Minutes of Proceedings

COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 10 JUNE 2010
ROOM 30, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Alban Maginness (Chairperson)
Mr Paul Butler (Deputy Chairperson)
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP
Mr Gregory Campbell MP 
Mr Stephen Moutray
Mr Leslie Cree 
Mr Sean Neeson 
Mr Gerry McHugh

In Attendance: 
Mr Jim McManus (Assembly Clerk) 
Ms Sohui Yim (Assistant Clerk) 
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Supervisor)
Ms Michelle McDowell (Clerical Officer)

Apologies: 
Ms Jennifer McCann

The meeting began at 10.33am in closed session.

1. Consideration of the Unsolicited Services (Trade and Business Directories) Bill: Internal Memorandum from the Examiner of Statutory Rules

Members discussed the Examiner’s memorandum.

Agreed: Content with the Examiner’s advice.

Agreed: Content to take no oral evidence for the Bill and to commence the preliminary view of the Bill and, if no issues are raise, the clause-by-clause scrutiny of the Bill at next week’s meeting.

The meeting opened in public session at 10.35am.

2. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

3. Minutes of meeting held on the 3 June 2010 meeting

Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on the 3 June were agreed.

4. Matters arising from 3 June 2010 meeting

Members discussed the draft terms of reference for the Committee’s renewable energy inquiry.

Stephen Moutray joined the meeting at 10.37am.

Agreed: Content with the terms of reference.

Agreed: To consider a draft public notice for a call for evidence at next week’s meeting.

Agreed: Clerk to draft a pro forma for stakeholders to complete when sending evidence the Committee.

Members noted a briefing note regarding the Department’s Provisional Outturn 2009/2010.

Members noted a letter from the Minister regarding the Hydrocarbons Licensing Directive.

Members discussed papers from the Committee for Justice regarding regulation of claims management companies.

Agreed: To forward the information to DETI to liaise with other departments to determine which department will take the lead in the regulation of claims management companies.

Members discussed the NI Affairs Committee’s report into Television Broadcasting in Northern Ireland.

Agreed: To write to the Culture Arts and Leisure Committee to ascertain if any response has been received regarding the recommendations from the report.

Sean Neeson joined the meeting at 10.54am.

Members discussed a letter from the British Holiday and Home Park Association (BH&HPA) regarding the Caravans Bill.

Agreed: To receive oral briefings from DETI and Department for Social Development (DSD) regarding clauses 7&8 of the Bill at the meeting of 24 June.

Agreed: To copy the letter from BH&HPA to the Department to inform its presentation to the Committee.

Agreed: To start the meeting of 24 June at 10am to facilitate the oral briefings.

Members discussed a list of stakeholders for the Committee to write to for comments/views on the Energy Bill and a draft public notice for the Bill.

Agreed: To write to the stakeholders on the list.

Agreed: Content with public notice and the 6-week consultation period for the notice.

Members noted notes from the Chair and Deputy Chair’s meeting with the Minister for Finance and Personnel and Chair/ Deputy Chair of the Finance and Personnel Committee regarding SEUPB and INTERREG funding.

Members discussed a draft letter from the Chair to the Utility Regulator regarding the Committee’s visit to Europe.

Agreed: Content with the letter.

5. SR 184/2010: The Companies (Disqualification Orders) Regulations (NI) 2010

Members discussed the SR above.

Question put and agreed: That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered the Companies (Disqualification Orders) Regulations (NI) 2010 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules’ report, has no objection to the Rule.

6. SR 187/2010: The Control of Asbestos (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2010

Members discussed the SR above.

Members raised the issue of pleural plaques.

Agreed: To receive an update from the Department on the consultation relating to pleural plaques.

Question put and agreed: That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered the Control of Asbestos (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2010 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules’ report, has no objection to the Rule.

7. Further Clause-by-Clause Consideration of the Debt Relief Bill: Written Briefing

Members discussed a letter from the Minister regarding her views on an amendment to Clause 2 of the Debt Relief Bill which would allow debtors to obtain another debt relief order within 6 years in exceptional circumstances.

Members had no comments on Clause 2 of the Bill.

Gerry McHugh left the meeting at 11.07am.

Clause 2 – Conditions for making a Debt Relief Order

Question put and agreed: That the Committee is content with Clause 2, as drafted.

8. Social Economy Enterprise Strategy 2010/2011 – Operating Plan: Written briefing

Members discussed the written briefing.

Alasdair McDonnell joined the meeting at 11.12am.

Agreed: To receive more information on the Flexible Enterprise Fund and the level of funding available, along with the most up-to-date application numbers. 

Agreed: To receive updates on the implementation of each of the targets every 6 months and ask for more detailed information on the dates for the implementation targets.

Agreed: To receive more information on the SEPG and ask how often it meets and details of the outcomes of its meetings. 

Agreed: To copy the plan to the Social Economy Network for its comments and views.

9. Renewable Energy Directive – Written Briefing

Members discussed the written briefing.

Agreed: To request a progress report from the Department before the end of the calendar year on progress against the requirements of the Directive.

10. Correspondence

The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:

• Correspondence from the Finance & Personnel Committee regarding DFP’s Review of Data Security in the NI Public Sector report, for the Committee’s information. 
  Agreed: To ask the Department how they are implementing the recommendations of the review.
• Correspondence from the OFMDFM Committee regarding the Commissioner for Older People Bill.
• Letter from Moy Park to state that it will acquire O’Kane Poultry Limited.
• Letter to the Chair from Citizens Advice regarding the Dealing with Debt event on 8 June.
• Email from National Energy Action (NEA), requesting a meeting with the Chair. 
  Agreed : Content for Chair and Deputy Chair to meet with NEA.
• Letter from the Social Development Committee to NITB and the Department regarding the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill. 
  Agreed : To forward the letters to the Department.
• Briefing note from SWEG, following the Committee’s Renewable Energy event in the Long Gallery on 18 May. 
  Agreed : To consider the briefing the next time that the Committee considers renewable energy.
• Email from Biogas Alliance regarding an oral briefing to the Committee. 
  Agreed : To invite the Biogas Alliance for an oral briefing at the meeting of 17 June.
• Letter from Alastair Ross MLA regarding a meeting with a member of the public to discuss a system in cars which can monitor how a driver behaves on the road. 
  Agreed: To write to Mr Ross to advise that this is considered a matter for the Environment Committee and also that OFMDFM is liaising with the Consumer Council regarding insurance issues.

Gerry McHugh rejoined the meeting at 11.19am.

• Invitation from SSE Renewables to the Chair to a lunch and visit to a wind farm at Slieve Divena.
• Press Release from Phoenix regarding new business secured in the Republic of Ireland.

11. Any Other Business

There were no other items of business.

12. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 17 June at 10.30am in Room 30, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.20am.

Alban Maginness
Chairperson
Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
10 June 2010