Proceedings of the Regional Development Committee

Minutes of meeting held in part public/part closed session on Wednesday 27 March 2002 in room 135, Parliament Buildings

1. Minutes of last meeting
2. Matters Arising
3. Discussion with Harland & Wolff
4. DRD Position Report / Budget 2002 - Briefing by the Department
5. Regional Transportation Strategy - Responses from other Committees
6. North Down Waste Water Treatment Works
7. Report on Committee Visit to Europe
8. Programme of Work
9. Newtownstewart Bypass
10. Any Other Business
11. Date of Next Meeting

Present were:
Mr A McFarland (Deputy Chairman)
Mr D Ervine
Mr W Hay
Mr D Hussey
Mr P McNamee
Mr M Robinson
Mr G Savage

Apologies:
Mr A Maginness
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr J Byrne
Mr R Hutchinson

In Attendance:
Mr L Barr (Committee Clerk)
Miss C Lagan (Executive Support)
Mrs S Young (Administrative Support)

The meeting was called to order at 10.50am in public session.

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 March 2002 were agreed.

The Committee discussed the possibility of inviting AD Lyttle Consultants, who had previously completed a report on Railway Safety - N.I., to give evidence to the Committee.

Agreed: Contact AD Lyttle to check if they could brief the Committee on their views on the Bill.

3. Discussion with Harland & Wolff regarding leases within the Harbour Estate

Sir David Fell, Mr Peter Harbinson, Mr Rodney McCullough and Mr Rob Turley from Harland and Wolff joined the meeting at 10.58am. They gave a presentation on the issue of the leases within the Harbour Estate and answered Members' questions.

The meeting moved to closed session at 12.26pm.

The Harland and Wolff representatives outlined a number of commercially sensitive issues affecting the leases within the Harbour Estate.

The Deputy Chairman thanked the representatives for their attendance and they left the meeting at 12.35pm.

The meeting moved to public session at 12.46pm.

Mrs Linda Brown, Mr Jack McGibbon and Dr Andrew Grieve from the Department joined the meeting at 12.46pm. They handed out a paper on the DRD Spending Review 2002. They gave a presentation on the DRD Position Report / Budget 2002 and answered Members' questions.

Agreed: This item should be discussed at the Committee meeting on 10 April 2002.

The Deputy Chairman thanked the officials for their attendance and they left the meeting at 1.07pm.

Members noted the correspondence from other Committees on the Regional Transportation Strategy.

The Chairman highlighted the existing controversy over the location of the North Down Waste Water Treatment Works.

Agreed: The Committee will request a brief from the Department on this issue.

Agreed: It was agreed that this item would be added to the agenda for the meeting on 10 April 2002.

Agreed: The Clerk to break down the Programme of Work into 'Must do' and 'Could do'.

This item would be added to the agenda for the meeting on 10 April 2002.

Agreed: It was agreed that this item would be added to the agenda for the meeting on 10 April 2002.

Agreed: It was agreed that this item would be added to the agenda for the meeting on 10 April 2002.

Agreed: It was agreed that this item would be added to the agenda for the meeting on 10 April 2002.

Agreed: It was agreed that this item would be added to the agenda for the meeting on 10 April 2002.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 10 April 2002 at 10.30am in room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting adjourned at 1.16pm.