COMMITTEE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY 14 JANUARY 2010,
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Roy Beggs
Mr Cathal Boylan
Mr John Dallat
Mr David Ford
Mrs Dolores Kelly (Chairperson)
Mr Danny Kinahan
Mr Ian McCrea
Mr Daithi McKay
Mr Adrian McQuillan
Mr Alastair Ross
Mr Peter Weir
In Attendance:
Dr Alex McGarel (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Sean McCann (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Nathan McVeigh (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Antoinette Bowen (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
The meeting began in public session at 10.00 a.m.
1. Apologies
There were no apologies.
2. Minutes
The minutes of the meeting on 07 January were agreed
3. Chairperson’s Business
Mr Ford joined the meeting at 10.03a.m.
Members noted the minutes of meetings held with QPANI and Sam Knox.
The Chairperson informed the members that they had been provided with draft press releases in relation to the Committee meeting on 21 January which will be held in the
Lough Neagh Discovery Centre.
Agreed: That the press releases are issued.
The Chairperson invited members to consider the implications of recent events relating to Castlereagh Borough Council in light of the Committee’s role in scrutinising the Department with responsibility for local government.
Mr McCrea joined the meeting at 10.10a.m.
Mr McKay joined the meeting at 10.11a.m.
The following members declared an interest:
Dolores Kelly – Member of Craigavon Borough Council, member of Craigavon Voluntary Transition Committee
Roy Beggs – Member of Carrickfergus Borough Council, Member of Strategic Leadership Board
Ian McCrea – Member of Cookstown Distrcit Council, Member of Mid Ulster Transition Committee
David Ford – Member of Antrim Borough Council
John Dallat – Member of Coleraine Borough Council
Danny Kinahan – Member of Antrim Borough Council, Arc 21 board member
Peter Weir – Member of North Down Borough Council, Member of Policy Development Panel A, Vice President of NILGA
Agreed: That a copy of the Terms of Reference of the investigation are requested from Castlereagh Borough Council.
Agreed: That a letter is sent to the Minister asking for details of the Department of the Environment’s oversight and role in the investigation.
Agreed: That a letter is sent to the Comptroller and Auditor General and Local Government Auditor asking for details of their role in the investigation.
Mr McCrea left the meeting at 10.34am
Mrs Kelly left the meeting at 10.34am and the Deputy Chair, Mr Boylan, assumed the Chair.
4. Matters arising
The Deputy Chairperson informed members that they had been provided with Departmental replies to Committee queries on PPS18 and the Wind Energy Supplementary Planning Guidance and also information on the location and dates of existing wind farm planning applications.
Members were also provided with an Assembly Research paper requested by the Committee on the Principles of Planning Sequencing in relation to wind energy farms and on transitional relief being applied to wind farms in England, Scotland and Wales.
Agreed: That a letter is sent asking the Department if distance should be the only criteria in relation to the location of wind turbines after being advised about the impact of the sound of turbines.
Agreed: That a letter is sent asking the Department if it deemed the information on the author of the Supplementary Planning Guidance’s opposition to wind farm applications in England to be important in the tender process and asking for the information on the number of wind farm applications in England that the author opposed to be forwarded as soon as possible. The Department is also to comment on how it anticipates addressing the additional pressure on electricity infrastructure when more power is generated in the West of the province and the size of wind farms on the list of planning applications provided.
Agreed: That the research papers are published on the Assembly website
Mr McCrea rejoined the meeting at 10.40am
Mr Weir left the meeting at 10.42am
The Deputy Chairperson informed members that they had been provided with a Ministerial reply to Committee queries on SWIF funding.
Agreed: That a letter is sent to the Department asking what the information provided in the reply actually means in practice for waste management at local authority level
The Deputy Chairperson informed members that they had been provided with a Ministerial reply to Committee queries on the resources within Road Safety Division to transpose EU Directives and a Departmental reply to Committee queries on Road Safety.
Agreed: That a letter is sent to the Minister outlining members’ views on the importance of insuring that there would not be a reduction in NI standards on Road Safety and that incentives and improvement should still be looked for in regards to Road Safety. The Department will also ask about the level of communication it has with DEFRA to ensure good co ordination on forthcoming European road safety legislation from the start.
Agreed: That a letter is sent to the Department asking how Wales and Scotland manage EU Road Safety Directives.
