letter to the BIS Committee.
Agreed: To write to the FSA to ask to update the Committee on the outcomes of their exploratory work to gather information on how insurers support unrepresented claimants.
6. SL1: The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations (NI) 2009.
Agreed: The Committee discussed the SL1: The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations (NI) 2009 and had no objection to the proposal.
7. SL1: The Control of Asbestos (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2009.
Agreed: The Committee discussed the SL1: The Control of Asbestos (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2009 and had no objection to the proposal.
8. Correspondence.
Members noted the following items of correspondence.
- Invite to Chair from the Utility Regulator to his Seminar Series – “Investing in the Future”
- Email from the Department regarding the confidentiality of written briefings.
Agreed: To write to the Minister.
- Letter from NILGA to Clerk requesting details on key areas of work.
Agreed: For the Clerk to liaise directly with NILGA and provide details.
- Letter from Kedco Energy to the Chair seeking to provide evidence to the Committee on their Anaerobic Digestion Plant project.
Agreed: To defer this matter until the Bioenergy Action Plan is discussed at the meeting on the 26 November.
- Email from Assembly External Liaison unit with information on the NI Assembly Business Trust’s (NIABT) “green housing” seminar on the 6 November.
- Letter from the Minister to Chair regarding the SAGE Report.
Agreed: To seek from the Department the Advisory Group’s advice on precautionary measures to reduce public exposure to electromagnetic fields and also if this information is in the public domain.
- Invitation from the NI Ombudsman to Chair to the 40 th Anniversary event on 25 November.
9. Any Other Business.
A member raised the issue of ‘Peace Monies’ and agreed to provide additional information to the Clerk.
10 . Date, time and place of next meeting .
The next meeting will be held on Thursday 12 November at 10.30am in Room 30, Parliament Buildings, Stormont.
The Committee went into closed session at 12.45pm
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.52pm.