ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Wednesday 7 June 2000
at 10.00am in
Room 144 Parliament Buildings
1. Chairperson's Business
2. Apologies
3. Minutes of Last Meeting
4. Matters Arising
5. Presentation by the Minister and Q&A Session
6. Date of Next Meeting
Present: Mr P Doherty (Chairperson)
Mr S Neeson (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr A Attwood
Mr G Campbell
Mr W Clyde
Ms P Lewsley
Ms J Morrice
Dr A McDonnell
Dr D O'Hagan
In attendance: Mrs C White, Mr J Nesbitt,
Mr M Anderson, Miss J Presho
In attendance (for item 5): Sir Reg Empey (Minister for DETI), and
Mr W Hamilton (DETI)
The meeting opened at 10.08am.
1.Chairperson's business
The Chairperson reported that he, the Deputy Chairperson and the Committee Clerk met the Minister on 5 June. The Minister agreed to - provide an update paper on Strategy 2010; attend the committee after the summer with details of the 2001/02 spending plans; and follow up on the issue of co-operation between IDB and IDA. The Minister also mentioned the recent PAC report on the IDB and explained that IDB could not respond publicly for a period of 8 weeks. The Minister extended an invitation to the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson to visit the Department.
TOPDr McDonnell joined the meeting at 10.12am.
2. Apologies
There were no apologies.
TOP3. Minutes of last meeting
The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.
TOP4. Matters arising
Ms Morrice provided the Committee with a response from the NI Women's Coalition on the Department's Draft Equality Scheme.
The Minister and Mr Hamilton joined the meeting at 10.30am for a public session on the Department's budget for 2000/01.
TOP5. Presentation by the Minister and Q&A session
The Minister explained that the various activities of the Department, including employment, investment, economic development, R&D, E Commerce, tourism, and energy, were set against the background of a very tight budget for 2000/01. He pointed out that the budget had been inherited from the previous administration which had given priority to health and education. A number of questions were put to the Minister by the members on the Department's total budget and on the individual elements within the budget. The questions covered areas such as - the sale of Belfast Port, Selective Assistance and Trade Support, tourism, Peace money, Company Development Programme, R&D, and LEDU. The Chairperson thanked the Minister for his attendance at the meeting and for his full and frank replies to the questions put.
TOPMr Attwood joined the meeting at 10.40am and left at 11.55am.
Mr W Clyde joined the meeting at 10.43am, left at 11.12am, returned at 11.44am and left again at 12.17pm.
Mr Campbell left the meeting at 12.02pm.
6. Date of next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Tuesday 13 June 2000 at 2.30pm in Room 144.
TOPThe meeting closed at 12.20pm.
Mr P Doherty
(Chairperson)