Minutes of Proceedings

 The Chairman called the meeting to order in closed session at 10.00 in order to discuss the position regarding allegations of cartel operation among meat plants in Northern Ireland. 

1. Advice from the Clerk on a matter arising from a previous meeting

1.1 The Clerk advised members that, in a written answer to Mr Paisley Jnr., the Minister had stated that competition policy was a reserved matter and the responsibility of the Office of Fair Trading. In those circumstances the Committee may be acting ultra vires if it undertook an investigation in such a policy area. Such action could be subject to challenge through the courts and any Committee proceedings which attempted hear evidence on this matter were unlikely to be covered by the privilege arrangements.

1.2 The Clerk strongly advised that the Committee should seek legal advice before embarking on any action regarding cartel allegations. He further advised that the Committee was acting entirely properly in seeking a copy of any relevant reports from the Office of Fair Trading, (including any report on their current investigation of a complaint).

1.3 Resolved: that the Committee would take no further action until receipt of written material which provided, or at least suggested, the existence of actual evidence of cartel activity. Subject to legal advice, the Committee would agree a course of appropriate action, in conjunction with the Office of Fair Trading.

The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 10.10.

2. Minutes of Proceedings on 13 and 18 October

2.1 Mr Dallat asked that it be recorded that when he left the meeting on 13 October at 11.00, as minuted, he did so to take briefing from members of the Ulster Farmers' Union from Coleraine. It was not, as had been alleged in the media, to issue any press release.

Mr Paisley Jnr. and Mr Ford attended the meeting at 10.15. Mr Bradley attended at 10.20.

2.2 Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 13 October were approved with one slight amendment on the timing of proceedings.

2.3 Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 18 October, having been tabled during the current meeting, would be considered later to allow members time to read them.

3. Fisheries (Amendment) Bill - Committee Stage

3.1 The Committee was briefed by the Assembly's Researcher on the issues raised during consideration of the Bill and on the outcome of correspondence with the Department and others.

3.2 Mrs Evelyn Cummins, Ms Hilda Hagan and Mr Chris Hunter of DARD Fisheries Division were called in and examined at 10.35.

Mr Douglas attended the meeting at 10.40.

3.3 The Bill was read, clause by clause.

3.4 The Committee considered and agreed Clause 1 sub-section.

3.5 The Committee considered Clause 1 sub-section 2 and agreed to await receipt of the proposed amendment from DARD which would replace the use of "foreshore" in the Bill with "Northern Irish inshore waters", at which time the Committee would reconsider the clause.

3.6 The Committee considered and agreed Clause 1 sub-section 3.

3.7 The Committee considered and agreed Clause 1 sub-section 4.

3.8 The Committee considered and agreed Clause 1 sub-section 5.

3.9 The Committee considered Clause 2 sub-section 1

Motion: The Committee considers that Clause 2 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Bill (NIA Bill 9/99) be amended as follows:
Page2, line 13, after ("persons in or on") insert ("or using")

[Ian Paisley Jnr.]

The question being put, the motion was carried without division.

3.10 The Committee agreed that it would not now propose the amendment to 1A (c)(i) as adopted at the meeting on 6 October 2000.

3.11 The Committee agreed to await further analysis by DARD of correspondence with the RSPB before deciding whether to propose the amendment to 1A (e)(i) as agreed to be adopted at the meeting on 6 October 2000.

3.12 The Committee considered and agreed Clause 2 sub-section 2.

3.13 The Committee considered and agreed Clause 2 sub-section 3.

3.14 The Committee considered and agreed Clause 2 sub-section 4.

3.15 The Committee considered Clause 2 sub-section 5 and agreed to await receipt of the proposed amendment from DARD which would replace the use of "foreshore" in the Bill with "Northern Irish inshore waters", at which time the Committee would reconsider the clause.

3.16 The Committee considered Clause 9 and concluded that it had no objection to the Department's intention to propose an amendment in order to delete sub-sections 2 and 3. The Committee agreed Clause 9 sub-section 1.

3.17 The Chairman thanked the DARD officials for their attendance and they left the meeting at 11.25.

4. Committee response to the draft budget proposals

4.1 The Committee deliberated.

The Chairman left the meeting at 12.10 and Mr Savage assumed the chair. Mr Ford and Mr Dallat left the meeting at 12.10.

4.2 Resolved: that the following areas should be included in a draft response to the Committee for Finance and Personnel as areas to which additional funding is recommended by the Committee:

• the implementation of proposals arising from the work of the Vision Group set up by the Department;
• farm waste management and nutrient management;
• added value areas such as bio-diversity and organic farming;
• business and environment training; and
• pig-meat promotion.

(The draft response to be approved by the Chair and Deputy Chair and issued immediately, with a copy to the Department.)

The Deputy Chairman declared the meeting closed to the public at 12.40.

5. Consideration of Specialist Advisor's suggestions for first drafts of the pigs and beef reports

5.1 Resolved: that the draft conclusions and recommendations contained in the draft beef report were acceptable but that recommendations to other parts of the industry should also be included. The rationale behind the recommendations should be incorporated into the conclusions.

Mr Paisley Jnr. left the meeting at 14.10

5.2 Resolved: that the draft conclusions and recommendations contained in the pigs report were acceptable but that the Advisor should consider additional recommendations to farmers. Once again the rationale behind recommendations should be incorporated into the conclusions.

5.3 Resolved: that the Advisor should provide additional material in time for issue to members on 7 November to allow further discussion on 10 November.

The Deputy Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 14.25. Mr Paisley Jnr. re-joined the meeting at 14.25.

6. Minutes of Proceedings on 18 October 2000

6.1 Resolved: that the draft Minutes of Proceedings for 18 October were agreed.

7. Press Release regarding budget considerations

7.1 Resolved: that the draft press release, read aloud to members, was agreed (subject to the inclusion of the points agreed for incorporation into the response to the Finance Committee) and that it should issue immediately after the meeting.

Mr Armstrong left the meeting at 14.30.

8. Matters Arising: Proposed Statutory Rule - The Sheep Annual Premium (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

8.1 Members noted the draft Rule and Explanatory Memorandum provided by DARD following the previous meeting. They noted also the additional information obtained by the Clerks.

8.2 Resolved: that the Committee should respond to the Department advising that DARD should proceed with the Rule but recommending that the Explanatory Memorandum should be expanded to fully explain the purpose of the Rule and the effect of the proposed amendment.

9. Any Other Business

9.1 Mr Bradley raised the matter of invitations to members of the Committee to attend events and functions.

9.2 Resolved: that the Committee should agree that a member or members should attend the meeting on behalf of the Committee; otherwise attendance would be as individual MLAs or party representatives.

10. Date of Next Meeting

10.1 The next meeting is to be the visit to Greenmount and Loughry Colleges on Wednesday 25 October, meeting at 09.15 at Greenmount. The next formal Committee meeting in Parliament Buildings would be on Friday 10 November in Room 135.

The Deputy Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 14.40.