Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting began at 10.07 am in public session.

1. Apologies

There were no apologies.

2. Chairperson’s Business

Members considered an invitation from Queen’s University Belfast to the Chief Executives’ Club Awards Ceremony on 6 December 2012.

Agreed: for the Chairperson to attend the GALA Ceremony.

3. Minutes of meeting held on 15 November 2012

Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on 15 November 2012 were agreed.

4. Matters Arising

Members noted an Assembly Research paper on the Small Business Research Initiative.

Members noted a response from NITB on the Tourism Event Funding Programme.

5. Communications Market Report and 4G: Oral Briefing from Ofcom

Representatives joined the meeting at 10.13am.

Members received an oral briefing from Matthew Conway, Director, Regulatory Development and Nations and Jonathan Rose, Director Northern Ireland.

Key issues discussed included 3G, 4G and 5G mobile broadband, inadvertent roaming and superfast broadband.

Patsy McGlone joined the meeting and took the chair at 10.23 hours.

Gordon Dunne joined the meeting at 10.27am.

Paul Frew joined the meeting at 10.35am.

Stephen Moutray left the meeting at 10.54am.

Representatives left the meeting at 11.16 am

Agreed: to receive oral briefings from the four mobile network operators.

Agreed: to determine if the North/South Ministerial Council has discussed cross-border roaming.

6. Update on Telecoms Action Plan: Oral Briefing from DETI

Officials joined the meeting at 11.21 am.

Members received an oral briefing from Mike Thompson, Assistant  Secretary, Telecoms Unit; Alan Preston, Principal, Telecoms Unit and Trevor Forsythe, Deputy Principal, Telecoms Unit.

Key issues discussed included Mobile Infrastructure project (MIP), 3G/4G Mobile Access Project, Broadband Stimulation Programme and rural proofing the Telecoms Action Plan.

Agreed: to receive a written briefing regarding the MIP.

Agreed: to receive evidence of job creation and activity through technology.

Agreed: to receive detailed information on the rural proofing which has been done in relation to the Telecoms Action Plan.

Agreed: to forward the Assembly Research paper on the Small Business Research Initiative to the Department for information.

Officials left the meeting at 11.57am.

7. Making the most of NI’s Infrastructure: Oral Briefing from BT

Representatives joined the meeting at 11.58am.

Members received an oral briefing from Colm O’Neill, Chief Executive Officer, Frank McManus, Head of Wholesale Sales & Service and Tara Whaley, Head of Public Affairs.

Key issues discussed included plans to deliver government service contract, and building new technology through research and development.

Phil Flanagan declared an interest as a customer of BT and as having a family member who is an employee of BT.

Agreed: to receive information on allocations of IP addresses.

Representatives left the meeting at 12.25pm.

8. Engineering Sector Representative Bodies in Northern Ireland: Written Briefing from Assembly Research.

Members noted the written briefing.

9. Correspondence

Members considered the following items of correspondence:

i. From the NI Science Park to the Minister for Environment regarding the Thompson Graving Dock.

Agreed: to follow up with the Committee for Environment.

 ii. From the Committee for Employment & Learning regarding the European Commission Work Programme.

Agreed: to forward the correspondence to the Department to determine what it is doing to attract funding in relation to energy and telecoms.

Members noted the following items of correspondence.

iii. From the Committee for the Environment regarding Tamboran’s Management Team in Ireland.

10. Any Other Business

Members noted an evaluation report of the Committee’s pilot use of a rapporteur to conduct a committee inquiry.

11. Date of Next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 29 November 2012 at 10.00am, Room 30, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.30pm.

Mr Patsy McGlone
Chair, Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
29 November 2012