COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 03 JUNE 2010
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Alban Maginness (Chairperson)
Mr Paul Butler (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Jennifer McCann
Mr Daithí McKay
Mr Gregory Campbell MP
Mr Sean Neeson
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 Stephen Moutray
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP
Mr Leslie Cree
The meeting began at 10.49am in closed session.
1. Invest NI: Oral Briefing
Officials joined the meeting at 10.49am.
Gregory Campbell joined the meeting at 10.50am.
Members received an oral briefing from Alastair Hamilton, CEO, Invest NI, Jeremy Fitch, Managing Director, Business International, Invest NI and Brian Dolaghan, Director, Electronics General Manufacturing and Business Services, Invest NI. Key issue discussed was repayments of loans from business.
The meeting opened in public session at 11.09am with Invest NI officials still at the meeting.
2. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
3. Minutes of meeting held on the 20 May
Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on the 20 May were agreed.
4. Matters arising from 20 May meeting
Members discussed a press article regarding Invest NI writing off £15m in bad debt.
Members received an oral briefing from Invest NI officials regarding the issue.
Invest NIOfficials left the meeting at 11.26am.
Members discussed a letter from the Minister to the Chair regarding changes to the proposed Tourism (Amendment) Bill.
Agreed: To receive copies of all IREP consultation responses relating substantively to the proposals.
Members discussed a letter from the Department to the Social Development Committee in response to a request for written evidence regarding the Caravans Bill.
Agreed: To consider this along with other responses to Clauses 7&8 of the Caravans Bill.
Members noted a letter from the Regional Development Committee regarding DRD’s views on the IREP implementation plan.
Members noted a response from the Environment Committee regarding the IREP implementation plan.
Members discussed a letter from UCIT regarding changes to credit union legislation.
Agreed: To copy the letter to the Department for comments on legislative changes to enable credit unions to invest in social economies.
Agreed: To receive an update on the progress of credit union legislation.
Members discussed a letter from the Permanent Secretary to the Chair requesting the Chair’s views of the Department for the Department’s organisational review.
Agreed: The Chair and Deputy Chair to meet with DFP’s Business Consultancy Service to facilitate the request.
Members noted a briefing paper from the Department outlining performance against the 10-day payment of invoices target.
Members noted a response from the Regional Development Committee regarding DRD’s performance against the payment of invoice target.
Members noted a response from NIE relating to payments made to customers without power during the Easter weekend.
Members discussed a response from the OFMDFM Committee regarding European Funding for R&D.
Agreed: To forward to the Department for a response.
Members noted briefing papers from the Department to the Environment Committee regarding the North/South Interconnector.
Members discussed a letter from the Environment Committee to the Department regarding further information on the North/South Interconnector.
Agreed: To forward the letter to the Department.
Daithí McKay joined the meeting at 11.38am.
Members noted that the Energy Bill was introduced to the Assembly on Tuesday, 1 June.
Agreed: Content with the principles of the Energy Bill and to welcome the Energy Bill.
Members discussed papers and notes from the Committee’s meetings and visits in Europe as well as copies of the presentations received from the Blue Tower Project and the Soultz Geothermal Plant.
Agreed: Members agreed to an inquiry into renewable energy.
Agreed: Clerk to draft the terms of reference and members to consider at next week’s meeting.
5. SR 180/2010 The Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations (NI) 2010
Members discussed the SR above.
Question put and agreed: That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered The Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations (NI) 2010 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rule’s Report, has no objection to the Rule.
6. Debt Relief Bill – Consideration of additional papers: Written briefing
Members discussed a consultation document from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), inviting views on whether Debt Relief Order (DRO) eligibility criteria should be changed to address the issue of the pension criteria.
Gerry McHugh left the meeting at 11.55am.
Agreed: To recommend that the Department take into account the outcomes of the BIS consultation when bringing forward secondary legislation on the Debt Relief Bill.
7. Debt Relief Bill: Formal Clause-by-Clause scrutiny
The Committee formally scrutinised, clause-by-clause, The Debt Relief Bill and agreed the following:
Clause 1 – Debt Relief Orders
Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with Clause 1, as drafted.
Members called officials from DETI’s Insolvency Branch to join the meeting at 12.05pm - Reg Nesbitt, Jack Reid and Eileen Glenn.
Gerry McHugh rejoined the meeting at 12.07pm.
Gerry McHugh left the meeting at 12.08pm.
Clause 2 – Conditions for making a Debt Relief Order
Question put and agreed: That the Committee referred Clause 2 for further consideration.
Clause 3 – Debt Relief Restrictions, orders and undertakings
Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with Clause 3, as drafted.
Clause 4 – Advice in relation to relief of debt and related matters
Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with Clause 4, as drafted.
Clause 5 – Power to make consequential amendments
Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with Clause 5, as drafted.
Clause 6 – Minor and consequential amendments
Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with Clause 6, as drafted.
Clause 7 – Commencement
Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with Clause 7, as drafted.
Clause 8 – Interpretation
Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with Clause 8, as drafted.
Clause 9 – Short Title
Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with Clause 9, as drafted.
Schedule – Minor and consequential amendments
Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with the Schedule, as drafted.
Long Title
Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with the long title, as drafted.
Agreed: That the Committee is content with all clauses, subject to no consequential amendments that may arise from amendments to Clause 2.
Agreed: To receive the Minister’s view on Clause 2 of the Bill, and in particular, the proposal for an exceptional circumstances clause on the 6-year rule and also what will be done to assist those most vulnerable people that will not be able to apply for a second DRO within the 6-year time period.
Agreed: To defer consideration of Clause 2 until receiving the Minister’s views.
Officials left the meeting at 12.20pm.
Agreed: To schedule an extra meeting, if required, to ensure the Bill meets the deadline for reporting to the Assembly.
8. NITB Business Tourism Plan 2010-2013 – Written briefing
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed: To ask NITB when the proposed action schedule will be available and receive a copy of the action schedule when it becomes available.
Agreed: To ask NITB when the PDG will be set up and when the first quarterly monitoring reports will be produced and receive a copy of the first monitoring report when it becomes available.
Agreed: To ask NITB if it is content that targets for Business Tourism are achievable and are not too ambitious.
9. June Monitoring Round – Written Briefing
Members discussed the written briefing.
Members called officials from DETI’s Finance at 12.24pm to join the meeting - Trevor Cooper, Head of Finance and EU Division and Bernie Brankin.
Members agreed to consider agenda items 10, 11, 12 and 13 next.
10. Budget Scrutiny Inquiry-Papers from the Committee for Finance and Personnel: Written Briefing
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed: To respond to the Committee for Finance and Personnel to welcome its Inquiry.
Agreed: To query the approach outlined in Recommendation 12 of DFP’s report.
11. DETI 2009/10 Provisional Outturn: Written briefing
Members considered the written briefing.
Agreed : To defer this item until the meeting on 10 June.
12. Department of Justice – Tribunal Reform Programme Consultation: Written Briefing
Members considered the written briefing.
Agreed: To write to the Committee for Justice welcoming the proposals and endorse the Justice Committee’s view.
13. Correspondence
The Committee deferred all correspondence until next week’s meeting.
Members returned to agenda item 9 – June Monitoring Round. Key issue discussed was the Department’s June Monitoring Round.
Gregory Campbell left the meeting at 12.36pm.
DETI officials left the meeting at 12.39pm.
14. Any Other Business
There were no other items of business.
15. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 10 June at 10.30am in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.40pm.