COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Wednesday 12 September 2007
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Willie Clarke MLA
Cathal Boylan MLA
John Dallat MLA
William Irwin MLA
John McCallister MLA
Raymond McCartney MLA
Stephen Moutray MLA
George Robinson MLA
Brian Wilson MLA
In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Gillian Lyness (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Tom Skelton (Clerical Officer)
Jill McCoubrey (Clerical Officer)
Stephanie Galbraith (Researcher)
Apologies: Jim Wells MLA
The meeting opened at 10.36 am in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Chairperson’s Business
Members noted the Chairperson’s recent meetings with:
- Londonderry Port and Harbour.
- Coleraine Harbour.
Members noted the recent advertisement for the post of Permanent Secretary in the Department for Regional Development.
Members noted an invitation to a seminar on Monday 17 September 2007 – ‘The Assembly’s Role in the Annual Budget Process’.
Members thanked Tom Skelton, who is returning to his Department, for his work in the Committee Office, and welcomed a new staff member Jill McCoubrey.
3. Draft Minutes
The minutes of the meeting of 5 September 2007 were agreed.
John McCallister and William Irwin joined the meeting at 10.37 am.
4. Matters Arising
The Committee noted the judgement on Friday 7 September 2007 on the judicial review of Planning Policy Statement 14. Members agreed to write to the Department seeking clarification of the status of the judgement, the Department’s response to the current situation and the immediate and wider implications for the Department and the planning process in Northern Ireland.
The Committee noted receipt of a summary of the Measure Investment Proposals (MIPs) originally considered at its meeting of 23 June 2007. The Committee decided to return to consider the MIPs at the draft budget and ISNI 2 stage of Budget 2007.
George Robinson joined the meeting at 10.39 am.
Raymond McCartney joined the meeting at 10.40 am.
Cathal Boylan joined the meeting at 10.43am.
5. Briefing from the Bill Office – Primary Legislation
Kevin Shiels, of the Assembly Bill Office, briefed the Committee on the primary legislation process and the assistance available to Committees and Members wishing to take forward a Bill.
Department Officials joined the meeting 11.00am.
John Dallat left the meeting 11.01 am.
6. Donaghadee (Harbour Area) Order ( Northern Ireland)
Garry McKenna, Head of Policy and Legislation Branch, Ports and Public Transport Division and John Angus, Senior Principal, Ports and Public Transport Division, briefed the Committee on the proposed Donaghadee (Harbour Area) Order ( Northern Ireland).
Department Officials left the meeting at 11.04 am.
7. Draft Work Programme.
The Clerk briefed the Members on the content of the draft work programme, following which:
Members agreed a draft work programme for the period to December 2007.
The Committee identified the Review of Water and Sewerage, Ports Policy and Roads as its key priorities going forward.
Members decided to hold a number of Committee meetings outside Parliament Buildings and across Northern Ireland and to visit the four main Trust Ports in the coming months.
Members agreed to defer a decision on a Committee inquiry until later in this session, pending developments in the Review of Water and Sewerage services.
Members decided to forward any suggestions for a potential Committee inquiry to the Clerk for development into inquiry proposals.
Members resolved to visit Belfast Harbour on 3 October 2007.
8. Subordinate Legislation.
The Committee was content with the policy merits of the following SL1s noted at its
meeting of 5 September 2007.
- The Parking and Waiting Restrictions ( Belfast) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- Traffic Signs (Amendment No.2) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- The Cycle Routes (Amendment No. 8) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Tempo) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007; and
- The Cascum Lane (U4466) Banbridge (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
The Committee noted the following newly received SL1s:
- The Parking Places on Roads (Londonderry) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
- The On-Street Parking (Amendment) Newry) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
- The Trunk Road T8 (Randalstown to Toome) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007 and The Trunk Road T8 (Toome to Castledawson) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007 (One SL1); and
- The Trunk Road T21 ( Belfast to Carrickfergus) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
Members noted receipt of the following Statutory Rules which are not subject to any Assembly procedure but for Members’ information only.
- SR 2007/ 353 – The Parking Places (Disabled Person’s Vehicles) (Amendment No.2) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- SR 2007/358 – The Cycles Routes (Amendment No. 3) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- SR 2007/359 – The Waiting Restrictions (Tandragee) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- SR 2007/365 – The Street Works (2007) Amendment Order) (Commencement No. 1) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- SR 2007/366 – The Cycles Routes (Amendment No. 4) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007; and
- SR 2007/367 – The Roads (Speed Limit) (No.3) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
Members noted receipt of the following Statutory Rules subject to negative resolution.
- SR 2007/368 – The Shaftesbury Road, Bangor (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- SR 2007/369 – The B82 Killadeas Road, Kesh (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007; and
- SR 2007/370 – the A2 Clooney Road, Faughanvale (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
9. Correspondence.
Members noted the following correspondence:
- 16/08/2007 - Letter from Northern Ireland Water welcoming the Committee’s work on water and sewerage services.
- 17/08/2007 – Copy of papers submitted by the Consumer Council to the Independent Review Panel of Water and Sewerage Services.
- 03/09/2007 – A covering letter and consultation report from the Rural Community Network.
- 03/09/2007 - Letter from NILGA seeking the opportunity to brief the Committee, together with an invitation to a breakfast launch event.
- 03/09/2007 – Letter from the Clerk inviting Paddy Hillyard and the Independent Review Panel of Water and Sewerage Services to committee meeting 19/09/07.
- 04/09/2007 – Letter from the Clerk informing Philip Kelly, Northern Ireland Liaison Officer, Greenore Residents & Tidy Towns Ltd, on matters raised in his letter
- 04/09/2007 – Invitation to the opening of Dundrum Wastewater treatment works on 26/09/07
- 07/09/2007 - Roads Service response to Clones Town Council query
- 07/09/2007 – Letter from The Committee for the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister re the Sustainable Development Strategy
- 10/09/2007 – Letter from the DALO containing supplementary information requested at the meeting of 05/09/2007 about Disabled Persons Parking
- 10/09/2007 – Letter from Committee for Social Development Clerk on Semple Report and the Review of PPS12
Members decided to ask Northern Ireland Water to the Committee following the Strand 1 report of the Independent Review Panel of Water and Sewerage Services.
10. Any Other Business.
Members noted aninvitation to a seminar in Dublin on Tuesday 18 September 2007 – ‘Gateways to an All-Island Economy – Developing Ports and Airports Infrastructure’.
Members were content thatChairperson, Fred Cobain and Committee Member, Raymond McCartney would both be attending the seminar.
11. Date, venue and time of next meeting.
The Committee agreed that the next meeting be held on Wednesday 19 September 2007 at 10.30 am in Room 144.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.30 pm.
Signed:
FRED COBAIN MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development.
Dated: