COMMITTEE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 23 OCTOBER 2007,
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Mr Patsy McGlone (Chairperson)
Mr Cathal Boylan (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Billy Armstrong
Mr Trevor Clarke
Mr David Ford
Mr Tommy Gallagher
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Ian McCrea
Mr Daithí McKay
Mr Peter Weir
In Attendance: Ms Patricia Casey (Assembly Clerk)
Mr William Long (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Sean McCann (Clerical Supervisor)
Miss Pauline Devlin (Clerical Officer)
Apologies: Mr Samuel Gardiner
The meeting opened at 10.10 a.m. in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Minutes
Agreed – the draft minutes were agreed.
3. Matters Arising
Members were reminded that the Department have provided a copy of the Giants Causeway planning file, which is available to view in Room 247.
Mr Ford left the meeting at 10.14 a.m.
Mr Clarke joined the meeting at 10.26 a.m.
4. Taxis Bill
Members were given a briefing from Departmental officials on the Taxis Bill, and continued their clause by clause scrutiny of the Bill.
Mr Maskey joined the meeting at 10.41 a.m.
Mr McCrea left the meeting at 11.00 a.m.
Mr Ford rejoined the meeting at 11.09 a.m.
Mr Maskey left the meeting at 11.15 a.m.
The Chairman adjourned the meeting at 11.43 a.m.
The meeting reconvened at 11.51 a.m. with the following Members present:
Mr Patsy McGlone, Mr Cathal Boylan, Mr Billy Armstrong, Mr Trevor Clarke, Mr David Ford, Mr Tommy Gallagher, Mr Peter Weir
Agreed – Committee to issue responses to William Black and Thomas Doyle and provide them with a copy of Department’s “Overview of Taxi Enforcement” paper.
5. Proposal for Secondary Legislation – Statutory Rule
S.R. 2007/432 – The Planning (General Development) (Amendment No 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2007
Question put and agreed:
That the Committee for the Environment has considered the S.R. 2007/432 - The Planning (General Development) (Amendment No 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2007 rule and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules report, has no objection to the rule.
6. Correspondence
Paper on planned consultation with district councils on Article 10 of the Waste (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007.
Agreed: That Members are content for the paper to be issued.
Letter from Clerk, Committee for Regional Development, re briefing from Drinking Water Inspectorate at Committee (DRD) meeting on 10 October 2007 and attached letter to officials of the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Agreed: That the attached letter is forwarded to the relevant Department of the Environment Officials.
Members noted a copy of the Giants Causeway Outline Business Case from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
Members noted a response from Department to Committee enquiry on the Wildlife Order and the protection of ASSIs.
Letter from the Clerk to the Committee for Social Development re: their Committee Inquiry into Town Centre Regeneration, and attached letter from the Chairperson of the Committee for Social Development to Arlene Foster MLA.
Agreed: That the letter is forwarded to the Minister for the Environment.
Members noted a letter from the Minister re: the emerging findings of the Executive Sub Committee on Local Government Reform and Modernisation, as agreed at the Executive meeting of 18th October.
Members noted a letter from PriceWaterhouseCooper outlining the arrangements for the four sub-regional events on the emerging findings from the Review of the local government aspects of the RPA.
Letter from the Minister re arrangements pending the judgement of the PPS 14 judicial review.
Agreed: That Committee request clarification from Minister on meeting dates of the Executive Subcommittee for reviewing PPS 14. Committee to request progress updates following meeting of Subcommittee and to seek clarification of when draft policy is out for consultation.
Memo from Clerk to the Finance and Personnel Committee regarding capital underspend for 2006-07.
Agreed: That more information is sought from the Department of the Environment on capital underspend, and to request clarification from the Department for Finance and Personnel on Departmental underspends re “Environment and Renewable Energy”.
Members noted the following DOE news releases:
‘Protection for Freshwater Pearl Mussels’
‘Foster Publishes Emerging Findings of Review of Local Government’
7. Any Other Business
8. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 8 November 2007 at 10.00am in Room 135 Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.20 p.m.