Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 10 MARCH 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
Raymond McCartney 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:
Brian Wilson MLA

The meeting commenced at 10.44am in open session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

Members noted papers which were tabled for consideration later in the meeting.

Members also noted correspondence from the Minister for Regional Development, dated 9 March 2010, informing the Chairperson of his intention to report to the Assembly on 22 March 2010 on the eighth meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council in the Transport Sector.

2. Draft Minutes of Meeting held on 3 March 2010

Agreed : The minutes were agreed for publication on the Assembly’s website.

3. Matters Arising

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for the Environment, dated 3 March 2010, on the issue of roads safety in rural areas, and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development for consideration.

Members noted responses from the Departments of Culture, Arts and Leisure; Education; Social Development; Finance and Personnel; and Enterprise, Trade and Investment in response to issues raised in Committee by the Community Transport Association.

Members noted correspondence from the Stroke Association Northern Ireland in response to the Review of 2010-11 Spending Plans by Northern Ireland government departments.

Members noted correspondence from the Environment Committee and a written briefing from the Department of the Environment in relation to the Northern Ireland Marine Task Force commissioned report on marine management in Northern Ireland. Members also noted the Marine Policy Statement and marine planning briefing paper from the Northern Ireland Marine Task Force.

Agreed: Members noted responses received from BT Ireland, Ballymena Borough Council, Limavady Borough Council, together with tabled responses from the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation, NILGA and the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee to the Committee’s consultation on the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and agreed to consider these responses during the Committee Stage of the Bill. Members also agreed to forward all responses received to the Department for Regional Development for consideration.

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 1 March 2010, in relation to the use of bus lanes by private hire taxis. Members noted their previous decisions and correspondence on this matter. The Committee decided that, as the Minister has already made his decision on the issue and informed the private hire companies on his decision, no further action was needed.

Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 3 March 2010, in relation to the allocation of additional funding to Roads Service, as a result of the December 2009 Monitoring Round.

Agreed: Members noted an invitation to attend the Transport Ireland 2010 conference on 29 April 2010 at Croke Park, Dublin, and agreed that an Assembly researcher should attend the event and report back to the Committee.

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 3 March 2010, on the issue of roads safety in rural areas, and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Committee for the Environment for information.

Members noted a gap analysis of written submissions in response to the public notice on its inquiry into sustainable transport. Members also noted attendees, timings and arrangements for the event on 18 March 2010 in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings.

10.53am The meeting moved into closed session.
10.53am Mr Gallagher joined the meeting.

Agreed: Members considered and agreed the Committee’s response to the Department for Regional Development following the closed session briefing on 3 March 2010 on the draft Road Safety Strategy for Northern Ireland.

4. Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

Members considered the Department’s delegated powers memorandum on the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and also considered written briefing on the memorandum from the Assembly’s Examiner of Statutory Rules.

11.00am The meeting returned to open session.

Members considered the responses received to date to its call for evidence.

The Committee received a briefing from Roads Service officials, Andrew Murray, Gerry Anketell, Harvey Hamilton, and Gerry Byrne, on the responses received to the Committee’s call for evidence .

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department in relation to the issues raised during the briefing.

Agreed: Having considered the responses received to date, the Committee agreed that, at this time, it was not necessary to call for oral evidence on the Committee Stage of the Bill. Members also decided that the Hansard transcript of the Departmental briefing be forwarded to the organisations who responded to the call for evidence for consideration.

5. Departmental briefing on The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

12.10pm Mr McCrea left the meeting.

The Committee received an update briefing from Departmental officials, Stuart Wightman and Paul McKenna, and from Margaret Herron of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, on proposed changes to the Water Supply (Water Quality) (Amendment) Regulations and noted the associated SL1, regulatory impact assessment and draft statutory rule.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider the policy merits of the SL1 at its meeting on 24 March 2010.

6. Departmental briefing on the Department’s Revised Expenditure Plans 2010-11

12.20pm Mr Clarke left the meeting.
12.26pm Mr McCrea returned to the meeting.

The Committee received a briefing from Departmental officials, Nigel McCormick, Ciaran Doran and Roger Downey, and from Roads Service officials, Terry Deehan and Philip Hamilton, on the Department’s Revised Expenditure Plans 2010-11.

12.54pm Mr Gallagher left the meeting.

Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department seeking clarification on a number of issues raised.

7. Subordinate Legislation

Members noted the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation:

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 these policy proposals.

Members considered the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation, which were noted at the Committee meeting on 3 March 2010:

Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it was content with the policy merits of these SL1s.

Members considered the following Departmental proposal to make subordinate legislation, which was noted at the Committee meeting on 17 February 2010:

Agreed: Having considered the additional information requested from the Department following the meeting on 17 February 2010, Members agreed to write to the Department indicating that the Committee was content with the policy merits of this SL1.

Members noted receipt of the following statutory rule:

Members noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules will report on this statutory rule in his Twelfth Report to the Assembly, to be published on 12 March 2010 .

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 Eleventh Report to the Assembly for 2009/10, made no comment on the rule.

In the absence of any objection, the following question was put and agreed:

‘That the Committee for Regional Development has considered SR 2010/35 The Dill Road, Castlereagh (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010 and has no objection to the rule.’

All those in favour: Cathal Boylan, Alan Bresland, Fred Cobain, Danny Kinahan, Raymond McCartney, Ian McCrea, Michelle McIlveen, 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.

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 will report on this rule in the Twelfth Report to the Assembly for 2009/10, to be published on 12 March 2010.

The Committee also noted correspondence from the Department in relation to concerns raised by the Examiner of Statutory Rules. In the absence of any objection, and subject to the Examiner’s Report, the following question was put and agreed:

‘That the Committee for Regional Development has considered SR 2010/29 The Footpath to rear of Ballyronan Park, Rathcoole, Newtownabbey (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010 and has no objection to the rule.’

All those in favour: Cathal Boylan, Alan Bresland, Fred Cobain, Danny Kinahan, Raymond McCartney, Ian McCrea, Michelle McIlveen, 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.

8. Correspondence

Members noted the Consumer Council’s draft Forward Work Programme for Energy, Water and Transport 2010/11 .

Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Social Development in relation to town centre regeneration and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development for comment.

Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Employment and Learning in relation to its inquiry into young people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development for comment.

Members noted an invitation from the Northern Ireland Ombudsman to attend the launch of a commemorative booklet to mark the 40 th Anniversary of the Office of the Northern Ireland Ombudsman on 24 Match 2010 at the Ombudsman’s office.

Members noted the first edition of the Special EU Programmes Body’s public affairs bulletin ‘euroPA’.

Members noted the following press releases:

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.

Members noted arrangements for the Committee’s Sustainable Transport Inquiry event, scheduled for 18 March 2010.

Agreed: Members noted an invitation to attend a seminar entitled “How best can we ensure maximum success and inclusivity of the rural economy, society and the environment?” on 7 May 2010 at the Royal Commonwealth Society, London, and agreed to consider the invitation at the meeting on 24 April 2010.

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 5 March 2010, in relation to the draft Tourism Strategy for Northern Ireland and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee for information.

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on the subject of a ‘bike to work’ scheme, in relation to 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.

10. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 24 March 2010 at 10.30 am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.04pm.

Fred Cobain , MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development
24 March 2010

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