Minutes of Proceedings

The Chairman called the meeting to order at 10.05 and declared the meeting open to the public.

1. Minutes of Proceedings on 23 and 24 November

1.1 Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 23 November were approved and that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 24 November were approved subject to an additional sentence in paragraph 9.1 and a minor typographical amendment to paragraph 9.2.

2. Matters Arising

2.1 Agricultural Wages Board. Members considered and approved a draft letter for immediate issue to the Department.

2.2 Correspondence with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Members considered the letter of 30 November from the Director of Fair Trading. Resolved: that members agreed to meet privately with the OFT as suggested in the letter.

2.3 Meeting with the Minister, officials and Silent Valley sheep farmers on 8 December. The Chairman outlined the proposed itinerary. Resolved: that the Chairman should alert the Minister that members will wish to discuss the Silent Valley situation with her.

3. DARD presentation on the review of the Animal Waste Directive

3.1 The Committee deliberated.

3.2 Resolved: that the Committee should seek expert opinion on the Department's paper prior to providing any response to the Department.

Mr Douglas attended the meeting at 10.15.

3.3 Two DARD officials, Mr Wesley Shannon and Ms Valerie Allen, were invited in to the meeting at 10.25. Mr Shannon made a short statement to the Committee and answered members' questions. He undertook to write to the Committee with further clarification on a number of issues.

3.4 Resolved: that the Committee would aim to respond to the Department within two weeks of the end of the Assembly's recess.

3.5 The DARD officials left the meeting at 11.10.

4. Update on Progress of the DARD Business Strategy 2000/2001

4.1 Two DARD officials, Mr Gerry Lavery and Mr Jim Ditchfield, were invited in to the meeting at 11.10. Mr Lavery made a short statement to the Committee and answered members' questions.

Mr Ford left the meeting at 11.45.

4.2 Mr Lavery undertook to write to the Committee in response to one issue and advised that he would provide the Committee with a draft strategy for 2001/2002 in the next few weeks.

4.3 The DARD officials left the meeting at 12.00.

Mr Dallat left the meeting at 12.05. The Chairman declared the meeting closed to the public at 12.10.

4.4 The Committee deliberated.

4.5 Resolved: that the Chairman should write to the Minister immediately, asking her to consider commissioning an independent review of the structure and staffing of the Department. Also that the Minister should be asked to comment on this proposal when she met with the Committee on 8 December.

5. Consideration of the Beef Report as part of the debt Inquiry

5.1 The Committee deliberated.

5.2 Resolved: that the Chair and Deputy Chair would launch the report on Friday 15 December (a.m.) in the Assembly's press conference suite. Members would have copies of the Report and Press Release (under embargo) in order to brief their local journalists.

5.3 The Executive Summary of the Report was brought up, read and agreed for insertion at the beginning of the Report.

5.4 Resolved: that the recent statement to the Assembly by the Minister on the proposed beef exports scheme (and the discovery of new cases of BSE in European countries) made it necessary to amend the Report's recommendations on EU matters.

5.5 Recommendation 1 was amended to read:

"The Department should continue strenuous efforts to secure the successful introduction of the beef exports scheme. Northern Ireland's case for a relaxation of the export ban is made all the more valid in view of the recent events in Europe"
and agreed.

5.6 A new Recommendation was drafted as follows:
"The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development should press the United Kingdom Government to introduce a ban on imports of foreign beef that presents a threat to the local agricultural industry and a risk to consumers".

5.7 The Clerk advised the Committee that the introduction of the proposed new recommendation was not supported by the conclusions reached through consideration of the evidence presented to the Committee.

5.8 Resolved: that the proposed additional recommendation be inserted as "Recommendation 2".

5.9 Resolved: that a series of amendments to Recommendations 4 and 5, paragraphs 3.3, 16.5.5, 23.1 and 34.2 were agreed.

5.10 Resolved: that written and oral evidence obtained from the following should be included:

• Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers' Association
• Ulster Farmers' Union
• National Beef Association
• Livestock and Meat Commission
• Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
• Northern Ireland Meat Exporters Association

5.11 Resolved: that the Report, as amended, be the Report of the Committee and that it should be printed.

6. Any Other Business

6.1 Members noted the report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules (Mr Oakey) regarding two Statutory Rules previously considered by the Committee. The Report suggested that an anomaly existed in Standing Orders regarding his requirement to report to the Assembly. Resolved: that the Clerk should, on the Committee's behalf, ascertain from the Business Office whether any action was proposed by the Business Committee.

6.2 Members noted DARD's letter of 22 November in which they agreed the Committee's point about the ambiguity of its proposed title for Regulations which will follow enactment of the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill. The Committee was content with the amendment proposed by the Department.

6.3 Members noted DARD's letter of 16 November in which the respective responsibilities of DARD and DCAL with respect to fishing and angling were clarified.

6.4 Members noted DARD's letter of 17 November in which they advised the Committee about the pilot Social Survey, conducted over two weeks from 16 October.

6.5 Members noted an invitation from Mr Halleron to the Wilson's Country potato packing facility at Mahon Road, Portadown and agreed that a delegation of members should take up this invitation in the new year.

6.6 Members agreed that a delegation should also visit Enniskillen College in the new year.

7. Date of Next Meeting

7.1 Resolved: that the next meeting should take place at 09.30 on Friday 8 December in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.