COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 8 MARCH 2011
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

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

The meeting commenced at 11.36am in open session.

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

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Draft Minutes of meetings held on 2 March 2011

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

11.37am Mr Armstrong and Mr McCann joined the meeting.

3. Matters Arising

• Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development in response to correspondence on the gritting of footpaths.
• Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development in response to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure’s Inquiry into Sport and Leisure and agreed to forward the correspondence to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure.
• Members noted correspondence from the Consumer Council Northern Ireland and the Department for Regional Development in relation to the Draft Water and Sewerage Services Bill.
• The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development in relation to its quarterly update on land identified for abandonment and disposal.
• The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development in relation to the appointment of the interim chairperson and non-executive directors at Northern Ireland Water.
• Agreed: Members noted a response from the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation to the Department for Regional Development’s consultation on the Draft Budget 2011-2015 and agreed to include the response in the Committee’s report on the Draft Budget .
• The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development in response to issues raised by the Committee following a recent meeting with union representatives at Northern Ireland Water.

4. Written Departmental briefing on the outcome of the public consultation on the review of financial assistance for domestic properties not served by a water main

Agreed: The Committee noted a w ritten Departmental briefing paper on the outcome of the public consultation on the review of financial assistance for domestic properties not served by a water main and agreed to write to the Department indicating that the Committee has noted the briefing paper and that the Department should provide written briefing on this matter to the Committee early in the next Assembly mandate.

5. Departmental briefing on the Final Budget 2011-2015

Members noted correspondence and a press release from the Department for Regional Development on the Final Budget 2011-2015.

11.45am Mr McDevitt left the meeting.
11.45am Mr McCrea joined the meeting.

The Committee received a briefing from Departmental officials, Doreen Brown and Roger Downey, and from Geoff Allister of Roads Service on the additional allocation of £107 million to the Department for Regional Development in the Final Budget.

6. Written Departmental update on the A5 and A8 road schemes

Agreed: The Committee noted a w ritten Departmental update on the A5 and A8 road schemes and agreed to write to the Department indicating that the Committee has noted the update paper and that the A5 and A8 road schemes will be referenced in the Committee’s Legacy Report.

Agreed: Members noted two items of correspondence from the Alternative A5 Alliance, and agreed to write to the Alternative A5 Alliance thanking representatives for their presentation and correspondence on the A5 Western Transport Corridor (A5WTC).

7. Written Departmental update on the Regional Transportation Strategy (RTS)

Agreed: The Committee noted receipt of the executive summary, public consultation document and draft Equality Impact Assessment document for the revised Regional Transportation Strategy (RTS) and, as the consultation on the revised RTS concludes after the end of the current Assembly mandate, agreed to write to the Department indicating that the Committee has noted receipt of the documents and that the matter will be commended for scrutiny to the incoming Committee in the Committee’s Legacy Report.

8. Consideration of the draft Committee report on key issues and future challenges

Agreed: Members noted the draft Committee report on key issues and future challenges and agreed to defer final consideration of the report to the meeting of 16 March 2011.

Members decided to forward any comments or suggestions for changes to the Committee office by Friday 11 March 2011.

9. Subordinate Legislation

Members noted the following Departmental proposal to make subordinate legislation:

• The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Irvinestown) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.

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 have 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 2 March 2011:

• The Road Races (Bush, Dungannon) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Prohibition of Right-Hand Turn (Enniskillen) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The One-Way Traffic (Ballymoney) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Disert Road, Draperstown (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011; and
• The Rowantree Road (C355), Dromore (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.

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 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 reported on this statutory rule in his Eleventh Report to the Assembly for the 2010-11 Session, published on 25 February 2011, and raised no issues of concern:

• 2011/47 The Bramblewood Grove, Banbridge (Footway) (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.

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

‘The Committee for Regional Development has considered Statutory Rule 2011/47 The Bramblewood Grove, Banbridge (Footway) (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 and has no objection to the rule.’

Members also 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 statutory rule in his Twelfth Report to the Assembly for the 2010-11 Session, to be published on 14 March or 15 March 2011, and raised no issues of concern:

• 2011/69 The City of Derry Airport (Control Over Land) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.

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

‘The Committee for Regional Development has considered Statutory Rule 2011/69 The City of Derry Airport (Control Over Land) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 and, subject to the report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules, has no objection to the rule.’

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

10. Consideration of the Committee’s draft End of Session report and draft Legacy Report

Agreed: Members noted the Committee’s draft End of Session report and draft Legacy report and agreed to defer final consideration of the reports to the meeting of 16 March 2011.

Members decided to forward any comments or suggestions for changes to the Committee office by Friday 11 March 2011.

11. Correspondence

The Committee noted an invitation from the Financial Capability Partnership NI to attend its breakfast briefing on 22 March 2011 in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings.

12. 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.

Meeting with Stratagem and FonaCAB
Agreed: Members received an update on the Chairperson’s meeting with representatives of Stratagem and FonaCAB on issues of concern for private hire taxi companies in Belfast and agreed to write to the Department for Regional Development and the Department of the Environment on the issues raised.

12.11pm Mr Robinson left the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to relevant stakeholder organisations in relation to the additional £107 million allocation to the Department for Regional Development in the Final Budget.

13. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 16 March 2011 at 10.30am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.14pm.

Fred Cobain, MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development
16 March 2011

02 March 2011 / Menu