COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 13 JANUARY 2011
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Alban Maginness (Chairperson)
Mr Paul Butler (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Leslie Cree
Mr Paul Frew
Mr Paul Givan
Mr William Irwin
Ms Jennifer McCann
Dr Alasdair McDonnell
Ms Claire McGill
Mr Gerry McHugh
Mr Sean Neeson
In Attendance:
Mr Jim McManus (Assembly Clerk)
Ms Sohui Yim (Assistant Clerk)
Mr David McKee (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Michelle McDowell (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
The meeting began at 10.37am in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Minutes of meeting held on the 16 December 2010
Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on the 16 December were agreed.
3. Matters arising from meeting on 16 December 2010
Members noted correspondence from the Finance and Personnel Committee regarding the Presbyterian Mutual Society.
Paul Frew left the meeting at 10.43am.
Agreed: To ask the Department for details of the PMS Administrator’s duties.
Agreed: To ask the Department how the funds will be allocated in relation to small savers and big savers/investors.
Agreed: To invite the PMS Administrator to provide an oral briefing to the Committee.
Paul Givan joined the meeting at 10.45am.
Paul Frew rejoined the meeting at 10.47am.
Members discussed briefing papers from the Department regarding the refinancing process at Quinn Insurance.
Agreed: To invite the Quinn Group Employees Forum to provide an oral briefing at next week’s meeting.
Members noted correspondence from United Airlines regarding travel tax and a response from BAA regarding a new fee structure for flights at Heathrow Airport.
Gerry McHugh joined the meeting at 10.50am.
Members discussed a response from the Department regarding the Churches’ views on banking issues.
Agreed: To write to the Minister for Finance and Personnel regarding the outcomes of meetings with the local banks in relation to a review arrangement.
Members noted a response from the Department regarding additional details from the December monitoring round and EU Internal Allocations.
Members noted a response from the Department regarding the Committee’s query on the level of the Climate Change Levy.
Paul Butler left the meeting at 10.55am.
Members discussed a briefing paper from the Department regarding the NI Tourism Quality Strategy.
Agreed: To receive the final criteria for the new quality scheme, the fees that will be charged and the expected implementation date of the new scheme.
Agreed: To ask NITB what other legislative differences exist in relation to tourism in NI and RoI.
Members note the PowerPoint slides used by Ulster Bank at an NI Assembly and Business Trust business breakfast.
Agreed: To forward the slides to the Committee for Finance and Personnel.
Paul Butler rejoined the meeting at 10.59am.
Members discussed a letter from the Minister to the Health Committee regarding the Department’s views on the Autism Bill.
Agreed: To forward the letter to the Health Committee.
4. Draft Budget 2011-15: Oral briefing from the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
DETI officials joined the meeting at 11.01am.
Members received an oral briefing from Colin Lewis, Deputy Secretary, DETI Management Services Group, Trevor Cooper, Head of Finance and EU Programmes Division and Bernie Brankin, Head of DETI Finance Branch. Key issue was the Department’s plans for spending and savings for the draft budget 2011-2015.
Dr Alasdair McDonnell joined the meeting at 11.50am
Paul Butler left the meeting at 11.55am.
Gerry McHugh left the meeting at 12.00pm.
Agreed: Clerk to draft a Committee response to the draft budget for consideration at next week’s meeting.
DETI officials left the meeting at 12.03pm.
5. SL1: Categories of Tourist Establishment Order (Northern Ireland) 2010
Jennifer McCann left the meeting at 12.04pm.
Gerry McHugh rejoined the meeting at 12.05pm.
Members discussed the Categories of Tourist Establishment Order (Northern Ireland0 2010.
Agreed: Content with the SL1 and no comment.
6. Programme for Government Monitoring Second Quarter 2010/11: Written briefing from DETI
Gerry McHugh left the meeting at 12.08pm.
Members noted the written briefing.
7. Social Economy Enterprise Strategy 2010/2011: Progress Report
Members discussed the written briefing.
Jennifer McCann rejoined the meeting at 12.10pm.
Agreed: To ask when an evaluation of funding to the Social Economy Network will take place and for any details that the Department has now relating to the evaluation.
Agreed: To ask for an update on the sources of funding for social economies.
8. Draft Forward Work Programme
Members discussed the Forward Work Programme.
Agreed: Content with the forward work programme.
9. Correspondence
Members noted the following items of correspondence:
I. Letters from the Utility Regulator and the Minister regarding the ten towns consultation.
II. Correspondence from the Finance and Personnel Committee to this Committee and the Employment and Learning Committee regarding the Skills, Training and Reinvestment initiative.
Agreed: Content for the Finance and Personnel Committee to undertake work on the issue, with input from the ETI and Employment and Learning Committee where appropriate.
III. Correspondence from the Environment Committee regarding the Planning Bill.
IV. Correspondence from the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee regarding:
- The impact of Museums in NI
- The Waterways of the Lough Erne and Lower Bann Areas
Agreed: To forward the letters to the Department for a response.
V. Letter from Invest NI to the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee, copied to this Committee, responding to queries on the Music Strategy.
VI. Letter from the Minister regarding an independent research report into future debt advice provision in NI.
VII. Letter from the Minister regarding Insolvency Rules.
VIII. Letter from the Minister regarding the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991.
IX. Correspondence from the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee regarding cross-departmental rural development issues.
X. The Consumer Council’s response to DSD’s consultation on “Warmer Healthier Homes – a consultation on a new fuel poverty strategy for NI”.
XI. Email from Chair of the Forum of Renewable Energy Development in NI to the Chair requesting a meeting.
Agreed: To invite a representative from Renewable Energy Development in NI to the Renewable Energy Inquiry launch event.
XII. Invitation to the Chair from:
- The European Commission to a briefing regarding the Europe 2020 Strategy.
- The Social Economy Network to the Social Enterprise Awards 2011.
XIII. Correspondence from the Finance and Personnel Committee regarding the Damages (Asbestos-Related Conditions) Bill.
Agreed: To forward a letter to the Minister from the Committee for Finance and Personnel.
XIV. Correspondence from the Association of British Insurers regarding the Bill and the organisation’s response to the consultation on the Bill.
Agreed: To forward the papers to the Minister.
Gerry McHugh rejoined the meeting at 12.17pm.
XV. Invitation from the NIABT to a breakfast briefing on the impact of the spending review with the Finance Minister on Tuesday, 18 January.
10. Any other business
There were no other items of business.
11. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 20 January at 10.30am, Parliament Buildings, Room 30.
The meeting went into closed session at 12.20pm to allow consideration of the renewable energy inquiry.
12. Renewable Energy Inquiry: Draft Report
Members discussed the Renewable Energy Inquiry.
Agreed: To consider a further draft of the report at next week meeting with the amendments to the paragraphs under the conclusions and recommendations.
Sean Neeson left the meeting at 12.34pm.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.26pm.
Alban Maginness
Chairperson
Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
January 2011
16 December 10 / Menu
