Minutes of Proceedings

The meeting began at 10.09am in public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Minutes of meeting held on 23 June 2011

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

3. Chairperson’s Business

Members noted a letter from Tourism Ireland requesting a meeting with the Chair.

Agreed: Chair to meet with Tourism Ireland and to receive a written briefing from Tourism Ireland in the first instance.

Members noted the procedure for responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests during summer recess.

Agreed: To delegate authority to the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson to respond to any FOI requests and to inform the Committee at the first meeting following recess.

4. Matters Arising

Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel regarding its response to the Treasury’s consultation on Rebalancing the NI Economy and corporation tax.

5. NI Tourist Board

NITB officials joined the meeting at 10.12am.

Members received an oral briefing from Alan Clarke, Chief Executive, Kathryn Thomson, Chief Operating Officer and Gillian Magee, Acting Director Corporate Development. Key issues discussed included tourism as an economic driver, the draft Tourism Strategy for Northern Ireland and Planning Policy Statement 16 (PPS16).

David McIlveen joined the meeting at 10.20am.

Stephen Agnew left the meeting at 11.35am.

NITB officials left the meeting at 11.35am.

Agreed: To contact the planning service through the Committee for Environment and request an oral briefing on the impact of PPS 16 on tourism.

Agreed: To commission research on the impact of PPS 16 on tourism.

Agreed: Witnesses to provide their contact details for Committee members.

6. SR 2011/209 Tourist Establishments (Notices, Certificates and Forms) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

The Committee considered the following subordinate legislation:

SR 2011/209 Tourist Establishments (Notices, Certificates and Forms) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

The Committee noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules had no points to raise by way of technical scrutiny in relation to the Rule.

Agreed: That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered SR 2011/209 Tourist Establishments (Notices, Certificates and Forms) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 and has no objection to the Rule.

Stephen Agnew returned to the meeting at 11.38am.

7. SL1: The Factories Act (Northern Ireland) 1965 and Office Shop Premises Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 (Repeals and Modifications) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

The Committee considered a proposal for subordinate legislation from DETI:

SL1: The Factories Act (Northern Ireland) 1965 and Office Shop Premises Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 (Repeals and Modifications) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011.

Agreed : That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered DETI’s proposal for subordinate legislation under The Factories Act (Northern Ireland) 1965 and Office Shop Premises Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 (Repeals and Modifications) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 and has no objection to the policy implications of the proposed legislation at this stage.

8. SL1: The Petroleum (Consolidation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

The Committee considered a proposal for subordinate legislation from DETI:

SL1: The Petroleum (Consolidation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Agreed : That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered DETI’s proposal for subordinate legislation under The Petroleum (Consolidation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929 (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 and has no objection to the policy implications of the proposed legislation at this stage.

9. SL1: Proposed Electricity (Published Criteria for Generating Station) Regulations (NI) 2011

The Committee considered a proposal for subordinate legislation from DETI:

SL1: The Proposed Electricity (Published Criteria for Generating Station) Regulations (NI) 2011

Members note that the proposed date of operation is July 2011 and that the Committee may not be given the opportunity to consider the Rule at SR stage before the Rule comes into operation.

Agreed : That the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment has considered DETI’s proposal for subordinate legislation under The Proposed Electricity (Published Criteria for Generating Station) Regulations (NI) 2011 and has no objection to the policy implications of the proposed legislation at this stage.

10. Renewable Heat Incentive

Members discussed the written briefing.

Agreed: To receive the outcomes of the consultation when they become available, before the final scheme is developed and finalised by the Department.

11. Social Economy Enterprise Strategy

Members discussed the written briefing.

Agreed: To forward the annual report to the relevant statutory Committees for information .

12. HSENI Draft Corporate Plan 2011-15

Members noted the written briefing.

13. Consultation on the potential for extending the natural gas network in Northern Ireland

Members discussed the written briefing.

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

14. Consultation on the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Members discussed the written briefing.

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

15. Renewable Energy Inquiry

Members discussed a response from the Department to the previous Committee’s recommendations from the Renewable Energy Inquiry.

Members noted the Clerk’s suggestions for follow-up information.

Agreed: To forward the response to the relevant Committees for information.

Agreed: Clerk to write to the Department with follow-up information and to request a response by 31 August.

Agreed: To consider the documents again after the summer recess.

16. Correspondence

Members noted the following items of correspondence:

I. Response from the Department regarding estimated cost of cutting corporation tax and how long it would take to recover the “real money”.

II. Letter from the Minister to the Chair regarding Electricity Market Reform (EMR).

Agreed: To receive the outcomes of DETI’s review on the potential impact of the EMR proposals on NI when they become available.

III. Letter from the Minister to the Chair regarding the Consumer Rights Directive.

IV. Letter from the Construction Employers Federation (CEF) requesting a meeting with the Committee.

V. Invitation to Committee from South Eastern Regional College (SERC) to hold a meeting on its premises.

Agreed: Clerk to contact SERC to arrange the meeting to discuss and to add the suggestion to the forward work programme for the next session.

VI. Letter from NIE on NIE’s investment strategy and pension scheme.

VII. Letter from the Committee for Social Development regarding DETI’s involvement in fuel poverty.

Agreed: To forward to the Department for comment.

Agreed: Committee Office to forward response to member’s during recess.

VIII. Response from the Department regarding arm’s length bodies.

Agreed: To forward the response to the OFMDFM Committee.

IX. Invitation from the CBI to a breakfast event on 6 September.

Agreed: Committee Office to contact members regarding attendance during recess.

17. Any other business

Members discussed recent news reports regarding disqualification proceedings against former Presbyterian Mutual Society Directors.

Agreed: To seek written evidence from DETI on the issue.

Agreed: To seek legal advice on any potential risks in taking evidence on the issue.

Members discussed the Short-Term Employment Scheme.

Agreed: To receive a written briefing from the Department and for the Committee Office to send to members during recess.

18. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Thursday 15 September at 10.30am, Room 30, Parliament Buildings.

The Chair adjourned the meeting at 12.10pm.

Mr Alban Maginness, Chair
Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
15 September 2011