Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting began at 10.37 in public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Declaration of Interests

Mr Agnew declared a shareholding in a wind energy co-operative.

Alban Maginness joined the meeting at 10.40am

3. Chairperson’s Business

Members considered the information provided by the Secretary of State on Enterprise Zones.

Agreed: to ask the Department for its comments.

Agreed: to forward the letter to the Committee for Finance and Personnel and to the Committee for Environment.

Agreed: to receive a written briefing on Enterprise Zones from Assembly Research and Information Services.      

Members considered an invitation to the Chairperson from the Action Renewables Association to attend a roundtable discussion on energy related matters.

Agreed: Chairperson to attend.

Members considered an invitation to the Chairperson from the NI Chamber of Commerce to an event on challenges faced by local exporters.

Agreed: Chairperson to attend.

4. Minutes of meeting held on Thursday 13 December 2012.

Agreed: the draft minutes of the meeting on 13 December 2012 were agreed.

5. Matters Arising

Members considered the additional adjustments to the DETI January 2013 Monitoring.

Agreed: to receive further clarification from the Department regarding the additional bid. 

Members considered the response from the Ulster Bank.

Agreed: to receive information from Ulster Bank regarding the Financial Services Authority and Royal Bank of Scotland reviews.

Agreed: to forward the response to the Agri-Food Strategy Board.

Members considered the changes to the Electricity (Priority Dispatch) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012.

Agreed: to inform the Department that members are content with the draft Amendment Regulations.

Members considered the response by the Department to the delay of the transposition directives.

Agreed: to receive further information regarding the delay of the transposition directives.

Members noted the response from the Department giving details on the origin of the review of the Consumer Council.

Members noted the response by the Department to the McKinsey report.

Members considered the response by the Department to the Barosso update.

Phil Flanagan joined the meeting at 10.54am

Agreed: to receive further information on the work of the Barosso Taskforce    Working Group.

Members considered the response by the Department and Phoenix Gas on incentives currently being undertaken to encourage conversion from oil to gas.

Agreed: to invite the Minister to brief the Committee on key areas of work including incentivising conversion from oil to gas.

Members considered the response by the Department clarifying issues arising from its paper on Invest NI’s Overseas Offices.

Agreed: to receive at a future meeting a briefing from Invest NI to clarify issues relating to foreign direct investment.

Members noted the response by the Department regarding additional information relating to Credit Unions.

Agreed: Members agreed to forward the information to the Irish League of Credit Unions and to the Ulster Federation of Credit Unions.

Members noted the response by the Department clarifying representations made at EU and Westminster on roaming charges and inadvertent roaming.

Members noted the comments from the Department on the Knowledge Economy Index report.

Members considered the response by the Department regarding SBRI and the public procurement position paper from the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Agreed: to forward the response to the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Members considered the response by the Department regarding information on Invest NI and performance related pay.

Agreed: to receive further information from the Department regarding performance related pay.

Sue Ramsey left the meeting at 11.11am

Members the response by the Department regarding the update on the Common Arrangements for Gas Bill.

Members considered the response from the Department regarding the Strategy and Plan for Energy 2050.

Agreed: to ask the Department for the estimated completion date for the report referred to in its response.

Members considered the information provided by the Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy.

Agreed: to congratulate Professor Gibson on his appointment as Director.

Agreed: to receive a briefing from the Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy.

Members considered the additional information in relation to the comparison of Invest NI’s performance on inward investment provided by the Department.

Agreed: to receive further information from the Department regarding inward investment.

Members considered the reference to creationism at the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre.

Agreed: the Chairperson will meet with the Department to discuss this issue.

Members considered the response from the Department on the report on the EU Commission Work Plan for 2013.

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

6. Social Economy Work Programme: Written Briefing from Social Enterprise NI

Members considered the briefing on the Social Economy Work Programme.

Agreed: to reschedule the oral briefing from Social Enterprise NI.

7. City of Culture 2013: - Oral Briefing from Derry City Council

Officials joined the meeting at 11.20am

Members received an oral briefing from Sharon O’Connor, Chief Executive, Oonagh McGillion, Director or Legacy, Tina Gillespie, Strategy Manager.

Key issues discussed included: business development and economic potential, tourism opportunities, and the importance the 2013 City of Culture legacy.

Agreed: to receive from the Department information on what the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Tourism Ireland are doing to promote the City of Culture 2013.

Agreed: to receive information form the Department on what Tourism Ireland is doing internationally to promote the City of Culture 2013.

Agreed: to receive information from the Department on what Invest NI is doing to take advantage of the City of Culture 2013 legacy.

Agreed: to consider an agenda for a Committee City of Culture visit, in closed session, at next week’s meeting.

Agreed: to seek the views of the Department on the marketing bid that went into the January monitoring round and the wider marketing proposal.

Agreed: to seek the views of the Department on the flexibility in terms of accommodation.

Paul Frew left the meeting at 11.57am  

8. Legislative Consent Motion: Energy Bill

Members considered the Report on the Legislative Consent Motion.

Agreed: to approve the report.

Agreed: to publish the report with listed appendices on the Committee pages of the Assembly website.

9. Subordinate Legislation: SLR 2012/450 The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Revocations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

Members considered a proposal for subordinate legislation from the Department.

Agreed: that the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered SR 2012/450 The Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Revocations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 and, subject to the report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules, has no objection to the rule and recommends that it be affirmed by the Assembly.

10. UK Guarantees: CBI Event: Written Briefing from Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service

Members considered the briefing prepared by the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service.

Agreed: to receive more information on what work has been carried out using UK Guarantees on broadband and energy.

Agreed: to forward the briefing paper to the Committee for the Environment and the Committee for Regional Development.

11. Consultation on Further Legislative Measures to Transpose the EU Third Energy Package

Members considered the consultation on measures to transpose the EU Third Energy Package.

Agreed: to receive an oral briefing from the Department on the outcome of the consultation.

12. New Energy Efficiency Directive: Written Briefing from DETI

Members considered the written briefing on the new energy efficiency directive.

Agreed: to forward the paper to the Committees for Social Development, Finance and Personnel and Environment for information.

13. Correspondence

Members considered the following items of correspondence: 

i. From Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce 

Agreed: to receive an oral briefing from the BCTC.

ii. From Committee for Finance and Personnel – RaISe Departmental figures

Agreed: to assess, at a later date, whether an Assembly Research briefing should be received on departmental figures.

iii. From the Department – 34/4G Mobile Access Project 

Agreed: to receive a copy of the economic appraisal on the strategic outline for the 3G/4G Mobile Access Project.

Members noted the following items of correspondence:

i. From The Department- Budget Realignment Exercise 2013/14 and 2014/15.

ii. From the Consumer Council – Launch of the report on the impact of raising food costs on NI Consumers.

14. Forward Work Programme

Members noted the draft Forward Work Programme and were content to approve.

Sandra Overend joined the meeting at 12.17pm

15. Any Other Business

Members discussed the agenda regarding the committee meeting due to take place on Thursday 17 January 2013.

Agreed: to consider a report from the Clerk at next week’s meeting, in closed session, on the meeting between the Chair and Departmental Officials regarding disqualification proceedings against PMS directors.

16. Date, time and place of next meeting       

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on 17 January 2013 at 10.00am Room 30, Parliament Buildings.

The Chair adjourned the meeting at 12.20

Mr Patsy McGlone
Chair
Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
17 January 2013