Mr Weir rejoined the meeting at 10.46am
5. PSNI briefing on Road Safety
Mr Beggs declared an interest as a member and treasurer of the Carrickfergus Road Safety Committee.
Mr Kinahan declared an interest as a member of the Antrim Road Safety Committee.
Representatives from the PSNI briefed the Committee and answered members’ questions on Road Safety.
The main areas of discussion were road deaths and injuries, causation of road deaths and road accidents, preventative measures for road safety, PSNI’s Road Safety Road Shows, speed cameras, drink and drug driving, the lowering of the blood alcohol limit and the power to seize vehicles.
Mr McQuillan left the meeting at 12.23pm
Mr McKay left the meeting at 12.24pm
Agreed: That the PSNI would provide statistics on road accidents
Agreed: That an Assembly Research paper is requested on the power to seize vehicles as a result of drunk driving in Scotland.
Agreed: That a letter is sent to the Department and the NIO asking for their views on the possibility of introducing similar legislation in Northern Ireland.
Mr Kinahan left the meeting at 12.31pm
6. Briefing by DOE Road Safety Education Officers on their role
Departmental Road Safety Education Officers briefed the Committee and answered members’ questions on their role.
The main areas of discussion were education in schools, the cycling proficiency test, motor vehicle studies and the interaction between the Road Safety Education Officers and teachers within schools.
Mr Dallat left the meeting at 1.01pm
Mr Ford left the meeting at 1.03pm
7. Matters arising (Cont)
The Deputy Chairperson informed members that they had been provided with a Departmental reply to Committee queries on the decision to exclude swine flu from annual sick leave targets.
Agreed: That a letter is sent to the Department asking for figures relating to absenteeism that is included within Departmental targets compared with absenteeism that covers all elements including swine flu.
The Deputy Chairperson informed members that they had been provided with a Departmental reply and a NILGA reply to Committee queries on public service centres.
Agreed: That the NILGA reply is forwarded to the Department for comment on the issues raised within the paper.
The Deputy Chairperson informed members that they had been provided with a Departmental reply to the Committee’s queries on the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme.
Agreed: That this item is discussed further at the meeting on 21 January 2010.
Members noted a Departmental reply to the Committee’s queries on European funding for River Basin Management Plans.
Members noted a Departmental reply to the Committee’s queries on the Cam Road landfill site planning application along with a letter from Strategic Planning on behalf of B Mullan and Sons Ltd, the owners of the site.
Members noted a Departmental reply to the Committee’s queries on the Local Government (Finance) Bill.
Members noted a reply from the Equality Commission to Committee queries on the DOE’s Gender Equality Action Plans.
Members noted a reply from NISRA to Committee queries on settlements in Northern Ireland including the classification of settlements and the list of settlements.
Mr Dallat rejoined the meeting at 1.11pm
Members noted a copy of a memo from the Finance and Personnel Committee Clerk providing a timetable for Committee to consider the Revised Departmental Expenditure Plans 2010-11.
Members noted an update on the Department’s performance in relation to their Work Programme for September – December 2009.
Mr Weir left the meeting at 1.12pm
Members noted a Ministerial reply to a Committee query on the nature of the amendment to the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Bill requested by the Finance Minister.
The Deputy Chairperson informed members that they had been provided with a reply from NIEA on prosecution rates for illegal waste offenders.
Agreed: That a reminder is sent to the Court Service on the Committee’s request for information on the collection of fines for waste related offences.
Members noted a reply from the DOE Permanent Secretary to Committee concerns around the standard of Departmental replies.
The Chairperson informed members that the Chair and deputy Chair will meet with the Permanent Secretary and Management Board on 19 January to discuss this matter further.
Agreed: That a copy of the agenda is forwarded to members.
8. Correspondence
Letter from the Council’s strategic Policy and Resources Committee in relation to a report on the proposed Statutory Transition Committees.
Agreed: That this item is discussed further at the meeting on 21 January 2010.
Letter from the Department in relation to proposed A6 Derry to Dungiven Duelling Scheme
Agreed: That the response is forwarded to Mr Doherty
Members noted the following items of correspondence:
Email from RSPB
Letter from Graham Bolton in relation to Rose Energy Ltd – Key issues
Environmental Protection UK newsletter
NILGA press release
9. Any other business
No other business was raised.
10. Date, time and place of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday 21 January 2010 at Lough Neagh Discovery Centre, Lurgan at 10.00a.m.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.17 p.m.
Dolores Kelly