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PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 11 April 2002 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings. Present: - Apologies: - In Attendance: The meeting commenced at 11.02 a.m. with the Deputy Chairperson, Ms Lewsley, in the Chair. Ms Lewsley welcomed Mr Billy Armstrong to his first meeting as a Member of the Committee for the Environment. The Committee agreed to write to express their sincere congratulations to Mr James Leslie on his appointment as Junior Minister to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and to thank him for his hard work and dedicated service to the Committee for the Environment Ms Lewsley also welcomed Ms Clairita Flynn, a new member of the Committee Office staff. 1. Minutes of previous meeting The minutes of the meeting of 21 March 2002 were agreed.
The Chairperson, Dr McCrea, joined the meeting and took the Chair at 11.05
a.m.
Agreed: To write to the Department seeking further clarification on the procedures for spot checks and on crown immunity.
Planning (Amendment) Bill - a response is awaited from the Minister of the Environment. Mr Poots joined the meeting at 11.12 a.m. The Committee considered a consultation paper issued by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions on the Government's proposals to introduce a Vehicle Identity Check Scheme throughout the United Kingdom. The Scheme is designed to combat vehicle crime by preventing criminals from swapping the identity of a stolen vehicle with that of a written-off or scrapped vehicle. Agreed: To consider a draft response to the consultation paper at next week's Committee meeting. The Committee considered an initial consultation paper issued by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affair - in cooperation with the respective Departments within the Devolved Administrations - on proposals for developing a long-term policy for managing radioactive waste within the United Kingdom. Agreed: To receive a brief presentation from Assembly Research and Library Services and to consider a draft response to the consultation paper at a future Committee meeting. Mr Stephen Quinn and Mr David Thomson, Senior Officials from the Department of the Environment, joined the meeting at 11.25 a.m. They gave a brief presentation and answered Members' questions a near complete draft of the Departmental Position Report on Budget 2002. Key issues discussed included the strategic issues and pressures facing the Department; prioritisation of the Departmental bids; the need for additional resources and to ring fence funding for the implementation of EU Directives and the Committee's concerns about the Department's proposed cut to the Resource Element of the General Exchequer Grant to District Councils. The Chairman thanked the Officials and they left the meeting at 12.02 p.m. Mrs. Cynthia Smith, Mr Ian Maye and Mr David Small, Officials from the Department of the Environment, joined the meeting at 12.04 p.m. to discuss the proposed legislation on mobile phone mast development. The Officials and Members discussed the timing of the press announcement at 11.00 a.m. that day about the Minister of the Environment's decision to bring forward secondary legislation to introduce full planning permission for all telecommunication masts. The Committee was most annoyed at the very late notice given on the press announcement and the absence of any final consultation with the Committee before the announcement, bearing in mind its comprehensive response to the Department's original proposals and ongoing interest with this subject. The Committee expressed its grave concern that the Department's original press release - 48 hours earlier - which proposed to ignore established OFM/DFM guidance on consulting a Statutory Committee on secondary legislation and that it published a planning policy document, Planning Policy Statement 10 (PPS10), on telecommunications development without any final consultation with the Committee. The Committee expressed deep disappointment that the PPS10 failed to address public health concerns and introduce a robust precautionary principle to the siting of mobile phone masts as recommended by the Committee. Mrs. Lewsley left the meeting at 12.29 p.m. Agreed: That Officials from the Department would give presentations on the proposed secondary legislation and PPS10 at the Committee's meeting next week. The Chairperson thanked the Officials and they left the meeting at 12.34 p.m. Dr Wm McCrea, Mr M Murphy and Mr E Poots declared an interest as Local Government Councillors before the next item was discussed. Mr McClarty left the meeting at 12.36 p.m. Mr Pat Quinn and Mr Jim Thompson, Officials from the Department of the Environment, joined the meeting at 12.36 p.m. Mr Armstrong rejoined the meeting at 12.38 p.m. The Officials gave a presentation and answered Members' questions on progress on the development of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP) - principally the 'Key Issues' document published on 7 December 2001. The discussion included the management structure and policy context of the Plan; the statutory process and programme for the development of the Plan; arrangements for public consultation; and the major issues identified through the consultation process. Mr McClarty rejoined the meeting at 1.08 p.m. The Chairman thanked the Officials for an interesting and informative presentation and they left the meeting at 1.12 p.m. The Committee considered information provided by the Department of the Environment on the current position and proposals for the future of the Historic Buildings Grant. Agreed: To invite Officials from the Department of the Environment to give a presentation in closed session at a future Committee meeting. The Committee gave consideration to the following SL1s:
Agreed: That the Committee had no comment on the above Rule.
Agreed: To write to the Department of the Environment seeking clarification on some aspects of the Rule.
The Committee noted a number of letters and papers including:
Agreed: To forward a copy of the Department's letter for information to the Causeway Coast Communities Consortium.
Agreed: To write to OFMDFM regarding the need to include the Northern Ireland Government Departments in the Review of Public Administration.
Agreed: To forward a copy of the letter to the North West Region Cross Border Group.
Agreed: To forward a copy of the letter from the Mourne Heritage Trust to the Department of the Environment for comment.
Agreed: To forward a copy of the letter to the Department of the Environment for comment.
Agreed: To forward a copy of the letter for consideration by the Committee for Social Development.
Agreed: To consider the draft Area Plan when it is published in June 2002.
Agreed: To forward a copy of the letter and questionnaire to the Department of the Environment for comment.
Agreed: To commission research and consider arrangements for a presentation on this issue at a future Committee meeting.
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday 18 April 2002 at 10.30 a.m. in Room 144, Parliament Buildings. The meeting adjourned at 1.26 pm. Dr Wm. McCrea MLA (Chairperson) |
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