COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Wednesday 28 JANUARY 2009
Room 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Fred Cobain, MLA (Chairperson).
Cathal Boylan, MLA.
Willie Clarke, MLA.
John Dallat, MLA.
John McCallister, MLA.
Raymond McCartney, MLA.
George Robinson, MLA.
Alastair Ross, MLA.
Jim Wells, MLA.
Brian Wilson, MLA.
In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk).
Conor Coughlin (Assistant Assembly Clerk).
Pauline Devlin (Clerical Supervisor).
Annette Page (Clerical Officer).
Apologies:
Allan Bresland , MLA.
Members decided to commence the meeting at 10.38 a.m. in open session.
1. Apologies.
Apologies were received from:
Allan Bresland , MLA.
2. The minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2008.
The minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2009 were agreed.
3. Matters Arising.
Members noted receipt of the report on sickness absence in the Department for Regional Development (DRD), for non-industrial staff during the 2007/2008 financial year and trend information for the six years from 2001/2002. Members decided to request briefing from Department officials on sickness absence in DRD for both industrial and non-industrial staff. Members also decided to commission further research on sickness absence of both industrial and non-industrial staff in DRD.
Members noted receipt of the Consumer Council’s additional evidence submitted to the Committee inquiry.
Members noted receipt of the consultation document from the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation on its Social Action Plan for 2009-2014. Members decided to respond to the consultation for the Social Action Plan 2009-2014. Members also decided to write to the Department requesting that it copy the Committee into any response it makes to this consultation.
John McCallister joined the meeting at 10.45 a.m.
Members noted receipt of the equality quarterly progress report and associated annexes, compiled by the Department’s Equality Unit, for the period ended 31 December 2008. Members decided to request briefing from the Rural Community Network on ‘A day in the life of a village’ at a future date in the forward work programme.
Members noted receipt of an all party notice regarding the meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council which was held in the University of Ulster, Magee, on 23 January 2009, which is to be attended by the Minister for Regional Development. Members decided to request written briefing from the Department on the items under discussion at the North-South Ministerial Council and to request that they be kept informed of all associated progress and outcomes.
Members noted receipt of correspondence, dated 20 January 2009, on behalf of the Minister for Regional Development, responding to Mr Gordon Best, of the Quarry Products Association of Northern Ireland (QPANI), and correspondence, dated 22 January 2009, from Mr Gordon Best of QPANI, regarding the proposal to protect jobs in the roads maintenance industry. Members also noted receipt of correspondence, dated 22 January 2009, from Mitchel McLaughlin MLA, Chairperson of the Finance and Personnel Committee, regarding the QPANI proposals, to Mr Nigel Dodds MLA, Minister of Finance and Personnel.
Members decided to write to the Minister for Regional Development, forwarding a copy of the letter from the Finance and Personnel Committee to the Finance Minister, and advising the Minster of the Committee’s request for clarification from the Finance and Personnel Committee. Members also decided to issue a press release, offering the Minister for Regional Development whatever support he required to address this important matter with his Executive colleagues, for release in the week beginning 2 February 2009.
Members noted receipt of the draft guidance on port master plans. Members noted that at the meeting of 21 January 2009, the Committee was quorate to hear evidence, but did not have the required number of Members present to transact business. Members decided to write to the Department, noting its intention to consult on this topic, and to request to be kept appraised of the public consultation. Members also decided to seek views from Belfast, Larne, Warrenpoint, Derry/Londonderry and Coleraine Ports, and to request to be copied into any response submitted to the Department as part of the consultation process.
Members noted receipt of correspondence, dated 23 January 2009, from Northern Ireland Water (NIW) advising the Committee of the planned publication of its second interim annual report, covering the first six months of the financial year 2008-2009. Members also noted NIW’s offer to brief the Committee in more detail on the report. Members decided to request more detailed oral briefing from NIW at a future date in the forward work programme.
4. Northern Ireland Water Cost and Performance Report: Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (NIAUR) briefing.
NIAUR executives Iain Osborne and Jo Aston joined the meeting at 10.58 a.m.
Members received briefing from NIAUR executives on Northern Ireland Water’s Cost and Performance Report.
Following a question and answer session with officials, Members thanked the NIAUR executives for their briefing.
Brian Wilson left the meeting at 11.25 a.m.
NIAUR executives Iain Osborne and Jo Aston left the meeting at 11.55 a.m.
Members decided to request further information from NIAUR concerning the average number of pollution incidents in England and Wales.
5. Subordinate Legislation.
Members noted receipt of the following new SL1s:
- The On-Street Parking Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009;
- The Roads (Speed Limit) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009;
- The Glen Road, Londonderry (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009; and
- The Road Races (Benbradagh Hill Climb) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009.
Members noted receipt of the following statutory rules which are not subject to any Assembly procedure:
- The Waiting Restrictions (Portstewart) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009; and
- The Loading Bays and Parking Places on Roads (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009.
Members noted receipt of the following statutory rule, which is subject to negative resolution:
- The Old Carrick Road, Newtownabbey (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009.
Members also noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules will forward his report on this rule before the end of the relevant statutory period, which is 17 February 2009.
Members noted that the Eighth Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committees, 2008/09 session, was published on 16 January 2009. Members also noted that the following statutory rule, subject to negative resolution, is included in the Examiner’s report:
- 2008/501 The Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008.
In the absence of any objections, the following question was put and agreed:
‘That the Committee for Regional Development has considered 2008/501 the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008 and has no objection to the rule.’
All those in favour: Fred Cobain, Cathal Boylan, Willie Clarke, John Dallat, John McCallister, Raymond McCartney, George Robinson, Alastair Ross and Jim Wells.
All those against: none
Members noted that, due to the closeness of the end of the statutory period, the Committee was being asked to consider the following rule subject to the content of the Examiner of Statutory Rules’ report, which is due to be published on 30 January 2009:
- 2009/6 The Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2009.
Members noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules had indicated that no comment will be made on this rule in his forthcoming report.
In the absence of any objections, and subject to the content of the Examiner of Statutory Rules’ report the following question was put and agreed:
‘That the Committee for Regional Development has considered 2009/6 the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2009 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules’ report , has no objection to the rule.’
All those in favour: Fred Cobain, Cathal Boylan, Willie Clarke, John Dallat, John McCallister, Raymond McCartney, George Robinson, Alastair Ross and Jim Wells.
All those against: none
Members noted that the Committee Clerk will inform the Business Office of the decisions reached by the Committee.
6. Correspondence.
Members noted receipt of the Belfast Healthy Cities Annual Report 2007-2008. Members noted that copies of this report were available upon request from the Committee office.
Members noted receipt of an invitation to a cross-cutting seminar with the Environment Minister, Sammy Wilson, MP, MLA and key players from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, on “Achieving excellent local governance in Northern Ireland: Building on best policy and practice elsewhere in the UK.” This event is to be held on Thursday 12 March, 2009 in the Stormont Hotel, Belfast. Members noted that they should contact the Committee office if they wish to attend this conference.
Members noted receipt of press releases, dated 22 January 2009, from the Department of the Environment and Northern Ireland Water, in relation to the pollution of the Glenavy River.
7. Any other business.
Members noted indicative dates for potential Committee visits, to Dublin, indicatively scheduled for 24 – 26 March 2009, and Scotland, indicatively scheduled for 21-23 April 2009.
Members decided to check their diaries and confirm their availability to attend to the Committee office.
8. Date, Time and Place of next meeting.
The next meeting of the Regional Development Committee will take place on Wednesday 4 February 2009, in Room 21, Parliament Buildings at 10.30 a.m.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.05 p.m.