Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting began at 10.40am in closed session.

1.  Inquiry into Research and Development

Members discussed the emerging findings to date from the Inquiry.

The meeting moved into open session at 10.45am.

2.  Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

The Chair welcomed Mr Paul Givan to the Committee and wished Mr Robin Newton well for the future.

3.  Minutes of meeting held on 23 February 2012

Agreed:  The draft minutes of the meeting on 23 February were agreed.

3.  Chairperson’s Business

There was no business under Chairperson’s Business.

4.  Matters Arising

There was no business under Matters Arising.

5.  Inquiry into Research and Development: Belfast Metropolitan College

Agreed: Members agreed to forward a Committee paper on the emerging  findings of the Inquiry to date to the Department for consideration, prior to DETI, Invest NI and InterTradeIreland giving oral evidence on the Inquiry.

Members noted a briefing paper from the Department on the working group on Framework 7 and Horizon 2020.

Officials joined the meeting at 10.48am.

Members received an oral briefing from Damian Duffy, Director, Business  Generation and Learner Services and Justin Edwards, Assistant Chief Executive.

Key issues discussed included the benefits of Knowledge Transfer Programmes, applied research and collaboration between business and academia on innovation, research and development.

Stephen Moutray left the meeting at 11.15am.

Paul Givan left the meeting at 11.21am.

Agreed: officials to provide examples of success stories as a result of working with organisations in the Republic of Ireland.

Officials left the meeting at 11.41am.

6.  Offshore Renewable Energy Development

Members discussed the written briefing.

Agreed: to receive a summary of responses to the consultation on the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategic Action Plan before receiving an oral briefing from the Crown Estate prior to summer recess.

Agreed: to forward the briefing to the Environment Committee for information.

7.  Potential impacts of draft Planning Policy Statement 16 on Tourism Development

Members discussed the written briefing.

Agreed: Department of the Environment to provide a summary of consultation responses to the Committee.

Agreed: Department of the Environment officials to provide an oral briefing to the Committee on the impact on tourism of the proposals contained in draft PPS16.

Alban Maginness left the meeting at 11.45am.

The Clerk called for nominations for the position of a temporary Chairperson. Mr Gordon Dunne proposed that: Mr Paul Frew be temporary Chairperson of the Committee. Mr Steven Agnew seconded the nomination and the nomination was accepted.

On there being no further nominations the Clerk put the question without debate.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that Mr Frew, being the only candidate proposed, be temporary Chairperson of the Committee.

11.46am Mr Frew took the Chair.      

8.  Inquiry into Research and Development: Aerospace Defence Security

Officials joined the meeting at 11.46am.

Members received an oral briefing from David Raymond, Chairman of BASE Aerospace and ADS NI Deputy Chairman, Ronnie Harrison, Technical Director, Thales Belfast and Dr Leslie Orr, Manager, ADS Northern Ireland.

Key issues discussed included access to research and development and the need for market driven research and development to assist small and medium sized enterprises to avail of opportunities for research and development

Stephen Moutray returned to the meeting at 11.52am.

Sandra Overend left the meeting 12.16pm.

Paul Givan returned to the meeting at 12.23pm. 

Paul Givan left the meeting at 12.25pm.

Officials left the meeting at 12.47pm.

9.  Forward Work Programme

Members discussed the forward work programme.

Agreed: to publish the Forward Work Programme on the Committee’s website.

10.  Correspondence

Members noted the following items of correspondence:

i. Further information from DETI on January Monitoring 2011/12. 

ii. Correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel on the Review of Budget Allocations.

Agreed: to inform the Committee for Finance & Personnel of the problems this Committee has had in relation to timely provision of monitoring round information.

iii. Correspondence from the Environment Committee on the Cost of Car Insurance and Continuous Insurance Enforcement.

iv. Correspondence from the Department on the World Fire and Police Games.

v. Response from DETI on:

a)      Indigenous business starts by Parliamentary Constituency Area

b)      Invest NI Recruitment Process

c)      Tourism Ireland Presence at the US Open

vi. Letter to the Chair from Phoenix Gas regarding Natural Gas Price Reduction.

vii. Correspondence from the Committee for Social Development relating to a Briefing from the Cathedral Quarter Steering Group.

Agreed: to forward the information to the Department for comment.

Sandra Overend returned to the meeting at 12.50pm.

11.  Any other business

Members were reminded of a Committee visit to the Northern Ireland Science Park on 15 March.

Agreed: for members to make their own travel arrangements to the venue.

12.  Date, time and place of next meeting 

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 8 March at 10.30am, Room 30, Parliament Buildings.

The Chair adjourned the meeting at 12.51pm.

Mr Alban Maginness
Chair
Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
8 March 2012