COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Wednesday 7 November 2007
Room 144 Parliament Buildings
Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Cathal Boylan MLA
Willie Clarke MLA
John Dallat MLA
William Irwin MLA
John McCallister MLA
Raymond McCartney MLA
Stephen Moutray MLA
George Robinson MLA
Brian Wilson MLA
Jim Wells MLA
In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Clairita Frazer (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Annette Page (Clerical Officer)
Philip Maguire (Clerical Officer)
Stephanie Galbraith (Researcher)
The meeting opened at 10.35 am in public session.
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Apologies
There were no apologies.
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Chairperson’s Business
- Members noted a meeting between the Chairperson, Peter Bunting and Eugene McGlone regarding the trade union position on water reform.
- Members noted that at next week’s Committee meeting, Members will hear briefing from various stakeholders on the draft Budget, draft ISNI and draft Programme for Government.
- Members agreed to forward copies of the Departmental briefing on the draft Budget, draft ISNI and draft Programme for Government to the stakeholders who will attend next week’s Committee meeting.
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Draft Minutes
The minutes of the meeting of 24 October 2007 were agreed.
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Matters Arising
- Members noted receipt of a letter from NIPSA dated 29 October 2007 enclosing the NIPSA response to Northern Ireland Water’s rebuttal of David Hall’s report. Members agreed to seek views on this paper from Northern Ireland Water and return to this issue during consideration of the Strand Two Report from the Independent Review Panel on Water and Sewerage.
- Members noted the revised work programme tabled at today’s meeting and were asked to consider items for inclusion in a work programme for the new year. Members agreed that this revised work programme be published on the Assembly website.
Stephen Moutray joined the meeting at 10.41am
Officials from the Department for Regional Development joined the meeting at 10.44 am.
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Briefing from the Departmental Officials on draft Budget, draft Investment Strategy (ISNI) and draft Programme for Government (PfG).
Members agreed to hold an additional Committee meeting on 20 November 2007 to facilitate a meeting with the Minister for Regional Development to discuss views on the draft Budget, draft ISNI and draft PfG.
David Sterling, acting Permanent Secretary, Roger Downey and Pat Delaney of the Finance Directorate briefed the Committee on the Department for Regional Development (DRD) draft Budget, the measures in the Investment Strategy for DRD and the Departmental PSA actions as contained in the PfG.
Raymond McCartney joined the meeting at 11.15am.
The Chairperson thanked the officials for their briefing.
Officials from the Department for Regional Development left the meeting at 11.52am.
Members agreed that the Committee meeting on 14 November 2007 would be extended to invite additional officials from the Department to brief the Committee specifically on roads and public transport budget issues.
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Subordinate Legislation.
Members were content with the SL1s noted at the meeting of 24 October 2007. These were:
- 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;
- Antiville Road and Ballymena Road, Larne (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
Members noted the following new SL1 received:
- The Parking Places on Roads (Strabane) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
Members noted receipt of the following Statutory Rule which is not subject to any Assembly procedure:
- 2007/439 The Road Races (Rally Ireland) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
- Correspondence noted.
Members noted receipt of the following items of correspondence:
- Letter dated 25 October 2007 from the Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy MP MLA, regarding the Committee’s initial views on the Independent Water Review Panel’s Strand One Report. Members agreed to acknowledge receipt of the Minister’s letter.
- Letter dated 18 October 2007 from the Utility Regulator introducing the senior management team.
- Letter dated 1 November 2007 from the Department for Regional Development regarding October monitoring and in-year pressures.
- Letter dated 1 November 2007 from the Chairperson of the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) to the Minister for Regional Development, inviting written evidence from the Department for Regional Development in relation to the Committee’s forthcoming Inquiry into Child Poverty. Members agreed to forward this letter to the Minister for Regional Development and schedule time in the Committee work programme to consider a Committee response to this Inquiry.
- Letter dated 5 November 2007 from the Department for Regional Development regarding the dualling of the A6 between Randalstown and Toome. Members agreed to forward this letter to the six South Antrim MLAs.
- Invitation from NIAUR to a Domestic Metering workshop on 12 November 2007.
- An email from the Clerk to the Committee for Finance and Personnel providing an update to Members on the progress of the Committee’s request for information on the capacity and so forth of the Land and Property Services agency to take forward the Independent Panel’s recommendations in the respect of billing and collection. Members agreed to wait for a further response before considering this issue further.
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Any Other Business.
Members agreed to follow up on a response from Northern Ireland Water to the efficiency targets set down in the Strand One Report from the Independent Review Panel on Water and Sewerage.
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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 14 November 2007.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.05 pm.