COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Wednesday 24 October 2007
Board Room, Newry & Mourne District Council Buildings
Present:
Cathal Boylan MLA
John Dallat MLA
John McCallister MLA
Stephen Moutray MLA
George Robinson MLA
Brian Wilson MLA
In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Gillian Lyness (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Clairita Frazer (Clerical Supervisor)
Jill McCoubrey (Clerical Officer)
Philip Maguire (Clerical Officer)
Meadhbh McCann (Researcher)
Apologies:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Willie Clarke MLA
William Irwin MLA
Raymond McCartney MLA
Jim Wells MLA
10.50 am the Clerk took the chair, in the absence of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, to elect a temporary chair.
Cathal Boylan proposed ‘ that John Dallat do take the chair of the Committee’. Seconded by Stephen Moutray.
In the absence of other nominations, the Clerk asked the Members present ‘the question is that John Dallat takes the chair’.
All Members were in favour and John Dallat took the chair for the meeting .
The meeting opened at 10.54 am in public session.
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Apologies
As listed above.
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Chairperson’s Business
- Members noted a meeting with Northern Ireland Water [NIW] on Monday 22 October 2007. Members agreed to invite NIW to brief the Committee on the revised Strategic Business Plan.
- Members were content to defer the visit to Scottish Water until early 2008. The Clerk will draft an outline work programme for the new year to be tabled at the meeting on 7 November 2007.
- Members noted that the Committee motion, agreed at the meeting of 17 October 2007, has been approved by the Business Committee, and is scheduled for Tuesday 6 October 2007.
- Members noted the briefing from the Clerk on the handling of the draft budget, draft ISNI and draft PfG. Members were content with the timetable and handling of the draft budget. Membersagreed to commission Research & Library Services to produce an analysis of proposed actions from the draft PfG.
- Members agreed to submit any amendments to their biographies at the meeting of 7 November 2007.
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Draft Minutes
The minutes of the meetings of 17 October 2007 were agreed.
- Matters Arising
- Members noted receipt from the Department of the ‘Advance notice of consultation and policies screened out by the Department’. Members were contentto return to this once indicative timings for forthcoming consultations had been received from the Department.
Officials from the Drinking Water Inspectorate joined the meeting at 11.10 am.
- Briefing from the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Randall Scott, Chief Inspector of Drinking Water, and Margaret Herron brief the Committee. Members decided to ask the Department to provide regular updates on the on going monitoring of all water supply zones and the rates/levels of compliance and to forward information on the amount of asbestos piping still in use, including the volume of water going through these pipes.
Officials from the Drinking Water Inspectorate left the meeting at 11.30 am
Members of the Northern Corridor Railways Group joined the meeting at 11.31 am.
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Briefing from the Northern Corridor Railways Group.
Wavell Moore, Chief Executive, Peter Fleming, BDP Planning, and James McClure MBE, Chairperson briefed the Committee.
Members of the Northern Corridor Railways Group left the meeting at 11.55 am.
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Subordinate Legislation.
Members were content with the SL1 noted at the meeting of 10 October 2007. This is:
- The Extinguishment of Right to use Vehicles on Roads (Antrim) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
Members noted the following new SL1s received:
- The Off-Street Parking (Amendment No. 4) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- The Parking Places on Roads (Antrim) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- The Parking Places on Roads (Warrenpoint) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- The Extinguishment of Right to Use Vehicles on Roads ( Montgomery Street, Belfast) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007;
- The Trunk Road T15 ( Carland Bridge Realignment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007; and
- Antiville Road and Ballymena Road, Larne (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
Members agreed to ask the Department for additional information on the ‘The Trunk Road T15 (Carland Bridge Realignment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007’.
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Correspondence noted.
- Letter from the Minister dated 22 October 2007 regarding the Ports Policy Review and that a response is due to the Minister before the Christmas recess. Members agreed a timetable to invite briefing from officials, executives from the trust ports and the Minister.
- Information from NIW regarding an event held on 11 October 2007 and NIW intranet content on staff events on Mobile Work Management, Voluntary Early Retirement and redeployment opportunities.
- Memo from the Clerk to the Committee for Social Development notifying the Clerk for Regional Development that it is conducting an Inquiry into Town Centre Regeneration and seeking the Regional Development Committee’s views on this topic. Also attached is a letter from the Chairperson of the Committee for Social Development to Mr Conor Murphy MP, MLA. Members agreed to forward the letter to the Minister and to respond to the Clerk for Social Development once the outcome on Planning Policy is known.
- Letter from the Clerk to the Finance and Personnel Committee outlining Departmental Underspend 2006-07 on capital projects. Members agreed to return to this during consideration of the draft Budget.
- DETI Press Release regarding the Titanic Signature Project’s failure to make the final shortlist of the BIG Lottery Fund.
- Letter from Alan Doherty, Assembly Liaison Officer, to the Clerk to the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety attaching a response from Conor Murphy MP, MLA in response to the letter from Iris Robinson MP, MLA on 9 October 2007 regarding the HSSPS Committee’s Inquiry into the Prevention of Suicide and Self Harm.
- Note received from John Torney, Principal Clerk, regarding Sub Judice and Contempt of Court.
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Any Other Business.
Members noted the forthcoming committee staff changes. Members wished all staff every success and thanked them for their work with the Regional Development Committee.
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Date, venue and time of next meeting.
Next week’s meeting will be in Parliament Buildings in Room 144 at 10.30 am on Wednesday 7 November 2007.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.08 pm.