COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 2010
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Alban Maginness (Chairperson)
Mr Paul Butler (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Jennifer McCann
Mr Gregory Campbell MP
Mr David Simpson MP
Mr Stephen Moutray
Mr Sean Neeson
Mr Gerry McHugh
Mr Alan McFarland
In Attendance:
Mr Jim McManus (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Sohui Yim (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Michelle McDowell (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Leslie Cree
The meeting began at 10.34am in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Minutes of meeting held on the 28 January 2010
Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on the 28 January were agreed.
3. Matters arising
Members noted a letter from OFMDFM to the British Bankers Association (BBA) in response to a letter from the BBA in July 2009.
Members noted a response from the Department in relation to the effectiveness of wind turbines.
Gregory Campbell joined the meeting at 10.36am.
Members noted a response from the Department advising that it will be too late to take on-board further views from industry by the time the Strategic Energy Framework document is brought back to the Committee in March 2010.
Agreed: Not to receive any further evidence from stakeholders in relation to the Strategic Energy Framework.
Members noted information relating to the Social Finance Foundation in the Republic of Ireland.
Agreed: To raise this information with the banks when they come to brief the Committee.
Members noted information on the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Agreed: To raise this information with the banks when they come to brief the Committee.
Members noted an email from NI Manufacturing regarding further information on electricity costs differentials between NI, RoI and GB.
Agreed: To raise this information with the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation when it briefs the Committee in March.
Members noted the following letters:
- Letter to the Minister on the Committee’s general support for funding to the social economy sector.
- Letter to Eoin Murphy, the Committee’s researcher, thanking him for his research paper on renewable energy in Europe.
- Letter to the Minister for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on the Committee’s support for a small-scale feed-in tariff for NI.
- Letter to the Energy Saving Trust requesting its views on what can be done to implement a boiler scrappage scheme in NI.
- Letter to Northgate Information Solutions requesting outcomes of the independent review into the loss of NIE Energy Customers’ personal information.
- Letter to NIE Energy to make them aware that the Committee is seeking the outcome of that review from Northgate.
Members discussed a request from the Treasury Select Committee to publish two letters in their PMS Report from the previous Chair of the Committee, Mark Durkan MP MLA.
Agreed: Content for the letters to be published in the Report.
Members discussed a response from the Department on the Committee’s query on price differentials from gas companies to clients.
Agreed: To raise this information with the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation when it briefs the Committee in March.
Members discussed a draft of the Committee’s response to the Department’s revised spending plan and additional information from the Department on the revised spending plan.
Agreed: Content with the draft response.
Agreed: To send the Committee’s response to the Finance and Personnel Committee.
The Chair notified the Committee that a meeting with Pat Colgan of the SEUPB has been arranged for the 22 February, between the Chairs and Deputy Chairs of the ETI Committee and Finance and Personnel Committee.
4. Credit Unions in Northern Ireland: Oral Briefing
The Officials joined the meeting at 10.56am.
The Committee received an oral presentation from Cathal McLaughlin, DETI Company Law and Sandy Williamson, Deputy Principal - DETI Registrar Credit Unions. Key issues included current status of credit union legislation in NI and up-to-date timescales.
Gregory Campbell left the meeting at 11.16am.
The Officials left the meeting at 11.28am.
Agreed: The Committee noted the information and registered its disappointment regarding the timeline for credit union legislation.
Agreed: The Chair, Deputy Chair and other members to meet with the Minister to discuss if any further options are available to accelerate the timescale for credit union legislation.
Alban Maginness left the meeting at 11.30am.
Paul Butler took the Chair at 11.31am.
5. Draft Tourism Strategy for Northern Ireland: Oral Briefing
Officials joined the meeting at 11.32am.
Members received an oral briefing from David Sterling, DETI Permanent Secretary, Alan Clarke, CEO of NITB and Kathryn Thomson, Chief Operating Officer of NITB. Key issues included the draft Tourism Strategy, key challenges for the Strategy and other Departments’ input into the Strategy.
Stephen Moutray left the meeting at 12.18pm.
Jennifer McCann left the meeting at 12.18pm.
Officials left the meeting at 12.21pm.
Agreed: To await the outcome of the 12-week consultation on the Strategy and request a written briefing of responses when they are available.
Agreed: To send the Strategy to those Committees that are listed in the document to obtain their views.
6. February 2010 Monitoring Round: Written Briefing
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed: To defer consideration of this item until the 11 February meeting.
7. Cross Departmental Bioenergy Action Plan 2009-2014: Written Briefing
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed: To await the outcomes and agree a Committee view when responses are considered at the 18 March meeting.
8. Independent Review of Economic Policy (IREP): Written briefing
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed: To draft a response to the Minister on the recommendations and the Department’s proposals and consider it on 11 February meeting.
9. Correspondence
The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:
- Letter from Lurgan College regarding the possibility of a video conference between Committee members and Lurgan College pupils.
Agreed: Committee Office to investigate the matter and provide options and proposals to members at a future meeting.
Stephen Moutray rejoined the meeting at 12.29pm.
- Letter from US Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s office to Invest NI CEO Alastair Hamilton regarding the work of UCIT.
10. Any Other Business
Members considered a written briefing from the Department regarding potential job losses at Hughes Christensen and Avaya.
Agreed: To confirm with the Department that any financial commitments from Hughes Christensen and Avaya have been fulfilled.
11. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 11 February at 10.30am in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.
The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.31pm.