COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2010
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Cathal Boylan MLA
Allan Bresland MLA
Willie Clarke MLA
Tommy Gallagher MLA
Danny Kinahan MLA
Ian McCrea MLA
George Robinson MLA
In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Trevor Allen (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Andrew Larmour (Clerical Supervisor)
Alison Ferguson (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Raymond McCartney MLA
Brian Wilson MLA
The meeting commenced at10.39am in open session.
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 3 February 2010
Agreed : The minutes were agreed for publication on the Assembly’s website.
3. Matters Arising
10.42am Mr Gallagher joined the meeting.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 29 January 2010, on the publication of the Department’s Accessible Transport Strategy Action Plan 2009-2012 and agreed to consider the correspondence, and the report, as part of the Committee’s planned work on this issue in April 2010.
- Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 1 February 2010, in response to the Committee’s request for a copy of a briefing paper from 6 January 2010, and further background information, on the Transfer of Functions Bill.
- Agreed: Members noted IMTAC’s response to the Department for Regional Development’s Public Transport Reform consultation and agreed to consider the response as part of the Committee’s planned work on this issue.
- Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 3 February 2010, in response to the Committee’s request for information on the Promoting Social Inclusions (PSI) Working Group Report.
- Members noted correspondence from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Regional Development, dated 3 February 2010, to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on the promotion of townland names.
- Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 2 February 2010, in relation to changes to the A6 Randalstown to Toome dualling proposals for the Drumderg and Roguery Road junction.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department of the Environment, dated 21 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 Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy MP MLA, dated 9 February 2010, regarding the Department’s Revised Expenditure Plans for 2010-11 and agreed to write to the Department seeking clarification on issues raised and also requesting a Departmental oral briefing on the response.
4. PC 10 Final Determination by the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation
10.44am The meeting moved into closed session.
10.45am Representatives from the Utility Regulator’s office joined the meeting.
The Committee received a briefing from representatives from the Utility Regulator’s office, Iain Osborne, Jo Aston, and John B Mills, on the Price Control 2010-2013 Final Determination by the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation.
10.52am Mr Robinson joined the meeting.
10.57am Mr Boylan joined the meeting.
11.29am Representatives from the Utility Regulator’s office left the meeting.
11.30am Executives from Northern Ireland Water joined the meeting.
The Committee then received a briefing from executives from Northern Ireland Water, Laurence MacKenzie, Ronan Larkin and Pat McParland , on the Final Determination.
12.19pm Mr Clarke left the meeting.
12.26pm Mr Gallagher left the meeting.
12.29pm officials from the Department for Regional Development joined the meeting.
The Committee then received a briefing from Departmental officials, Paul Priestly and John Mills, on the Final Determination.
12.32pm Mr Gallagher returned to the meeting.
12.34pm Mr McCrea left the meeting.
12.39pm Miss McIlveen left the meeting.
12.45pm Miss McIlveen returned to the meeting.
12.48pm officials from the Department for Regional Development left the meeting.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the witnesses for each of the briefings requesting written answers to a range of questions and issues.
12.48pm The meeting returned in open session.
5. Sustainable Transport Inquiry
Agreed: Members agreed to defer research briefings and a briefing on the emerging issues from the written submissions to the Committee’s Sustainable Transport inquiry to the meeting on 17 February 2010.
Agreed: Members agreed to host an oral evidence gathering event with key stakeholders during March 2010.
6. Subordinate Legislation
Members noted the following Departmental proposal to make subordinate legislation:
- The Candahar Street, Belfast (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010;
- The Parking and Waiting Restrictions ( Belfast) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010 - Part 2;
- The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Crumlin) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010;
- The Taxis (Londonderry) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010;
- The Road Races (Garron Point Hill Climb) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010;
- The Road Races (Drumhorc Hill Climb) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010;
- The Roads (Speed Limit) (No.3) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010; and
- The One-Way Traffic (Lisbellaw) 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 Rule which was laid in the Assembly’s Business Office by the Department for Regional Development and is 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 comment on the rule.
- SR 2009/406 The T8 Moira-Antrim-Magherafelt-Moneymore Trunk Road Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009.
In the absence of any objection, the following question was put and agreed:
‘That the Committee for Regional Development has considered SR 2009/406 The T8 Moira-Antrim-Magherafelt-Moneymore Trunk Road Order ( Northern Ireland) 2009 and has no objection to the rule.’
All those in favour: Cathal Boylan, Alan Bresland, Fred Cobain, Tommy Gallagher, Danny Kinahan, Michelle McIlveen and George Robinson.
Those against: None.
All Members present voted. No Members present abstained.
Members decided that the Committee Clerk would inform the Business Office of the decision made today.
7. Correspondence
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from t he Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on the issue of legislation for cycling road races and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Minister for Regional Development for comment.
Members noted correspondence from t he Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the recommendations of its Child Poverty Inquiry.
Agreed: Members noted an invitation from the Community Transport Association to attend the Access10 conference from 23 February to 25 February 2010 at Manchester Central Station. The Committee agreed that an Assembly Research Officer should attend the conference on the Committee’s behalf, and provide a written report on the conference to the Committee.
Members noted the published report entitled “Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Road Transport: Baseline Report 2990-2007” from the Department for Regional Development
8. 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.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department for Regional Development in relation to an issue raised by a Member regarding the closure of the A34 Newtownbutler to Clones main road.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department for Regional Development requesting detail on the spending plans for the additional £15 million allocated to the Department in the December 2009 Monitoring Round.
9. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 at 10.00 am at the Clarion Hotel, Carrickfergus. This meeting will be followed by a visit to the salt mine at Kilroot.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.54pm.
Fred Cobain , MLA
Deputy, Committee for Regional Development
17 February 2010