Proceedings of the Regional Development Committee
Minutes of meeting held on Wednesday, 31 January 2001
in room 135, Parliament Buildings
1. Minutes of last meeting
2. Matters arising
3. Statutory Rules
4. Bus Licensing
5. Port of Belfast
6. AOB
Present were:
Mr A Maginness (Chairman)
Mr A Mc Farland (Deputy Chairman)
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr J Byrne
Mr D Ervine
Mr W Hay
Mr D Hussey
Mr R Hutchinson
Mr P McNamee
Mr J Wells
Apologies:
Mr G Savage
In Attendance:
Mr L Barr ( Committee Clerk)
Mr S Fay ( Assistant Committee Clerk)
Mr N Currie (Executive Support)
Mrs S Young (Administrative Support)
The meeting commenced at 10.34am.
1. Minutes of last meeting
The minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2001 were agreed.
2. Matters arising
(a) Northern Ireland Audit Office Reports.
Mr Wells joined the meeting at 10.36am.
Mr Ervine joined the meeting at 10.40am.
The Committee noted the memo from the Clerk of the Public Accounts Committee in relation to the handling of Audit Reports.
The Committee also noted the proposed dates for the publication of the Road Openings by Utilities Report and the Leakage Management and Water Efficiency Report.
3. Statutory Rules
(a) The Committee noted the details of four Statutory Rules which the Department intends to make. They do not have to be laid in the Assembly.
Mr Bradley joined the meeting at 10.47am.
(b) The Committee discussed the Statutory Rule:
Proposed Donnybrewer Road, Eglinton (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2001.
The Department intends to make this Rule which is subject to negative resolution.
The Committee agreed the course of action proposed in the Rule.
(c) The Committee discussed 7 Statutory Rules which have been laid in the Assembly.
Question Put and Agreed: "That the Regional Development Committee has considered Statutory Rule 381/2000-
Route B2 Seagoe Road, Portadown (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000
and has no objection to the Rule".
Question Put and Agreed: "That the Regional Development Committee has considered Statutory Rule 396/2000-
Brantwood Gardens, Antrim (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000 and has no objection to the Rule".
Question Put and Agreed: "That the Regional Development Committee has considered Statutory Rule 397/2000-
Route B007 Upper Dromore Road, Warrenpoint (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000 and has no objection to the Rule".
Question Put and Agreed: "That the Regional Development Committee has considered Statutory Rule 398/2000-
Route U145 Brockagh Road, Londonderry (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000 and has no objection to the Rule".
Question Put and Agreed: "That the Regional Development Committee has considered Statutory Rule 400/2000-
Trunk Road T3 (Newtownstewart Bypass) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000 and has no objection to the Rule".
Question Put and Agreed: "That the Regional Development Committee has considered Statutory Rule 401/2000-
Bayhead Road, Portballintrae (Footway) (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000 and has no objection to the Rule".
Question Put and Agreed: "That the Regional Development Committee has considered Statutory Rule 403/2000-
Trunk Road T8 (Toome Bypass) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000; and has no objection to the Rule".
The meeting moved to public session.
4. Bus Licensing
The Committee received briefings from three groupings about the issuing of bus licences to private bus companies.
The first, starting at 10.55, was from Translink, represented by:
Dr Joan Smyth Chairman
Mr Ted Hesketh Managing Director
Mr Jim Aiken Director of Corporate Affairs.
They outlined their concerns about private companies being awarded licences to operate the more profitable routes and the impact this may have on Translink's ability to subsidise and keep in operation the non-economical routes. They emphasised that they were not opposed to competition but argued that it must be fair and that the needs of passengers must be paramount. They were concerned that the issues which they had raised with the Department for Regional Development appeared not to have been brought to the attention of the Department of Environment. They answered Members' questions on the matters raised.
Mr Hussey joined the meeting at 11.26am.
Mr Wells left the meeting at 11.26am.
Mr Hutchinson left the meeting at 11.40am.
Mr Ervine left the meeting at 11.42am.
The representatives agreed to provide the Committee with figures on the amount of revenue Translink receive from the fuel duty rebate and the level of subsidy required to sustain the non-economical routes. Their briefing ended at 11.50am.
At 11.51am representatives of the General Consumer Council began their briefing. They were:
Ms Maeve Bell Director
Mr Alan Walker Consumer Affairs Officer.
Mr Hutchinson returned at 11.51am.
They gave a presentation on the role of the General Consumer Council in relation to transport issues and in particular bus licensing. They had some sympathy with the situation faced by Translink in trying to maintain services on all routes when some of them are non-economical. They emphasised that the aim of the Council is to promote and safeguard the interests of consumers and to campaign for the best possible standards of service and protection. They referred to the provisions of the Transport Act (NI) 1967 and recommended that new legislation be enacted to modernise the provision of bus services and licensing arrangements. They answered Members' questions on the matters raised.
Mr Ervine returned at 11.55am.
Mr Ervine left the meeting at 12.14pm.
The representatives of the General Consumer Council agreed to provide figures on the number of bus licensing cases referred to the Council for consultation and what they recommended in those cases. They also agreed to provide a report by the Council on the future for bus licences.
The representatives completed their briefing at 12.41pm.
Mr Hussey left the meeting at 12.41pm.
At 12.43pm officials from the Department of the Environment (DOE) joined the meeting. They were:
Mr John Ritchie, Director, Roads Safety and Vehicle Standards Division,
Mr Bill Laverty, Acting Director, Road Transport Licensing Division of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland (DVLNI), and
Mrs Ann Hall, Manager Road Haulage and Bus Licenses, Road Transport Licensing Division (DVLNI).
They briefed the Committee on the Department's role in administering the legislation provided by the Transport Act (NI) 1967. They described the criteria, set out in the Act, to be considered when deciding on bus licences and the consultation process involved. They answered Members' questions.
They agreed to seek advice on whether licences, which have been approved, can be inspected by interested parties.
Mr Hutchinson left the meeting at 1.10pm.
Mr McNamee left the meeting at 1.29pm.
The officials left the meeting at 1.38pm.
Mr McNamee returned at 1.39pm.
The meeting returned to private session.
5. Port of Belfast
Agreed: The Committee will discuss a draft response to the economic appraisal on the Options for the Future of the Port of Belfast at the next meeting.
6. AOB
(a) Public Service Agreements (PSA).
Mr Bradley left the meeting at 1.40pm.
The Committee noted the Department's draft PSA and will receive a presentation from the Minister and his officials at the next meeting.
(b) Proposed British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body meeting.
A new date, 5 March 2001, has been proposed for this meeting. Further discussions may be required with party leaders to determine an agreed way forward.
7. Date of next meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 7 February 2001 at 10.30am. in room 135, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting closed at 1.45pm.