Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Minutes of Proceedings - 16 September 2021
Agreed Minutes of Proceedings 16 September 2021.pdf (513.32 kb)
Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Minutes of Proceedings
Thursday 16 September 2021
Meeting Location: Room 30/Virtual Meeting via StarLeaf
Present:
Declan McAleer MLA (Chairperson)
Present by Video or Teleconference:
Philip McGuigan MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Clare Bailey MLA
Rosemary Barton MLA
John Blair MLA
Harry Harvey MLA
William Irwin MLA
Patsy McGlone MLA
Apologies: None
Present:
Nick Henry, Clerk
Marion Johnson, Clerical Supervisor
In Attendance by Video or Teleconference:
Elaine Farrell, Assistant Clerk
Neal Flanagan, Assistant Clerk
The meeting commenced at 10.01 a.m. in Open Session
1. Apologies
None.
2. Chairperson’s Business
None.
3. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 9 September 2021.
4. Matters Arising
None.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to move to agenda items 8, Correspondence and 9, Forward Work Programme, next.
5. Correspondence
The Committee noted the following:
- Correspondence from the Ulster Farmers’ Union in respect of its Virtual Winter Programme taking place in October 2021 which invites Committee Members to take part;
- Correspondence from Pivotal in respect of the publication of its latest report, ‘Pivotal Tracker – policy priorities for Northern Ireland’;
- Copied correspondence from the Ulster Farmers’ Union to the Minister in respect of a North West Flooding claim by one of its members;
- Correspondence from the NI Pork and Bacon Forum which provides an update on the ongoing crisis in the pork sector in respect of access to labour;
- Copied correspondence from the House of Lords European Affairs Sub Committee on the Protocol to DEFRA in respect of Supplementing Regulation 2019/787 and advising that it has drawn its scrutiny of the regulation to a close;
- Correspondence from the Committee for Finance in respect of the Executive’s consideration of EU Regulation 2021/414 that pertains to electronic systems for the exchange and storage of import/export information;
- Correspondence from the Department which advises that the criminal trial pertaining to Mobuoy will be heard in court on 17 September 2021;
- Correspondence from the Department advising that the Supplementary Legislative Consent Motion has been laid in the Assembly Business Officer;
- Correspondence from the Horticulture Forum NI which provides a copy of the submission it sent to the Department’s consultation on the Peatlands Strategy 2021-2040;
The Committee considered correspondence from Clare Bailey MLA which provides a copy of the Delegated Powers Memorandum in respect of the Non-Executive Climate Change Bill.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the Delegated Powers Memorandum to the Examiner of Statutory Rules for her consideration.
The Committee considered an invitation from NILGA to view its Zero Carbon Bus which will stop at Parliament Buildings on 30 September 2021 as part its COP26 tour.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to advise the clerk of their availability to participate in the viewing of the Zero Carbon Bus on 30 September 2021 and for the clerk to respond to NILGA.
6. Forward Work Programme
Agreed: The Committee agreed the Forward Work Programme. The meeting suspended at 10.05 a.m.
The meeting resumed at 10.08 a.m.
7. Oral Evidence Session: Climate Change No.1 Bill – Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA)
The following representatives from NILGA joined the meeting via StarLeaf at
10.08 a.m.
- Councillor Robert Burgess, NILGA President
- Karen Smyth, Head of Policy and Governance
The representatives briefed the Committee and this was followed by a question and answer session.
The oral evidence session was reported by Hansard. Mr McGuigan left the meeting at 10.39 a.m.
The Chairperson thanked the representatives for their attendance.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the briefing paper from NILGA on the Committee website.
8. Oral Evidence Session: Climate Change No.1 Bill – The Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM)
The following representatives from CIWM joined the meeting via StarLeaf at 11.16 a.m.
- Tim Walker, Chief Executive Arc21
- Ray Parmenter, Head of Policy and Technical
The representatives briefed the Committee and this was followed by a question and answer session.
The oral evidence session was reported by Hansard.
The Chairperson thanked the representatives for their attendance.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the briefing paper from CIWM on the Committee website.
9. Oral Evidence Session: DAERA – Horse Racing (Amendment) Bill 2021
The following departmental officials joined the meeting via Starleaf at 11.56 a.m.
- John Terrington, Head of Bill Team
- Dr Samantha Stewart, Deputy Head of Bill Team
The officials briefed the Committee and this was followed by a question and answer session.
The Chairperson thanked the officials for their attendance.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to publish the Department’s briefing paper on the Committee webpage.
10. AOB
There was no other business.
11. Date, time and place of the next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs will take place on Thursday 23 September 2021 at 9.30 a.m. and will be hybrid meeting streamed on the Assembly’s website.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to move into Closed Session. The meeting moved into Closed Session at 12.08 p.m.
12. Strategic Planning Session
The clerk briefed the Committee on the priorities until the end of the mandate which was followed by a discussion on topics for a mini review.
Agreed: That the Clerk should organise time in the Committee’s upcoming meetings to facilitate informal deliberations on the Climate Change (No.1) Bill.
Agreed: In respect of inviting stakeholders to give oral evidence on the Climate Change (No.2) Bill, that invites should be made to organisations who were invited to attend for Bill No.1, but in order to make the best use of Committee time, they should be given option of providing a written submission and that this should be focussed on the salient aspects of Bill No.2. It was also agreed that the Clerk should seek to organise “themed” timings for multiple stakeholders from similar sectors to attend the Committee and provide oral evidence on Bill No.2.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request an overview of the keys points to be made by the Minister for the Second Debate of the Climate Change No.2 Bill, in the absence of being able to schedule an oral briefing in advance of the debate.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request an oral briefing from the Department on the impact of Brexit/Protocol checks which will be scheduled after there is greater clarity arising from discussions between the UKG and the EU.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider terms of reference for a mini inquiry into the provision of rural broadband in due course.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request a departmental briefing on the Bovine TB Strategy consultation responses for early December 2021.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider a visit over the Halloween Recess period.
Members were advised that the arrangements for the visit to the Balmoral Show on 22 September 2021 would be circulated in due course.
The meeting was adjourned at 12.55 p.m.
Declan McAleer, MLA
Chairperson, Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee
