COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 16 JANUARY 2008
PARK PLAZA HOTEL, BELFAST

Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Willie Clarke MLA
John Dallat MLA
William Irwin MLA
John McCallister MLA
Raymond McCartney MLA
George Robinson MLA
Jim Wells MLA
Brian Wilson MLA

In Attendance:

Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Clairita Frazer (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Pauline Devlin (Clerical Supervisor)
Annette Page (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Stephen Moutray MLA
Cathal Boylan MLA

The meeting opened at 10.30 a.m. in public session.

1. Apologies.

Apologies were received from Stephen Moutray and Cathal Boylan.

Willie Clarke joined the meeting at 10.31a.m.
John McCallister joined the meeting at 10.32a.m.

2. Chairperson’s Business.

Members noted that receipt of the Strand Two report is on schedule and would be received in the Committee office on 17 th January 2008; timings will be confirmed via text message from the Clerk.

• Members noted that photographic identification was required for the visit to the International Airport, immediately following this meeting.

3. Draft minutes of the Committee meeting on 9 January 2008.

The minutes of the meeting on 9 th January 2008 were agreed. 

4. Matters Arising

• Members noted the Northern Ireland Water (NIW) six-monthly Interim Report for the period 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007, which was published 10 January 2008.
• Members agreed to invite NIW officials to brief the Committee on this report.  

5. Ministerial Briefing on City of Derry Airport

The Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy, MP MLA and a Departmental official, Keith Walsh, joined the meeting at 10.35 a.m.

The Minister for Regional Development briefed the Committee on his intention to consult with the Irish Government on joint funding for the City of Derry airport.
The Minister agreed to provide the Committee with further financial information and passenger numbers for the City of Derry airport.
The Committee agreed to schedule further committee time to explore the issues arising from this briefing.

Keith Walsh left the meeting at11.00 a.m.

6. Ministerial Briefing on the Equality Impacts of the DRD elements of the draft Budget, Programme for Government and Investment Strategy.

Departmental officials Brendan Devlin and Margaret Langhammer joined the Minister at the meeting at 11.00 a.m.

The Minister for Regional Development briefed the Committee on the Departmental consultation on the Equality Impacts of the DRD elements of the draft Budget, Programme for Government and Investment Strategy.
The Minister agreed to provide the Committee with an overview of outcome of the consultation process, including details of responses received, figures and attendance at public meeting sessions.

The Chairperson thanked the Minister and officials for their briefing.

The Minister and the Departmental officials left the meeting at 11.25 a.m.

7. Subordinate Legislation.

Members were content with the following SL1s noted at the meeting of 9 January 2008:

• The Parking Places (Disabled Persons’ Vehicles) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008; and
• The Bus Lane ( Smithfield Street, Lisburn) (Revocation) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008.

Members noted the following new SL1s received:

• The Motorways Traffic Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008,
• The Penalty Charges (Additional Contraventions) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008,
• The Loading Bays on Roads (Amendment No.2) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008 & The Parking Places on Roads Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008; and
• The Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008.

Members noted receipt of the following Statutory Rules which are not subject to any Assembly procedure:

• 509/2007 The Waiting Restrictions (Cookstown) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007,
• 508/2007 The Waiting Restrictions (Magherafelt) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007,
• 02/2008 The On-Street Parking (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008,
• 04/2008 The Loading Bays on Roads (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008,
• 05/2008 The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Ballymoney) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008,
• 06/2008 The One-Way Traffic (Portrush) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008,
• 07/2008 The Parking Places on Roads (Warrenpoint) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008.

Members agreed to seek further information on the following Statutory Rule, which is not subject to any Assembly procedure:

• 08/2008 The Parking Places on Roads ( Newcastle) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008

Members noted the following Statutory Rule subject to negative resolution. The Examiner of Statutory Rules will forward his report before the end of the statutory period.

• 2008/1 The Moneymore Road, Cookstown (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008.

8. Correspondence

Members noted receipt of the following items of correspondence:

• Letter dated 2 January 2008 from Healthy Cities Belfast attaching a copy of their annual report for 2006-2007 and a leaflet outlining a number of seminars which the organisation is hosting.
• Memo dated 8 January 2008 from Paul Carlisle Clerk of the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development outlining the terms of reference for the Committee Inquiry into renewable energy and alternative land use.

Members agreed to schedule some time at a future meeting to respond to this Inquiry.

Members agreed that a letter from the Committee Chairperson William McCrea is forwarded to the Minister for Regional Development.

9. Any Other Business.

Members agreed to seek further information about the issue of the NCP contract which is up for renewal.

10. Date, venue and time of next meeting.

The next meeting will be in Parliament Buildings in Room 144, at 11am on Monday 21 January 2008.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.45 a.m.

Signed:
FRED COBAIN MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development.
Dated:

09 January / Menu