Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting began at 10.33 am in closed session.

Members agreed to consider agenda item 16 first.

1. Closed Session: Corporation Tax

Members discussed the second draft of the response to the Treasury’s consultation document, “Rebalancing the NI Economy.”

Agreed: Clerk to make the final agreed amendments and issue the response to Treasury.

Agreed: To publish the response on the Committee’s website.

The meeting moved to open session at 10.41am.

Members returned to agenda item 1.

2. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

3. Minutes of meeting held on 16 June 2011

Agreed: The draft minutes of the meeting on the 16 June were agreed.

4. Chairperson’s Business

Members noted an invitation to the Chair and Committee members from Queen’s University to a Showcase Event on 27 June 2011 in the Long Gallery.

Members were reminded that next week’s meeting will be held at the Titanic Quarter, followed by a tour.

Agreed: To start next week’s meeting at the earlier time of 10.00am.

Members noted that the Chair intends to speak at the debate in Plenary next week on behalf of the Committee on the debate on tuition fees.

Members noted a response from CBI NI regarding tuition fees.

5. Matters Arising

There were no matters arising from the meeting of 16 June.

6. Invest NI

Alastair Hamilton joined the meeting at 10.47am.

Members received an oral briefing from Alastair Hamilton, Chief Executive, Invest NI. Key issues discussed included Invest NI’s performance during the 2008-2011 Programme for Government, Invest NI’s strategic change programme (Transform) and plans for the future regarding assured skills and research and development.

Stephen Moutray left the meeting at 11.08am.

Alasdair McDonnell joined the meeting at 11.10am.

Mike Nesbitt left the meeting at 11.38am.

Steven Agnew left the meeting at 11.45am.

Agreed: To receive a written briefing on the end year flexibility for Invest NI’s budget.

Agreed: To receive information on how the Committee can help support the continuation of Selective Financial Assistance.

Agreed: To receive information on Invest NI’s views on the EU Consultation on a new European regime for venture capitalism.

Alastair Hamilton left the meeting at 11.47am.

Steven Agnew returned to the meeting at 11.47am.

6. DETI Energy Division

DETI officials joined the meeting at 11.49am.

Members received an oral briefing from Fiona Hepper, Head of DETI Energy Division, Fred Frazer, and Alison Clydesdale, DETI Energy Division. Key issues discussed included the Strategic Energy Framework (SEF), the UK’s proposals for Electricity Market Reform (EMR) and a renewable heat incentive scheme for NI.

DETI officials left the meeting at 12.40pm.

Members noted a letter from the Minister regarding the EU 3 rd Energy Package.

Agreed: Chair to respond to the Minister.

7. SL1: Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

The Committee considered a proposal for subordinate legislation from DETI:

SL1 Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Agreed: That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered DETI’s proposal for subordinate legislation under the Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 and has no objection to the policy implications of the proposed legislation at this stage.

8. The Role of Tourism as an Economic Driver

Agreed: To address issues contained in this written briefing at next week’s meeting during NITB’s oral briefing.

9. PSA Monitoring Framework 2010-11 Quarter 4

Members noted the written briefing.

Agreed: To ask NITB officials to comment on those red ratings for tourism at next week’s oral briefing.

10. HSENI Consultation on Proposals for New Health and Safety Regulations

Members noted the written briefing.

Agreed: To receive a summary of responses from the Department when they become available.

11. Proposals to Implement the Third List of Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values (Commission Directive 2009/161/EU): Consultation Document

Members noted the written briefing.

12. Onshore Renewable Electricity Action Plan

Members noted the written briefing.

13. Correspondence

 Members noted the following items of correspondence:

I. Briefing paper from DETI on Air Passenger Duty (APD).

Agreed: To seek clarification on which government department(s) responded to the consultation.

II. Letter from the Minister to the Chair regarding the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) scheme.

III. Letter from the OFMDFM Committee Clerk regarding the SME Advocate for EU Member States.

Agreed: To advise the OFMDFM Committee that the Committee has invited the SME Advocate for the UK to provide an oral briefing to this Committee and will provide updates to the OFMDFM Committee as/when they occur.

IV. Letter to DETI from Gaelectric, copied to this Committee, regarding Larne Compressed Air Energy Storage Project.

V. Letter to First Minister from NISP, copied to this Committee from NISP Connect regarding higher education funding cuts.

14. Any other business

There were no additional items of business.

15. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 30 June at 10.00am, Titanic Quarter Limited, Titanic House.

The meeting went into closed session at 12.46pm

16. Closed Session: Draft Forward Work Programme

Members discussed and agreed key issues for consideration in the draft forward programme for September to December 2011.

The Chair adjourned the meeting at 1.08pm.

Mr Alban Maginness
Chair
Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment

30 June 2011