COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 27 JANUARY 2010
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Allan Bresland MLA
Willie Clarke MLA
Tommy Gallagher MLA
Danny Kinahan MLA
Raymond McCartney MLA
Ian McCrea MLA
George Robinson MLA
Brian Wilson MLA
In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Trevor Allen (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Andrew Larmour (Clerical Supervisor)
Alison Ferguson (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Cathal Boylan MLA
The meeting commenced at 10.34am in open session.
Members noted a tabled amended agenda for the meeting.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
Members noted papers which were tabled for consideration later in the meeting.
2. Draft Minutes of Meeting held on 20 January 2010
Agreed : The minutes were agreed for publication on the Assembly’s website.
3. Matters Arising
10.41am Mr Robinson joined the meeting
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, dated 18 January 2010, in response to the Committee for Regional Development’s Accessible Transport event report and agreed to consider the submission as part of the Committee’s work on this issue.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, dated 18 January 2010, in response to issues raised by a member of the public in relation to services to disabled people and agreed to forward the correspondence to the member of the public for information.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 18 January 2010, in response to a briefing request on the issue of dams and reservoirs and agreed to write to the Committee and Department for Agriculture and Rural Development on the issue.
- Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 21 January 2010, following the briefing from Roads Service on 13 January 2010 on the issue of its winter service, including the Roads Service presentation.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Employment and Learning, dated 21 January 2010, in response to the Committee for Regional Development’s Accessible Transport event report and agreed to consider the submission as part of the Committee’s work on this issue.
- Agreed: Members noted an issues paper, following a briefing to the Committee from the Community Transport Association on 20 January 2010, and agreed to write to all Statutory Committees and their respective departments requesting information on monetary and non-monetary support offered for community transport provision and requesting an overview of their roles and responsibilities in relation to community transport. Members also agreed to request a research paper, from Assembly Research and Library Services, on community transport provision in other jurisdictions and information on the funding of community transport by public sector bodies throughout Northern Ireland.
4. Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill
Members noted a Hansard report of the Second Stage debate on the Bill and a paper from a Member detailing points raised during the debate.
The Committee received a briefing from Assembly Research and Library Services that provided a synopsis of the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and highlighted the provisions of the Bill. The briefing also included a comparison of the provisions for managing events on roads and permit schemes in England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
10.50am The meeting moved into closed session
Agreed: Members considered and agreed a timetable for the Committee Stage of the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.
Agreed: Members considered and agreed a motion to the Assembly to extend the time to report on the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.
Agreed: Members considered and agreed, subject to amendment, a list of key stakeholders to be contacted to make submissions to the Committee during the Committee Stage of the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.
11.01am The meeting returned in open session
5. Revised Expenditure Plans: Briefing from Assembly Research and Library Services
11.14am Mr Kinahan joined the meeting
Members noted an issues paper on the Revised Expenditure Plans and correspondence from the Department for Regional Development in relation to a briefing to the Committee on the Revised Expenditure Plans.
The Committee received a briefing from Assembly Research and Library Services on the role of infrastructure investment in stimulating economic growth during a recession.
Agreed: Following Members’ questions on the briefing, the Committee agreed to forward the paper to the Department for Regional Development for comment. Members also agreed to publish the research paper on the Assembly website and that the paper be included in the Committee’s submission to the Finance and Personnel Committee on the Revised Expenditure Plans.
6. Equality Unit Quarterly Report
Agreed: Members noted the Department for Regional Development’s Equality Unit’s Quarterly Report and agreed to request additional information on the screening out of the policy for Half Fare Smartpass Usage on Public Transport Return Journeys.
7. Correspondence
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Utility Regulator regarding the revised programme for the publication of the PC10 Final Determination. Members agreed to schedule a briefing on the Final Determination on 10 February 2010 and also to request that Utility Regulator officials meet with the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson in advance of the publication of the Final Determination.
Members noted the Community Relations Council’s annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2009.
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on its inquiry into participation in sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development for comment.
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on the promotion of townland names and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development for comment.
Agreed: Members noted Northern Ireland Water’s response to customer supply problems in County Tyrone and agreed to consider this item during a briefing to the Committee on this issue.
Agreed: Members noted the report of the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister on its inquiry into European Issues and agreed to defer consideration of this report to a future meeting.
Members noted the following invitations:
- Invitation from CPPS Seminars to attend the “Effectively Reducing Health Inequalities” seminar on 22 February 2010 at the Royal Commonwealth Society, London;
- Invitation from BMF Business Services to attend the “Northern Ireland Housing Conference 2010” on 25 March 2010 at the Stormont Hotel, Belfast; and
- Invitation from Belfast Healthy Cities to attend the “Health and health equity in all local policies” event on various dates throughout 2010 at Belfast Castle.
Members noted the following reports:
- Mineral Product Association’s Sustainable Development Report 2009; and
- DRD’s Northern Ireland Road and Rail Transport Statistics – July to September 2009.
Members noted the following press releases, previously emailed to Members:
- Northern Ireland Water - “ NI Water update on water supply interruptions”; and
- Department for Regional Development – “Roads Minister welcomes increase in funding for roads maintenance”.
11.23am The meeting moved into closed session
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Regional Development in relation to Northern Ireland Water and agreed to schedule a briefing from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Regional Development and the Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Water.
11.35am The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting
11.46am The meeting resumed in open session
8. Subordinate Legislation
The Committee received a briefing from Departmental officials Kevin Monaghan, Roy Gordon and David Millar on the Department’s proposed subordinate legislation “The Control of Traffic ( Belfast) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010 and the Parking Places on Roads ( Belfast) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010”.
Agreed: that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it is content with the policy merits of the associated SL1.
Agreed: Members agreed to explore the possibility of a site visit to the area of Belfast affected by the proposals and the Streets Ahead project.
Members noted the following Departmental proposal to make subordinate legislation:
- The Road Races (Cookstown 100) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010; and
- The Road Races (Tandragee 100) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010.
Members noted that the SL1 memos from the Department on the above proposals made no reference to their having been the subject of a public inquiry. Members noted that the Department has confirmed that the police service and relevant local councils affected by the above proposals have been informed, and the Committee office has not received any comments from the relevant councils regarding this policy proposal.
Members considered the following Statutory Rules which have been laid in the Assembly’s Business Office by the Department for Regional Development and are subject to the negative resolution procedure. Members noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules, in the Eighth Report to the Assembly for 2009/10, made no comments on these rules.
- SR 2009/406 The T8 Moira-Antrim-Magherafelt-Moneymore Trunk Road Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009; and
- SR 2009/421 The Charlestown Road, Portadown (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed to defer consideration of SR 2009/406 The T8 Moira-Antrim-Magherafelt-Moneymore Trunk Road Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009 to the Committee meeting on 3 February 2010.
In the absence of any objection, the following question was put and agreed:
‘That the Committee for Regional Development has considered SR 2009/421 The Charlestown Road, Portadown (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009 and has no objection to the rule.’
Members decided that the Clerk would inform the Business Office of the decisions made today.
9. Any Other Business
Agreed: Members considered a revised forward work programme for the Committee and agreed that the revised work programme should be published on the Assembly website.
10. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 3 February 2010 at 10.30 am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.
The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.15pm.