COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 19 JANUARY 2011
ROOM 30 , PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Billy Armstrong MLA
Cathal Boylan MLA
Allan Bresland MLA
Billy Leonard MLA
Anna Lo 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:
Fra McCann MLA

The meeting commenced at 9.50am in closed session.

Agreed: The Committee noted and agreed a revised agenda for the meeting.

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

9.52am Mr McCrea joined the meeting.
10.00am Mr Armstrong, Mr Boylan and Mr Robinson joined the meeting.

The Committee received additional briefing from Assembly Research and Library Services analysing the Department for Regional Development’s Draft Budget position. .

10.03am Mr McDevitt joined the meeting.

The Committee continued its consideration of the outstanding issues on the Department’s Draft Budget proposals.

10.14am Mr Bresland left the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee considered and agreed a number of additional organisations to be invited to its stakeholder event on the Draft Budget on 26 January 2011.

10.21am The meeting moved into public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Draft Minutes of meetings held on 12 January and 18 January 2011

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

3. Matters Arising

• The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional development, dated 10 January 2011, in response to correspondence from a member of the public on the A6 dualling scheme.

10.22am Mr Bresland returned to the meeting.

• The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister for Regional Development, dated 29 December 2010 and 12 January 2011, in relation to additional amendments to, and the timetabling of, the Transport Bill.
• Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development and the Department of Finance and Personnel in relation to the Public Transport Reform Outline Business Case.
• Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Utility Regulator, the Department for Regional Development and the Environment Committee, in relation to Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) laid in the Assembly Business Office under Article 295 of the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. Members agreed to request briefing from the Utility Regulator and the Department on the content and implications of these memoranda.
• Members noted a response from the Department for Regional Development to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, dated 5 January 2011, on the use of anaerobic digestion by Northern Ireland Water.
• The Committee noted correspondence from the Minister for Regional Development, dated 22 December 2010, in relation to legislative proposals on water governance. Members also noted a paper prepared by the Clerk on the accelerated passage procedure.
• The Committee noted correspondence from Unite the Union in relation to the review of Northern Ireland Water.
• Members noted a publication from the Quarry Products Association (QPANI) entitled “The Economic Impact of Local Road Condition” and agreed to consider the publication as part of the Committee’s consideration of budget proposals.
• The Committee noted a statement to the Assembly by the Minister for Finance and Personnel on the 2010-11 December monitoring round.

4. Subordinate Legislation

Members noted the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation:

• The Waiting Restrictions (Bushmills) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011; and
• The Road Races (North West 200) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.

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 12 January 2011:

• The Eskragh Road (U1104), Granville, Dungannon (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Parking Places (Disabled Persons’ Vehicles) (Amendment No.3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Parking Places on Roads (Castlecaulfield) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Rathmore Way, Newtownabbey (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The A25 Newtown Road, Camlough (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Colin Road, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Waiting Restrictions (Newry) (No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Taxis (Enniskillen) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Waiting Restrictions (Enniskillen) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Carryduff Road, Temple (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Drumnabreeze Road and Lough Road, Gamblestown, Donaghcloney (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Trunk Road T10 (Shannaragh Realignment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Loading Bays (Amendment No.3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011; and
• Level Crossing (Lissue) Order (Northern Ireland) 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 noted receipt of the following statutory rule:

• 2010/429 The Redpoll Avenue, Lisburn (Footpaths) (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010.

Members noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules reported on this statutory rule in his Eighth Report to the Assembly for the 2010-11 Session, published on 14 January 2011.

Members considered the following statutory rules which were 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 reported on these statutory rules in his Eighth Report to the Assembly for the 2010-11 Session, published on 14 January 2011:

• SR 2010/419 Level Crossing (Lissue) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010; and
• SR 2010/415 The Street Works (Inspection Fees) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010.

In the absence of any objection, the following questions were put and agreed:

• ‘That the Committee for Regional Development has considered SR 2010/419 Level Crossing (Lissue) Order (Northern Ireland) 2010 and has no objection to the rule.’
• ‘That the Committee for Regional Development has considered SR 2010/415 The Street Works (Inspection Fees) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 and has no objection to the rule.’

Members decided that the Committee Clerk would inform the Business Office of the decisions made today.

5. Correspondence

• Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from Stratagem NI, requesting a meeting with the Committee on issues relating to private hire taxi companies and agreed that a sub-group of the Committee meets with Stratagem NI on this issue .
• Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from Ballymena Sea Cadets in relation to water rates for registered charitable youth organisations and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Department for Regional Development and Northern Ireland Water for comment.
• The Committee noted correspondence from Mr Nevin Taggart, to the Department for Regional Development’s press office, in relation to Rathlin Island Ferry Limited.

Members noted the following reports :

• Advice NI’s Annual Report and Membership Profile Report;
• The Grant Programme Rural Focused Research briefing from the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI);
• The Quarry Product Association’s Asphalt Now publication for winter 2010-11; and
• Roads Service’s Travel Survey for Northern Ireland In-depth Report 2007-2009.

Members noted the following press releases :

• DOE News Release – “NI Water Ltd fined £750 for pollution offence”;
• DRD News Release – “publication of Northern Ireland road and rail transport statistics July to September 2010”; and
• DRD News Release – “Department for Regional Development draft budget published”.

6. Any Other Business

Forward Work Programme
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.

Committee stakeholder event on the Draft Budget and subsequent meeting
Agreed: The Committee noted and agreed arrangements for its evidence event on the Draft Budget on 26 February 2011 and decided to meet on Thursday 27 January 2011 to agree its response to the Finance and Personnel Committee.

Committee stakeholder event to launch the Consumer Council / YouthAction report “Transport Matters”
Members recorded their thanks to all Assembly staff for their efforts in organising the event to launch the Consumer Council / YouthAction report “Transport Matters” on 12 January 2011.

7. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 26 January 2011, at 10.00am in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings.

10.33am The Chairperson adjourned the meeting.

10.40am The meeting resumed in public session.

8. Ministerial briefing on the water crisis

The Committee noted a paper from Assembly Research and Library Service on civil contingency plans.

10.43am Mr McCrea returned to the meeting.
10.44am Mr Armstrong returned to the meeting.

The Committee received briefing from Conor Murphy MP MLA, Minister for Regional Development, and Departmental officials, Dr Malcolm McKibbin, John Mills and Gary Fair, on the recent water crisis.

11.24am Mr Cobain left the meeting; Ms McIlveen took the Chair.

12.02pm Mr Armstrong left the meeting.
12.07pm Mr Armstrong returned to the meeting.
12.26pm Mr McDevitt left the meeting.

9. Committee scrutiny of the Draft Budget, including Departmental planned spending allocations and savings delivery plans for 2011-2015

The Committee noted the Equality Impact Assessment consultation document on the Draft Budget 2011-2015, as published on 19 January 2011.

The Committee received further briefing from Departmental officials, Mrs Doreen Brown , Mr John Mills and Mr Roger Downey, and from Mr Geoff Allister of Roads Service, on the Department for Regional Development’s planned spending allocations and savings delivery plans for 2011-2015.

12.33pm Mr McDevitt returned to the meeting.
12.55pm Mr McCrea left the meeting.
12.58pm Mr McDevitt left the meeting.
1.00pm Mr McCrea returned to the meeting.
1.00pm Mr Bresland left the meeting.
1.07pm Mr Armstrong left the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department seeking clarification on a number of issues raised during the briefing and on issues arising from the meetings of 12 January, 18 January and the closed session of 19 January 2011.

The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.13pm.

Fred Cobain, MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development

18 January 2011 / Menu