Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 7 March 2002 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

Present: -
Rev Dr Wm. McCrea (Chairperson)
Mr A Doherty
Mr D Ford
Mr M Murphy
Mr E Poots
Mr D Watson

Apologies: -
Ms P Lewsley (Deputy Chairperson)
Mrs J Carson
Mr J Leslie
Mr D McClarty

In Attendance:
Mr J Simmons (Committee Clerk)
Miss J Adair (Assistant Clerk)
Mr J Beatty (Assistant Clerk)
Mr J Nulty (Executive Support)
Ms C Angelone (Administrative Support)

The meeting commenced at 10.40 a.m.

1. Minutes of previous meeting

The minutes of the meeting of 28 February 2002 were agreed.

2. Matters Arising

(i) The Committee considered a paper on the arrangements to host a
seminar/reception for Members of the UK Sustainable Development Commission on Tuesday 12 March 2002, including a draft Press Release. Members also considered an 'information pack' on the Membership and work programme of the Commission and details of a morning conference on Sustainable Development hosted by the Department of the Environment in the City Hall, Belfast on 12 March 2002.

Agreed: To issue the Press Release and that Members would indicate if they
intended to attend the morning seminar and/or the Reception for the UK Sustainable Development Commission by Friday 8 March 2002.

(ii) The Committee noted a response from the Department of the
Environment regarding concerns about a planning application for a radio base station at Church Street, Downpatrick.

Agreed: To consider this matter at next week's meeting.

3. Replies Received

(i) Planning (Amendment) Bill - A response is awaited from the
Department of the Environment.

4. School Transport Inquiry - Motion for Debate

(i) The Committee considered the terms of a draft Motion to debate the
Committee's Inquiry Report into Transport used for Children travelling to and from School. The following Motion was put to and agreed:

'That this Assembly approves the Report of the Committee for the Environment on its Inquiry into Transport used for Children travelling to and from School and calls on the Minister of the Environment to ensure urgent evaluation, and to take full account, of the recommendations.'

The Committee also considered documents relating to the Inquiry to be lodged in the Assembly Library.

Agreed: To forward the above Motion to the Business Office for consideration
at the Business Committee meeting on 12 March 2002 and to lodge the appropriate papers relating to the Inquiry in the Assembly Library.

5. Statutory Rules

(i) The Committee gave consideration to the following SL1s:

(a) Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002. This Rule will amend the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 to align certain references with those in the Motor Vehicles (Approval) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 which introduced the single vehicle approval scheme in Northern Ireland.

(b) The Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002. This Rule will amend the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 to align certain references with those in the Motor Vehicle (Approval) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 which introduced the single vehicle approval scheme in Northern Ireland.

Agreed: That the Committee had no comment on the above Rules.

(ii) The Sulphur Content of Liquid Fuels Regulations (Northern Ireland)
2002 (SR No 28/2002)

The Committee considered the above Rule that has been laid before the
Assembly. The following Motion was put and agreed: -

'That the Committee for the Environment has considered the Sulphur Content of Liquid Fuels Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 and has no objection the Rule.'

6. Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Fuel Oil) Regulations

Ms Judena Goldring, Mr David Bell and Mr Clifford Henry joined the meeting at 10.46 a.m. They gave a presentation and answered Members' questions on the current position and progress made on discussions with the Ulster Farmers' Union with regard to the Department of the Environment's proposals to introduce regulations for the control of silage, slurry and fuel oil required to comply with EC Directives on pollution control.

Mr Ford joined the meeting at 11.00 a.m.

The Chairman thanked the Officials and they left the meeting at 11.45 a.m.

Mr Douglas Rowe, Mr Wilbert Mayne, Mr Greg Shannon and Miss Gillian Briggs, of the Ulster Farmers' Union joined the meeting at 11.46 a.m. They gave a presentation and answered Members' questions on the Ulster Farmers' view on the progress made on discussions with regard to the Department of the Environment's proposals for the Regulations.

Mr Doherty left the meeting at 12.04 p.m.

Key issues discussed included the need for any legislation that is introduced to be meaningful and workable, the Committee's concerns about the delay by the Department in arranging a meeting with the Ulster Farmers Union to discuss the proposed Regulations; and options for regional variation in the transposition of EC Directives.

The Chairman thanked the Ulster Farmers Union and they left the meeting at
12.25 p.m.

Agreed: To write to the Department of the Environment seeking clarification
on a number of issues surrounding the proposed Regulations.

To write to the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development to appraise the
Committee of the issues raised and the need for options for grant aid for new build/re-build to meet the required standards of the proposed Regulations

7. AOB

(i) The Committee noted a number of letters and papers including:

- A Press Release issued by the Department of the Environment regarding the opening of the new 'State of the Art' MOT Centre at Larne;

- A memo from the Minister of the Environment and a draft Committee response regarding the proposed Air Quality Limit Values (Northern Ireland) Regulations;

- Copies of news articles on the new telecommunication mast regulations and the Game Preservation (Amendment) Act;

- A copy of the revised draft Strategy in support of the Voluntary and Community Sector;

- A response from the Department of the Environment regarding concerns raised by the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure about proposed developments in the East Belfast area; and

- A copy of a letter from the Speaker to the First and Deputy First Ministers regarding the decision that the Review of Public Administration should be scrutinised through the Committee for the Centre with the involvement of the appropriate Statutory Committees.

8. Next Meeting

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday 14 March 2002 at 10.30 a.m. in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting adjourned at 12.33 pm.

Dr Wm. McCrea MLA (Chairperson)

28 February 2002 / Menu / 14 March 2002