Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting began at 14.08pm in public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Minutes of meeting held on 9 October 2012

Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on 9 October were agreed.

3. Chairperson’s Business

Members noted the press release and documents relating to the consultation being conducted by the EU Commission into the most burdensome legislative acts for SMEs.

Agreed: to draw the consultation to the attention of business representative organisations, the Department, Invest NI, InterTradeIreland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to encourage small businesses to contribute to the survey.

Agreed: to invite Invest NI and officials to give an oral briefing on EU issues including Horizon 2020.

4. Matters Arising

Members noted the information and clarification provided by the Department on the following issues:

i. Increase in the Domestic Gas Usage

ii. Reasons Opinion (Electricity and Gas Directives)

iii. Credit Unions Corporate Joint Account

iv. Horizon 2020 and Department’s role in providing support

Agreed: Department in future to provide details of officials who prepared papers and on headed paper to ensure clarity on the Committee website.

Agreed: to seek the overdue response from the Department on the Tourist Event Fund and an explanation as to why the information had not been received within the agreed 10 day response time.

Alban Maginness joined the meeting at 2.12pm

Members considered further information in relation to the correspondence received from the Belfast City Airport Watch.

Agreed: to inform City Airport Watch of the on-going public inquiry into proposed modifications to the planning agreement and suggest submitting the evidence provided.

5. UK Petrol and Diesel Sector: Oral Briefing from Office of Fair Trading (OFT)

Members received a briefing from the Assembly Research and Information Service on data analysis on Northern Ireland Petrol and Diesel Prices.

Maeve McLaughlin left the meeting at 2.29pm

Representatives joined the meeting at 2.30pm.

Key issues discussed included: background to the call for information, the specific areas which will inform the evidence; the timeline for completion of the work and consideration of the unique impact of cheaper fuel in the RoI.

Officials left the meeting at 3.08pm

Agreed: to research on the number of people from NI purchasing fuel across the border.

Agreed: to commission further research into fuel duty differentials between EU member states and the impact it has had on border economies. 

Agreed: Research to OFT.

6. Mental Health Discrimination Bill 2012 – Legislative Consent Motion: Oral Briefing from DETI 

Members considered the Report on the legislative Consent Motion.

Agreed: to approve the report.

Agreed: to publish the report with listed appendices published on the Committee pages of the Assembly website when Hansard has been agreed.

7. Correspondence

Members noted the following items of correspondence:

i. Response from Invest NI to the Chair of the Committee for Employment & Learning, to a Committee query on EU Framework Programme7.

Agreed: forward response to the Committee for Employment and Learning.

Members noted the following invitations:

ii. Invitation to Consumer council and Financial Services Authority Event on the 18 October.

Agreed: to ask Assembly Research to attend and report back to the Committee.

12. Any other business

No other business.                 

13. Date, time and place of next meeting 

The next meeting of the Committee will be a concurrent meeting with the Committee for Finance and Personnel.  It will take place onThursday 11 October 2012 at 10.00am, Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 18 October 2012 at 10.00am, Titanic Belfast, 1 Olympic Way, Queen’s road, Titanic Quarter.

The Chair adjourned the meeting at 15.12pm.

Mr Patsy McGlone
Chair
Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
18 October 2012