COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 21 JANUARY 2010
ULSTER SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT LIMITED, 182-188 CAMBRAI STREET, BELFAST
Present:
Mr Alban Maginness (Chairperson)
Mr Paul Butler (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Jennifer McCann
Mr Stephen Moutray
Mr David Simpson MP
Mr Leslie Cree
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr Gerry McHugh
In Attendance:
Mr Jim McManus (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Sohui Yim (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Michelle McDowell (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Gregory Campbell MP
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP
Mr Sean Neeson
The meeting began at 10.33am in closed session.
1. SL1: Hydrocarbons Licensing Directive Regulations (NI) 2010
Officials joined the meeting at 10.34am
Members received an oral briefing from Noel Cornick, Head of Tourism, Agency Liaison and Equality Division (TALE) Division, Garth Earls, Geological Survey Northern Ireland (GSNI) and Helen Vaughan, DP Minerals Branch.
2. SL1: Petroleum Production (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2010
Members received an oral briefing from Noel Cornick, Head of Tourism, Agency Liaison and Equality Division (TALE) Division, Garth Earls, Geological Survey Northern Ireland (GSNI) and Helen Vaughan, DP Minerals Branch.
Officials left the meeting at 10.55am.
Agreed: To await the outcomes of further work by the Department in this area.
The meeting opened in public session at 10.56am.
3. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
4. Minutes of meeting held on the 14 January
Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on the 14 January were agreed.
5. Matters arising
Members noted a letter from the Minister urging support from the Committee for a feed-in tariff in NI for small-scale electricity generators.
Agreed: To write to the DECC Minister to state that the Committee supports the Minister’s views and proposals for a small-scale feed-in tariff in Northern Ireland.
Members discussed a draft response to the Committee for Regional Development in relation to their research paper on accessible transport.
Agreed: To forward response to the Committee for Regional Development.
Members noted the amendments to the Westminster Financial Services Bill proposed by Mark Durkan MP MLA.
Agreed: To write to Ian Pearson MP, requesting his support for the amendments.
Agreed: To copy the letter to Ian Pearson MP to the DETI Minister, asking her to endorse the letter and amendments.
Agreed: To issue a press release announcing the Committee’s support for the amendments.
Agreed: To copy the letters and press release to the Irish League or Credit Unions and Ulster Federation of Credit Unions.
6. NI Renewable Obligation (NIRO) – outcome of consultation: Written briefing and SL1: Proposed Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010
Members discussed an outline of DETI’s policy conclusions following its consideration of responses to the NIRO consultation and the SL1.
Agreed: To seek clarification and assurance that, if implemented, a small-scale feed-in tariff for Northern Ireland would be compatible with the Republic of Ireland.
7. SR 412/2009 – Gas (Supplier of Last Resort) Regulations (NI) 2009
Members discussed the SR above.
Question put and agreed: That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered the Gas (Supplier of Last Resort) Regulations (NI) 2009 and has no objection to the Rule.
8. SR 414/2009 – The Control of Asbestos (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2009
Members discussed the SR above.
Question put and agreed: That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered the Control of Asbestos (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2009 and has no objection to the Rule.
Agreed: The Committee Office to report back on SRs 401/2009 and 402/2009.
9 . Social Economy Enterprise (SEE) Strategy 2010/2011 - Oral Briefing from DETI
Officials joined the meeting at 11.11am.
The Committee received an oral presentation from Mike Bohill, Head of DETI Business Regulation Division, Jim McConnell and Stephen Macdonald, DETI Social Economy Branch. Key issues discussed included access to public procurement contracts by social economies, the requirement to agree targets and discuss the Strategy with all partners and the requirement to address financial commitments for the social economy sector.
Officials left the meeting at 11.45pm.
Agreed: Chair to write to the Minister stating the Committee’s views on the Strategy (that the Committee endorses the strategy, subject to the provision of financial commitments and clear targets from all partners).
10 . Funding of Social Economy Enterprise – Oral Briefing from Ulster Community Investment Trust (UCIT)
Officials joined the meeting at 11.48am.
The Committee received an oral presentation from Brian Howe, Chief Executive of UCIT, Seamus O’Prey, Chair of UCIT and Dermot McGale, Vice-Chair of UCIT . Key issues discussed included background of UCIT and funding for the social economy sector
Stephen Moutray left the meeting at 12.04pm.
Officials left the meeting at 12.19pm .
Agreed: To request details of the decision on UCIT’s current application for funding from Invest NI.
Agreed: Chair to write to the Minister noting UCIT’s funding submission to Invest NI and to state that the Committee fully supports funding to the social economy sector.
Agreed: To request details on the Social Finance Foundation in the RoI from UCIT.
11. Independant Review of Economic Policy (IREP) – outcome of consultation: Written Briefing
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed: To await the Minister’s announcement to the Assembly regarding her proposals to take forward the recommendations of the IREP.
12. Review of Departmental Spending Plan 2010-2011: Written briefing
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed : To defer this item to next week, during the oral briefing from DETI officials on the issue.
Agreed : To begin next week’s meeting at 10am and receive an oral briefing from Colin Lewis, DETI Deputy Secretary on the issue.
13. HSENI – Proposals for Removing the ‘Docks Form’ from the Docks Regulations (NI) 2009
Members discussed the consultation document.
Agreed: To request a written briefing on the outcomes of the consultations, when they become available.
14. Correspondence
Members noted the following items of correspondence:
I. Memo from the Committee for Finance and Personnel, along with the numbers of Post Project Evaluations outstanding, broken down by Department.
II. Paper from the Department with DETI’s 2009-2010 Evaluation Programme.
III. Memo from the Committee for OFMDFM on the draft Promoting Social Inclusion Working Group Report on Disability.
IV. Press release from Phoenix Natural Gas regarding NI Consumers excluded from boiler scrappage scheme.
Agreed: To copy the press release from Phoenix to the Department to obtain its views on what can be done.
Agreed: To write to Energy Saving Trust, which administers the scheme in England, to get its views.
V. Email from the Department for Business, Skills and Innovation regarding SME week.
Agreed: To copy the email to Enterprise NI.
Agreed: To invite the Assembly engagement directorate to brief the Committee on options for European SME week.
VI. Letter from the NI Law Society regarding Third Party Capture.
Agreed: To copy the letter to the Department and ask its views on the specific issue that the Compensation Act 2003 does not extend to NI and that the activities of claims management companies are in fact unregulated here.
VII. Memo from Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee regarding correspondence received from Milwaukee Irish in the United States.
Agreed: To copy to the Department for its views on potential for tourism in Northern Ireland.
VIII. Press release from Institute of Directors regarding a new guide to help NI businesses to secure finance.
IX. Email from the Consumer Council requesting papers from the meeting on 14 January.
Agreed: To forward the appropriate papers.
X. Correspondence from the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on the promotion of townland names.
Agreed: To forward the letter to the Permanent Secretary.
15 . Any Other Business.
Members discussed a press article in relation to NIE customer account details being lost.
Agreed: Chair to write to Northgate Information Solutions to request a copy of the internal review, once available, and copy the letter to NIE Energy.
16 . Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 28 January at 10.00am in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.36pm.