COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2010
CLARION HOTEL, CARRICKGERGUS
Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Cathal Boylan MLA
Allan Bresland MLA
Tommy Gallagher MLA
Danny Kinahan 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:
Willie Clarke MLA
Raymond McCartney MLA
The meeting commenced at10.14am in open session. The Deputy Chairperson took the chair.
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 10 February 2010
Agreed : The minutes were agreed for publication on the Assembly’s website.
3. Matters Arising
- Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 8 February 2010, indicating its views on the report of the Northern Ireland Marine Task Force.
- Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 9 February 2010, in response to a request for information on the screening of policies in its Equality Unit’s Quarterly Report.
- Agreed: Members noted responses from Lisburn City Council and the Command Secretary of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to the Committee’s consultation on the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and agreed to consider the responses during its Consideration Stage of the Bill.
- Agreed: Members noted additional requested information on the issue of airport noise from Assembly Research and Library Services and agreed to forward the information to the Committee for the Environment for consideration.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 5 February 2010, in relation to the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Committee for the Environment.
- Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 11 February 2010, in relation to the role of infrastructure investment in stimulating economic growth.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 11 February 2010, in relation to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure’s inquiry into participating in sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure.
4. Arrangements for Committee visit to the salt mine at Kilroot
Members noted information in relation to the Committee’s visit to the salt mine at Kilroot following this meeting and also noted a list of Assembly questions on the issue of salt provision and road gritting.
5. Sustainable Transport Inquiry
10.28am Mr Wilson joined the meeting.
The Committee noted research papers from Assembly Research and Library Services entitled “Sustainable Transport: Actions in Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, England and Wales” and “Comparison of ‘First Steps’ strategy to the draft ‘everyone’s involved’ strategy”.
The Committee received a briefing from Assembly Research and Library Services on the above papers.
10.44am Mr Cobain joined the meeting and took the Chair.
10.44am Mr Robinson left the meeting.
The Committee received a briefing from Committee office staff on the issues emerging from submissions received on the Committee’s Sustainable Transport Inquiry.
10.47am Mr Robinson returned to the meeting.
Agreed: Members decided to extend invitations to this event to groups not represented in the written submissions received to date.
Agreed: Members agreed to host the Committee’s oral evidence gathering event with key stakeholders on 18 March 2010.
6. Subordinate Legislation
Members noted the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation:
- The Waiting Restrictions (Dungannon) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010;
- The Parking Places (Disabled Persons’ Vehicles) (Amendment No.4) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010;
- The Waiting Restrictions (Lurgan) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010; and
- The Prohibition of Right-Hand Turn (Newtownards) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010 & The Waiting Restrictions (Newtownards) (Amendment) 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.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department for Regional Development seeking further information on “ The Prohibition of Right-Hand Turn (Newtownards) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010 & The Waiting Restrictions (Newtownards) (Amendment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010”.
Members considered the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation, which were noted at the Committee meeting on 10 February 2010:
- 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.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it is content with the policy merits of The Candahar Street, Belfast (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010 SL1, subject to the resolution of the objections received.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it is content with the policy merits of the remaining SL1s.
7. Correspondence
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from t he Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment on the Draft Tourism Strategy for Northern Ireland and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development for comment.
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from t he Committee for Social Development on the “Access and Mobility Study for Belfast” and agreed to consider the correspondence further during the Committee’s work on accessible transport.
Members noted correspondence from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister in relation to the rescheduling of the PfG Delivery Report Take Note Debate.
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from t he Committee for the Environment on the issue of roads safety in rural areas and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development for consideration.
Agreed: Members noted correspondence from t he Department for Regional Development on the issue of procurement of road signs and agreed to write to the Department seeking additional information on this issue. Members also decided to consider the content of this item of correspondence and to revisit it, if necessary, in the coming weeks.
Members noted the following invitations:
- Invitation from the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation to its Seminar on “How our society makes decisions about its investment priorities” on 12 March 2010 at the Linenhall Library, Belfast.
- Invitation from AdviceNI to its Annual General Meeting 2009/10 on 26 February 2010 at the Northern Ireland Science Park, Belfast.
- Invitation from Northern Ireland Water to its stakeholder forum “Climate Change – Challenges for the watercycle” on 10 March 2010 at Castle Espie Wetlands Centre.
Members noted the following newsletters:
- Equality Commission eNewsletter – February 2010; and
- Northern Ireland Water – Waterline January 2010.
Members noted the following press release:
Department for Regional Development – “Funding for water and sewerage charges”.
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.
9. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 24 February 2010 at 10.30 am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.02am.
Fred Cobain , MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development
24 February 2010