COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Minutes of Proceedings
Wednesday 28 November 2007
Room 144 Parliament Buildings
Present: Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Willie Clarke 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)
Clairita Frazer (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Annette Page (Clerical Officer)
Apologies: Cathal Boylan MLA
Jim Wells MLA
The meeting opened at 10.36am in public session.
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Apologies.
Apologies were received from Cathal Boylan and Jim Wells.
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Chairperson’s Business.
- Members noted the Committee work programme, in particular items of Committee business for the forthcoming two months and potential venues for meetings outside of Parliament Buildings in the new year. Members agreed that the programme be placed on the Assembly website.
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Draft minutes of the Committee meeting on 20 & 21 November 2007.
The minutes of the meetings on 20 & 21 November 2007 were agreed.
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Matters arising.
- Members noted correspondence from the Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Water (NIW) enclosing a number of papers submitted by NIW to the Independent Water Review Panel. Members agreed to invite NIW to brief the Committee on these papers at the next Committee meeting on Wednesday 5 December 2007.
- Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development on the Planning Policy document “Control of Development in Airport Public Safety Zones”. Members agreed to return to consider this issue in more detail in the coming weeks.
- Members noted additional statistics provided by Help the Aged.
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Oral Briefing from representatives of the trust ports on Ports Policy Review.
Representatives of the trust ports joined the meeting at 10.45am.
William Irwin joined the meeting at 10.46am.
Oral briefings were received from the following representatives on the main issues arising from the proposed Ports Policy for Northern Ireland:
- Roy Adair and Len O’Hagan from Belfast Harbour;
- Brian McGrath, Garvan O’Doherty, and Stephen Gillespie from Londonderry Port;
- Captain Pat McKeegan and Ian Donaghy from Coleraine Port; and
- Peter Conway, Jim Stewart, and Kieran Grant from Warrenpoint Harbour.
The representatives of each trust port gave a short presentation to the Committee followed by a question and answer session. The Chairperson thanked all the representatives for taking the time to attend the meeting. The Committee resolved that any additional material requested during the briefings be forwarded to the Committee.
Members agreed, in outline terms,the main issues that would form the basis of their response to the Minister on the Ports Policy Review. Members also agreed to follow up specific items which arose in relation to Londonderry Port and Coleraine Port.
The representatives of the trust ports left the meeting at 12.01pm.
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Consideration of the Committee’s response to the draft Budget, draft Investment Strategy and draft Programme for Government.
William Irwin & Brian Wilson left the meeting at 12.30pm.
Members noted the Clerk’s note with a draft response on the draft Budget, Investment Strategy and Programme for Government. Members discussed and agreed a final response to the Chairperson of the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister and a response to the Chairperson of the Finance and Personnel Committee.
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Department for Regional Development Equality Scheme Quarterly Progress Report.
Members noted the quarterly progress on the Department’s equality scheme and agreed to return to the disability action plan aspects of this report during future Committee consideration of concessionary fares and rural transport.
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Subordinate Legislation.
Members were content with the following SL1s noted at the meeting of 21 November 2007:
- The Donaghadee (Harbour Area) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007, and
- The Trunk Road T21 ( Belfast to Carrickfergus) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
Members were content with the following SL1 noted at the meeting of 24 October 2007:
- The Trunk Road T15 ( Carland Bridge Realignment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
Members noted the following new SL1s received:
- The Waiting Restrictions (Maghera) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007, and
- The Traffic Weight Restriction Orders (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008.
Members noted receipt of the following Statutory Rules which are not subject to any Assembly procedure :
- The Prohibition of Traffic (Woodvale, Belfast) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007, and
- 2007/478 The Cycle Tracks ( Chichester Street, Belfast) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.
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Correspondence
Members noted receipt of the following items of correspondence:
- Draft Committee response to the Inquiry into Child Poverty being held by the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Members agreed that this letter would be forwarded to the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.
- Email dated 26 November 2007 from Northern Ireland Water (NIW) outlining the planned disposal of Craigahulliar Impounding Reservoir, Corbally Road, Portrush and guidance notes stating how NIW disposes of land no longer required.
- BBC News article dated November 26 2007 entitled: “Water firm notches up £16m bill” and the Northern Ireland Water statement regarding the £16m spend on consultants.
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Any Other Business.
There was no other business.
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Date, venue and time of next meeting.
Next week’s meeting will be in Parliament Buildings in Room 144 at 10.30am on Wednesday 5 December 2007.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.46 pm.