COMMITTEE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Minutes of Proceedings
THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2007,
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Patsy McGlone (Chairperson)
Mr Cathal Boylan (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Billy Armstrong
Mr Trevor Clarke
Mr David Ford
Mr Samuel Gardiner
Mr Ian McCrea
Mr Daithí McKay
Mr Peter Weir
In Attendance:
Ms Debbie Pritchard (Principal Clerk)
Ms Patricia Casey (Assembly Clerk)
Mr William Long (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Sean McCann (Clerical Supervisor)
Miss Pauline Devlin (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Tommy Gallagher
The meeting opened at 10.33 a.m. in public session.
Mr Armstrong joined the meeting at 10.36a.m.
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Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
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Minutes
Agreed – the draft minutes were agreed.
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Meeting with the Minister
The Minister for the Environment, Arlene Foster, briefed the Committee and answered members’ questions on PPS14, the Northern Area Plan and Magherafelt Area Plan judicial reviews and the Giant Causeway visitors’ centre planning application.
Mr Armstrong left the meeting at 11.30a.m.
Mr Weir left the meeting at 11.45a.m.
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Taxis Bill
Mr Armstrong rejoined the meeting at 12.00p.m.
The Committee considered a letter from the department outlining proposed amendments to the Taxis Bill.
Agreed: that departmental officials are invited to brief the Committee on proposed amendments to the Taxis Bill.
Eamonn O’Donnell and Andrew McCartney, North West Taxis Proprietors, outlined their views on the proposed Taxis Bill and answered members’ questions.
Mr McGlone left the meeting at 12.28p.m. and Mr Boylan assumed the Chair
Mr McGlone rejoined the meeting at 12.34p.m. and re-assumed the Chair.
Eddie Lynch and Claire Toner, Consumer Council, outlined their views on the proposed Taxis Bill and answered members’ questions.
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SR 2007/372 - Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (NI) 2007.
Departmental officials John Ritchie, Julie Broadway and Marie Cochrane briefed the Committee and answered members’ questions on the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment No 2) Regulations (NI) 2007.
The Committee deliberated on a motion to annul the statutory rule.
The Committee divided: For: 6, Against: 1, Abstention: 1. The motion was therefore carried.
Question put and agreed:
That the Committee for the Environment has considered the SR 2007/372 - Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (NI) 2007and recommends that it be annulled by the Assembly.
Agreed: that the Chairperson tables the following motion in the Business Office - "That the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (NI) 2007 be annulled".
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Proposals for Secondary Legislation – SL1s
SL1 – Draft Local Government (Constituting a Joint Committee a Body Corporate) (Amendment) Order (NI) 2007
Agreed – The Committee for the Environment considered the proposed – Draft Local Government (Constituting a Joint Committee a Body Corporate) (Amendment) Order (NI) 2007 and has no objections to the proposal.
SL1 – The Surface Waters (Fishlife) (Clarification) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2007
Agreed – The Committee for the Environment considered the proposed – The Surface Waters (Fishlife) (Clarification) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2007 and has no objections to the proposal.
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Correspondence
Consultation paper – Driver Certificate of Professional Competence Further Implementation Arrangements.
Agreed: that a letter is sent to the department asking to be kept informed of the progress on this consultation.
Letter from Belfast Metropolitan Residents Group re: the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP).
Agreed: that this letter is deferred until the meeting on 27 September 2007.
Letter from the Committee for Regional Development and copy of memo from the Committee for Social Development and copy of letter from the Minister for Social Development giving details of the steering group established to consider the Semple Report recommendations.
Agreed: that the Committee note this piece of correspondence.
Letter from Nigel Lucas, Accessible Taxi Association NI, regarding a submission made concerning the Taxis Bill which was never received and a copy of the original submission.
Agreed: that members treat this as a submission.
Letter from Vincent Creelan, Victoria Avenue Residents Association re: the proposed development in this area.
Agreed: that a reply is sent to the Victoria Avenue Residents Association informing them of the ongoing consultation regarding PPS12 which will come before the Environment Committee at a later date.
Members noted a letter from the Environment and Heritage Service re: an event being held by the Mourne National Park Working Party.
Letter from the Countryside Alliance re: Conservation of the Irish Hare.
Agreed: that a letter is sent to the Countryside Alliance advising them that a statutory rule on the protection of the Irish Hare had recently been passed.
Two letters from Ulster Farmers Union re: members’ problems with sewage pollution, and subsequent lack of action by the EHS.
Agreed: that the Committee request clarification from the department on these issues.
E-mail from John Sedgwick in response to his reply re: overdevelopment in Ballyrobert. Also included is the original correspondence.
Agreed: that the Committee request clarification from the department on this issue.
Fax from Paul Mullan, Heritage Lottery Fund re: the need to set standards for developments at World Heritage Sites in the light of the current Giants Causeway dispute, and inviting members to visit another World Heritage Site, Hadrian’s Wall.
Agreed: that the Committee write to the Heritage Lottery Fund asking for a copy of their presentation.
Members noted a letter from Robert McAllister, re: the Taxis Bill.
The Committee noted the following publications:
Managing the Impacts of Microgeneration and Managing Renewables
Effective Management of Land Contamination
Practical Innovation in Air Quality
Noise Update 2007
The Committee noted the following departmental press releases:
DOE Press Release – ‘Proposed Giants Causeway Visitors Centre’
DOE Press Release – ‘Arlene Foster makes Statement on Visitor Centre’
DOE Press Release – ‘Northern Ireland Seat belt Survey April 2007’
DOE Press Release – ‘Seat belt Message has Clicked’
DOE Press release – ‘Cloughfin Man Fined for Waste Offences’
The Committee noted the following:
Letter from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions containing questions for the Department on the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment No 2) Regulations (NI) 2007.
Letter from the Minister regarding positions for elected representatives on public bodies in Northern Ireland.
A letter with further information from the department regarding SR 2007/372 - Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment No 2) Regulations (NI) 2007.
Invitation from Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) to attend a debate and celebratory lunch on 21 September 2007 at Magherafelt District Council Offices.
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Any other business
Members were informed by the Chairperson that a draft press release in relation to climate change had been included in members’ meeting packs.
Agreed: that the press release is issued.
The Clerk informed members that all parties that had provided a submission for the Committee stage of the Taxis Bill had been contacted and, to date, 11 individuals/organisations had been invited to give oral evidence.
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Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 27 September 2007 at 10.30am in Room 144 Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.13 pm.