Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
WEDNESDAY 02 JUNE 2010
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Cathal Boylan MLA
Willie Clarke MLA
Danny Kinahan MLA
Billy Leonard MLA
Ian McCrea MLA
Conall McDevitt MLA
George Robinson MLA

In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Trevor Allen (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Andrew Larmour (Clerical Supervisor)
Alison Ferguson (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Allan Bresland MLA
Trevor Lunn MLA

The meeting commenced at 10.36am 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 26 May 2010

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

3. Matters Arising
4. Departmental update briefing on the A5/A8 Road Schemes

10.43am Mr Boylan joined the meeting.

Members noted updates from Roads Service on the A5 and A8 road schemes and also noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development in response to a request for information arising from the Department’s briefing to the Committee on this issue on 30 September 2009.

10.49am Mr Robinson joined the meeting.

The Committee received an update briefing from Roads Service officials, Malcolm Glover, Conor Loughrey and John White , on the ongoing road schemes.

Agreed: Members agreed to request a Departmental briefing on the subject of social issues, to be included in the contracts to be awarded.

5. Tribunal Reform Programme Consultation

The Committee noted correspondence from the Department of Justice and the Committee for Justice in relation to the Tribunal Reform Programme consultation.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to defer final consideration of its response to the Committee for Justice to the meeting of 9 June 2010.

6. June 2010 Monitoring Round

11.09am The meeting moved into closed session.

Members noted the Department for Regional Development’s submission on the June 2010 Monitoring Round.

Agreed: Members agreed a response to the Department, subject to amendment, on its June 2010 Monitoring Round position, for issue today.

Agreed: The Committee also agreed to request Departmental briefings, and to table a Committee motion, early in the new session on the issue of roads structural maintenance.

7. Finance and Personnel Committee Inquiry into the Role of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Scrutinising the Executive’s Budget and Expenditure

The Committee noted correspondence from the Finance and Personnel Committee, and Assembly Research papers, on the above issue.

Agreed: The Committee considered and agreed, subject to amendment, its response to the Finance and Personnel Committee.

11.50am Mr Cobain left the meeting; Miss McIlveen took the Chair.

11.51am The meeting returned to open session.

8. Sustainable Transport Inquiry: Consideration and agreement of draft heads of report

11.53am Mr McCrea left the meeting.

The Committee noted a summary of the oral evidence received, and an analysis of the written evidence received, on its Sustainable Transport Inquiry.

Agreed: The Committee considered and agreed, subject to amendment, the heads of report, in advance of considering an early draft of its inquiry report on 16 June 2010, with a view to agreeing a draft report before the summer recess and scheduling Plenary debate early in the 2010-2011 session.

9. Subordinate Legislation

Members noted the following Departmental proposal to make subordinate legislation:

Members noted that the SL1 memo from the Department on the above proposal made no reference to its having been the subject of a public inquiry. Members noted that the Department has confirmed that the police service and relevant local council affected by the above proposal has been informed, and the Committee office has not received any comments from the relevant council regarding this policy proposal.

Members considered the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation, which were noted at the Committee meeting on 26 May 2010:

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

12.00pm Mr McCrea returned to the meeting.

Members noted receipt of the following statutory rule:

Members noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules will report on this statutory rule in his Seventeenth Report to the Assembly, to be published on 11 June 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 Sixteenth Report to the Assembly for 2009/10, made no comment on the rule.

Members also considered the objections to this rule that had been received by the Department for Regional Development and not withdrawn.

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

‘That the Committee for Regional Development has considered 2010/177 The College Park / College Park East, Belfast (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2010 and has no objection to the rule.’

All those in favour: Cathal Boylan, Willie Clarke, Fred Cobain, Danny Kinahan, Billy Leonard, Ian McCrea, Conall McDevitt, 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.

10. Correspondence

Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister in relation to the Commissioner for Older People Bill and agreed to defer consideration of its response to that Committee until the meeting of 9 June 2010.

Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Rural Community Network, requesting a contribution to its next edition of Network News on the issue of rural transport. Members agreed to this request and decided to agree its contribution to Network News at the meeting of 16 June 2010.

The Committee noted the Consumer Council’s Corporate Plan 2011-2014.

Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety requesting a submission from the Department for Regional Development on the Committee Stage of the Sunbeds Bill, and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for consideration and response.

Members noted the following Departmental press releases:

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Minister for Regional Development on the transfer of Coleraine Harbour and agreed to request a Departmental briefing on the issue.

Members noted an invitation to attend the official opening of the Enniskillen Waste Water Treatment Works on 9 June 2010.

11. 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: Following the Belfast Cycle City conference on 1 June 2010, the Committee agreed to request a Departmental briefing on the proposals for the development, in conjunction with Strategic Investment Board (SIB), of a cycle scheme for Belfast.

12. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 9 June 2010 at 10.30 am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.

The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.10pm.

Fred Cobain , MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development
8 June 2010

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