COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
MONDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2001 AT 11.35AM IN
ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr P Doherty MP (Chairperson)
Mr B Armstrong
Mr W Clyde
Mrs A Courtney
Ms J Morrice
Dr A McDonnell
Mr S Neeson
Dr D O'Hagan
Mr J Wells
Apologies:
Mr A Attwood
In attendance:
Mrs C White (Committee Clerk)
Mr M Anderson (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Mrs J Murdoch (Executive Support)
Miss A Fowler (Committee Assistant)
The meeting opened in public at 11.35am.
1. Chairperson's business
1.1. The Chairperson advised that the Committee Clerk had arranged a revised date to meet with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment to discuss the downturn in the global economy and the possible effects on the Northern Ireland economy.
Agreed - to invite the Minister to a public meeting of the Committee on Monday 19 November 2001 in Parliament Buildings.
Ms Morrice joined the meeting at 11.42am.
1.2. The Committee Clerk advised that the Minister had invited the Members of the Committee to a meeting to discuss departmental policy. The meeting would take place on Monday 17 December.
Agreed - to accept the Minister's invitation.
1.3. The Committee Clerk advised that the Minister had invited a delegation from the Committee to accompany him on a trade mission to the USA and Canada between 9-15 December 2001.
Agreed - that, the Committee delegation should represent the four main parties plus the smaller parties. The delegation should comprise of no more than five Members. Members from each party agreed to consider who would represent them on the visit.
Agreed - to travel economy class rather than business class.
Mr Clyde joined the meeting at 11.52am.
Mrs Courtney left the meeting at 12.01pm.
2. Programme for Government (PfG)
2.1. A draft reply to OFMDFM expressing the Committee's views was considered.
Agreed - to defer a decision on the reply to the next meeting.
3. Minutes of last meeting
3.1. Agreed - the minutes of 17 October 2001.
4. Matters arising
4.1. Draft Budget 2002/03
Agreed - to give retrospective formal approval to a letter sent on the Committee's behalf on 24 October. The letter had previously been informally agreed by Members on 24 October during the visit to the ECOS Centre.
4.2. Restructuring of the Industrial Development Agencies
The Committee considered further information supplied by the NI Human Rights Commission detailing that organisation's concern at the number of public appointments being made outside the scope of anti-discrimination legislation.
Agreed - to write to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment expressing the Committee's concerns in relation to the appointment process for Invest Northern Ireland (INI) and to copy the letter to the Committee of the Centre and OFMDFM in relation to the implications for the Single Equality Bill.
Dr O'Hagan left the meeting at 12.25pm.
4.3. Small Business Development Strategy
Agreed - to defer a decision on the Committee's response to the next meeting.
Dr O'Hagan rejoined the meeting at 12.29pm.
4.4. Lunch with the Shadow Board of INI
The Committee Clerk updated the Members on arrangements for the working lunch with the Shadow Board of INI on Wednesday 14 November.
5. Subordinate Legislation
5.1. Agreed - the following motion:
"that the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment resolves, under Standing Order 41(1), to delegate to the Examiner of Statutory Rules the technical scrutiny of Statutory Rules referred to the Committee under the above mentioned Standing Order. The Committee further resolves that in carrying out this function, the Examiner shall be authorised to report his technical findings on each Statutory Rule to the Assembly, through the Business Office, and to the relevant Department, as well as to the Committee itself, and to publish his Report."
6. Any other business
6.1. Energy Inquiry - Visit to Brook Hall Estate
Mr Armstrong and Mr Clyde gave a verbal report on the visit to Brook Hall Estate.
Mr Wells left the meeting at 12.38pm.
Mr Neeson left the meeting at 12.38pm.
The meeting went into private session at 12.38pm.
6.2. Energy Inquiry
Members discussed a number of issues arising from the recent visits to Denmark and the Brook Hall Estate and the timing for the publication of the Committee's inquiry report.
7. Date of next meeting
7.1. Agreed - the next meeting would take place on Wednesday 14 November 2001 at 10.00am in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting closed at 12.50pm.
Pat Doherty MP
Chairperson