COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Wednesday 23 January 2008
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
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)
Stephanie Galbraith (Researcher)
Apologies: Stephen Moutray MLA
Members agreed to hold the meeting in public session.
The meeting opened at 10.40 a.m. in public session.
1. Apologies.
Apologies were received from Stephen Moutray.
2. Matters Arising.
Members were reminded that an extra meeting had been scheduled for Thursday 24 January 2008 to agree the Committee’s response to the Independent Review Panel’s Strand Two Report.
The Committee noted correspondence from the Department regarding issues which the Committee can expect to receive in the coming months.
The Committee noted a copy of the Minister for Finance’s statement to the House on behalf of the Executive on the December Monitoring outcome.
The Committee noted an update from the Department on the Trunk Road T8 (Randalstown to Toome) and Trunk Road (Toome to Castledawson).
3. Draft Minutes of the Committee meeting on 16 January 2008.
The minutes of the meeting on 16 th January 2008 were agreed.
The meeting was suspended at 10.46 a.m.
The meeting reconvened at 10.52 a.m.
The Committee agreed to move into closed session at 10.52am.
4. Briefing from the Department on the Strand Two Report on Water and Sewerage.
John Mills of the Department for Regional Development joined the meeting at 10.52am.
Cathal Boylan joined the meeting at 10.53 a.m.
Mr Mills briefed the Committee on aspects of the Strand Two Report, Management, Governance and Delivery.
Cathal Boylan left the meeting at 11.06am.
Mr Mills left the meeting at 11.28am.
5. Briefing from the Minister for Regional Development on the Strand Two Report on Water and Sewerage.
The Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy MP MLA, Nigel McCormick, John Mills and David Sterling joined the meeting at 11.31am.
The Minister and officials from the Department briefed the Committee on the Strand Two report, Management, Governance and Delivery.
Cathal Boylan rejoined the meeting at 11.44am.
The Minister and Departmental officials left the meeting at 12.09pm.
The Committee was suspended at 12.10 p.m.
The Committee reconvened at 12.20 p.m.
The Committee agreed to move into public session at 12.20 p.m.
6. Briefing from Translink on Background and Overview of Translink.
Translink officials Philip O’Neill and Ciaran Rogan joined the meeting at 12.20 p.m.
George Robinson joined the meeting at 12.23 p.m.
Philip O’Neill, Acting Chief Executive, Translink and Ciaran Rogan, Marketing Executive briefed the Committee on Translink background and Overview.
Executives agreed to provide the Committee with further information on Members’ queries and extended an invitation to Members to visit a Translink site over the coming months.
7. Subordinate Legislation
Members were content with the following SL1s noted at the meeting of 16 January 2008:
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 the following new SL1s received:
The Street Works (Inspection Fees) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008; and
The Charlestown Road, Portadown (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008.
Members noted receipt of the following Statutory Rules which are not subject to any Assembly procedure:
09/2008 The Parking Places on Roads (Moira) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008;
10/2008 The Parking Places on Roads (Londonderry) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008; and
11/2008 The Cycle Routes (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008.
Members noted the following Statutory Rules subject to negative resolution. The Examiner of Statutory Rules will forward his report before the end of the statutory period.
2008/12 The Roshure Road, Desertmartin (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008; and
2008/13 The Airports (Designation) (Power to Detain and Sell Aircraft) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2008.
8. Correspondence
Members noted receipt of the following items of correspondence:
The first draft Combined Energy and Water Forward Work Programme 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 from the Consumer Council, which has been released for a twelve week consultation period.
Letter dated 11 January 2008 informing the Committee that the Department for Regional Development Resource Accounts for year ending March 2007 have been laid in the Business Office.
Memo dated 15 January 2008 from Lucia Wilson, Clerk to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment informing the Committee of their intention to launch the Draft Action Plan 2008-2011 for the Regional Innovation Strategy.
Memo dated 16 January 2008 from Marie Austin, Clerk to the Committee for Social Development informing the Committee of the introduction of The Charities Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Letter dated 17 January 2008 from Belfast Harbour Commissioners giving consent to publish their submission on the Ports Policy Review on the Northern Ireland Assembly website.
Letter dated 22 January 2008 from the Department for Regional Development setting out the implications for DRD of the final Budget 2008-2011 as announced by the Minister for Finance Peter Robinson in the Assembly on Tuesday 22 January 2008.
The Committee was suspended at 1.25 p.m.
The Committee reconvened at 2.16 p.m. in Room 21.
The Committee agreed to meeting in closed session.
9. Committee consideration of its response to the Strand Two Report of the Review of Water and Sewerage.
George Robinson joined the meeting at 2.18 p.m.
John McCallister joined the meeting at 2.40 p.m.
The Committee agreed an outline response to the Minister on the Strand Two report, Management, Governance and Delivery.
10.Date, venue and time of next meeting.
The next meeting will be in Parliament Buildings in the Private Dining Room, at 10.00am on Thursday 24 January 2008.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.35 p.m.
Signed: ……………………………………………
FRED COBAIN MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development.
Dated: ………………………………………….