COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 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 Claire McGill
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:
Ms Jennifer McCann
Dr Alasdair McDonnell
Mr Gerry McHugh
The meeting began at 10.36am in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Minutes of meeting held on the 10 February 2011
Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on the 10 February were agreed.
3. Matters arising from meeting on 10 February 2011
Members discussed a letter from the Minister of Finance and Personnel regarding the British Banker’s Association Taskforce Report.
Agreed: To request a copy of the banks’ progress report regarding the recommendations in the Taskforce Report, when it becomes available.
Agreed: To seek further information on a recent meeting with the Treasury and the banks.
Members discussed a briefing paper from the Department regarding 3G mobile coverage in NI.
Agreed: To write to OFCOM regarding 3G mobile coverage in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: To receive information on NI’s bid from the £830m national broadband strategy (and whether it is robust enough) to ensure that NI benefits from the national strategy. Also to clarify that if NI bids are unsuccessful, will any other sources of funding be available to expand broadband coverage across NI.
Agreed: To forward the paper to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure and notify them that the Committee will be writing to OFCOM.
Members discussed the Job’s Plan from the NI Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA).
Agreed: To invite NIIRTA to provide an oral briefing to the Committee on 3 March to discuss the plan and the relevance to the economic strategy.
Members considered a briefing paper from the CBI on the Draft Budget.
Agreed: To invite the CBI to address questions regarding the draft budget during NIIRTA’s oral briefing on 3 March (as CBI is a part of NIIRTA).
Members noted a response from the Department regarding the costs of the NITB Steering Group.
Members noted a response from the Department regarding Sperrins Tourism.
Members considered a request from Tom Elliott MLA to receive a copy of the SL1 on the Northern Ireland Renewable Organisation (NIRO).
Agreed: To forward a copy of the SL1 to Mr Elliott.
4. Update on Project Kelvin: Oral briefing from DETI
DETI officials joined the meeting at 10.45am.
Members received an oral briefing from Mike Thompson, Head of DETI Strategic Policy Division, Joanne McCutcheon, DETI Telecoms Unit, Grainne McVeigh Head of International Sales and Marketing, Invest NI and Martin Reilly, Sales Director, Hibernia Atlantic. Key issue discussed was Project Kelvin and the implications of the Project to the economy and job creation.
DETI Officials left the meeting at 11.12am.
5. Regional Innovation Strategic Action Plan (RISAP) – update: Written briefing from DETI
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed: To ask the Department why Action 1.1.12 is being reviewed pending financial decisions when the project is considered resource neutral.
Agreed: To ask the Department what the impact will be of having a Company Innovation Process Standard.
6. February Monitoring Round: Written briefing from DETI
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed: To receive a progress report on the Titanic Signature Project and whether it is still envisaged that it will be completed on time.
Agreed: To receive information on the Titanic Signature Project – what is included, details of the project and completion date.
Agreed: To receive the details of the technical accounting issues which will result in a reduced requirement of £0.9m and details of the changes in SEUPB’s profile of projected expenditure on INTERREG projects.
7. Business Tourism Plan Quarter 3 Progress Report: Written briefing from DETI
Members discussed the written briefing.
Agreed: To note the update and receive future updates on a 6-month basis rather than a quarterly basis.
Agreed: To request more information on what the Plan is doing to benefit the North-West.
Agreed: To request further strategic information on the Business Tourism Plan (plans for next year, objectives, targets, etc.)
8. Correspondence
Members noted the following items of correspondence:
I. Response to Northern Ireland’s Draft Budget from Queen’s University Belfast.
II. Memo from the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding the Damages (Asbestos-Related) Bill.
Paul Frew declared an interest as a member of the Committee for Finance and Personnel.
Agreed: Content for Committee for Finance and Personnel to liaise directly with DETI officials on the issue.
III. Response from NITB to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on Tourism in Lower Bann and Lough Erne, copied to this Committee.
9. Any other business
Members were reminded that the Committee had agreed to host a lunch with the UK German Ambassador on 14 February in the Member’s Dining Room.
10. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 24 February at 10.00am, Parliament Buildings, Room 30.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.37pm.
Alban Maginness
Chairperson
Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
24 February 2011
03 February 11/ Menu
