COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 18 DECEMBER 2001 AT 11.03AM IN
ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr B Armstrong
Mr W Clyde
Mr D McClarty
Dr A McDonnell
Ms J Morrice
Dr D O'Hagan
Mr J Wells
Apologies:
Mr P Doherty MP (Chairperson)
Mr S Neeson (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms A Courtney
In attendance:
Mrs C White (Committee Clerk)
Mr M Anderson (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Mrs J Murdoch (Clerical Supervisor)
Miss A Fowler (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened in private at 11.03am.
In the absence of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson the Committee Clerk assumed the Chair.
1. Appointment of Acting Chairperson
1.1. The Committee Clerk called for nominations to fill the role of acting Chairperson. Mr McClarty proposed and Mr Wells seconded the nomination of Dr McDonnell. No other nomination was received.
Agreed - that Dr McDonnell take the chair.
Dr McDonnell took the chair at 11.06am.
2. Minutes of last meeting
Agreed - the minutes of 5 December 2001 as amended.
3. Matters arising
3.1. Chairperson's Liaison Group - the Committee Clerk reported that the meeting did not take place.
3.2. Tourism Inquiry -
Agreed - to issue a Press Release announcing the inquiry as drafted.
Ms Morrice joined the meeting at 11.12am.
4. Correspondence from Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development
4.1. The Committee Clerk reported that the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development had written to the Committee seeking approval to invite the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to a meeting of that Committee. The Chairperson had approved this request given the time constraints involved.
Agreed - to endorse the Chairperson's decision.
5. Any other business
5.1. Saintfield Yarns Ltd - the Committee considered correspondence received from Down District Council regarding the job losses at Saintfield Yarns Ltd and that company's request for IDB assistance.
Agreed - to write to Sir Reg Empey, Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, supporting this request.
6. Energy Inquiry
6.1. The Committee deliberated on its draft report on the Energy inquiry.
Agreed - to write to the Clerk of Committees to ascertain if a convention exists on the use of abbreviated names in Committee reports.
Agreed - to issue the draft report to the Committee for Regional Development and the Committee for the Environment for comment.
Mr Clyde left the meeting at 12.38pm.
7. Date of next meeting
7.1. The next meeting of the Committee will be held on Tuesday 8 January 2002 at 10.30am in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting closed at 12.42pm.
Dr Alasdair McDonnell
Acting Chairperson