Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting began at 10.02am in public session.

1. Public Session: Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Minutes of meetings held on 9 October 2012

Agreed: The draft minutes of the meetings on 9 October 2012 were agreed.

3. Chairperson’s Business

Members noted notification to the Business Office of the Legislative Consent Motion on the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill on 23 October.

Stephen Moutray joined the meeting at 10.05am.

Members noted an invitation to the Chair from Include Youth to a conference on 25 October.

Members noted an invitation to the Chair from the Royal Town Planning Institute and RSPB NI to the Sustainable Planning Awards on 23 October.

4. Matters Arising

Members considered a response from the Department to a number of issues raised by the Committee on the loss of jobs at FG Wilson and a response from the Department for Employment and Learning to a Committee query regarding redundancies at Target Express.

Agreed: to copy the response to the Minister for Employment & Learning and to the individual from Target Express.

Members considered a response from the Department on access to EU funding.

Agreed: to request an update on the Barosso Taskforce from the Committee for OFMDFM.

Agreed: to request an update of the number of actual jobs created in the last 5 years by Invest NI European and international offices.

Agreed: to publish the Department’s response on the Committee pages of the Assembly website.

Members considered a press release from the Consumer Council regarding a survey of Ulster Bank customers who were affected by the crisis.

Agreed: to ask the Consumer Council for a written briefing on the outcomes of the survey when it comes available.

Members considered a supplementary paper from Assembly Research and Information Services on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund.

Agreed: to forward the paper to the Department and the Committee for Employment and Learning for information.

Members noted a response from the Department regarding October Monitoring 2012.

Members considered a response from the Department to a Committee query on the Scrap Metal Dealers Private Members Bill.

Agreed: to copy the response to the Committee for Justice, the Committee for the Environment and to Roy Beggs MLA for information.

Members considered a supplementary paper from Assembly Research and Information Services on fuel data.

Agreed: to forward the paper to the Office of Fair Trading for inclusion in their Call for Information.

5. World Heritage Sites: Written Briefing from Assembly Research

Members considered the written briefing.

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

6. Current Tourism Issues: Oral Briefing from DETI Tourism Policy, NITB and Tourism Ireland.

Representatives joined the meeting at 10.14 am.

Members received an oral briefing from Mike Thompson, Director of Tourism Policy, DETI; Lorraine Fleming, Head of Branch Tourism Policy, DETI; Kathryn Thomson, Chief Operating Officer, NITB; Susie McCullough, Director of Marketing & Events, NITB; Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive, Tourism Ireland; and Shane Clarke, Director of Corporate Services & Policy, Tourism Ireland.

Key issues discussed included the impact of new key tourist facilities, tourism statistics, collaboration in key events and plans for the marketing of future tourist events.

Paul Frew left the meeting at 11.37am.

Agreed: to receive statistics on the potential impact on tourism of the introduction of national parks.

Agreed: to receive a written explanation of how an official came to be referring to creationism in relation to the Giants Causeway Visitor Centre and where that view came from.

Steven Agnew left the meeting at 12.24pm.

Representatives left the meeting at 12.36pm.

Sandra Overend left the meeting at 12.36pm.

7. Subordinate Legislation

The Committee considered the following subordinate legislation:

SR 2012 The Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012.

Agreed: That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered SR 2012 The Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules’ report, recommends that it be affirmed by the Assembly

8. Subordinate Legislation

Members considered a proposal for subordinate legislation from the Department.

Agreed: that the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered the Department’s proposal for subordinate legislation under the Electricity (Priority Dispatch) Regulations 2012 and has no objection to the policy implications of the proposed legislation at this stage.

9. Forward Work Programme

Members considered the draft Forward Work Programme.

Sandra Overend returned to the meeting at 12.40pm.

Agreed: to request Assembly Research attends a WWF event on 22 November.

Agreed: the revised Forward Work Programme was agreed.

Agreed: to publish the Forward Work Programme on the Committee pages of the Assembly website.

10. Correspondence

Members considered the following items of correspondence:

i. From the Committee for the Office of First Minister and deputy First Minister regarding the Inquiry into Developing the Northern Ireland Economy through Innovation, Research and Development.

Agreed: to inform the Committee for OFMDFM that the Department will brief this Committee on the 8 November and a more substantive response will issue following this briefing.

Members noted the following items of correspondence.

ii. From the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding departmental financial forecasting.

iii. From Agenda NI regarding the Northern Ireland Energy Forum 10^th annual conference on 8 November at the Stormont Hotel.

iv. From the Committee for Justice regarding the Community Safety Strategy

v. From Dr Norman Apsley OBE, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Science Park regarding a response to preservation work on the Thompson Graving dock

vi. From Invest NI regarding Invest NI Policy and Programme Screenings

vii. From NI Electricity regarding information on the updated NIE Statement of Charges for Connection to the NI Electricity Distribution System

viii. From Utility Regulator regarding information on commercial electricity costs in Northern Ireland and calculation of PSO charges

ix. From the Department regarding a breakdown of the geographical spread of the 13 applications to the collaborative Network Programme provided by Invest NI

x. From the Department regarding details on how SMEs and Micro Enterprises can access EU Funding.

xi. From Tamboran regarding changes to the senior management team.

11. Any other business

Members discussed a press article regarding the £50 million growth fund for SMEs.

Agreed: to seek a breakdown on how the £7m being paid to a company to manage the £50m growth fund for SMEs has been calculated.

Agreed: to seek clarification what has been set aside to manage the smaller growth fund.

12. Date, time and place of next meeting         

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 25 October 2012 at 10.00am, Room 30, Parliament Buildings

The Chair adjourned the meeting at 12.45 pm._

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