Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Note of informal Committee meeting via Microsoft Teams video conferencing facility on 23 April 2020
Members present:
Declan McAleer (Chairperson)
Philip McGuigan (Deputy Chairperson)
Clare Bailey
Rosemary Barton
John Blair
Pat Catney
Harry Harvey
William Irwin
Staff present:
Stella McArdle
Elaine Farrell
Marion Johnston
Marrianne McGuiggan
Members had been issued various briefing documents and correspondence from the Department through the Post Box facility on their tablets. The following items were considered and discussed:
1. COVID 19 update from the Department, alongside a response to questions asked by Members from the previous update which issued on 15 April 2020.
Members agreed to forward any questions on the COVID 19 update to the Clerk by 12 noon.
Members agreed to publish the Department’s COVID 19 update and response to previous questions on the Committee web page.
Members agreed to issue a Tweet to inform that the COVID 19 update was now published on the Committee web page.
2. The completed Budget Template by the Department for the Executive Budget 2020-21. Members agreed to forward questions on the budget template information to the Clerk by 12 noon. Members agreed to publish the departmental budget template on the Committee web page. Members agreed to issue a Tweet to advise that the budget template has been published on the Committee webpage.
(a) Members noted the correspondence from the Department on its finance input to the Executive Budget 2020-21.
(b) Members noted the RaISe analysis written briefing paper on the coordinated response from departments to the Executive Budget 2020-21.
(c) Members noted the correspondence from the Committee for Finance on the allocation of resources to deal with COVID 19.
(d) Members noted the correspondence from the Committee for Finance which provides a further update on the allocation of resources to deal with COVID 19.
3. SR 2020-56: The Single Use Carrier Bags (Coronavirus Amendment) Regulations (NI). Members considered the SR and noted that in the seventh report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules, the Department had broken the 21-day rule. However, the Examiner was content with the explanation provided by the Department.
The question was put and agreed by the Committee:
That the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has considered SR 2020-56: The Single Use Carrier Bags (Coronavirus Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2020, and has no objections to the rule.
4. Note of the informal meeting of the Committee on 9 April 2020: Members considered and agreed the note of the informal meeting and agreed to publish it on the Committee webpage. Members agreed to issue a Tweet to advise that the note of the informal meeting has been published.
5. Correspondence from the Department on the timeframe for the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Environment Bill. Members noted the correspondence.
(a) LCM Report on the UK Fisheries Bill: Members noted the additional paragraph and agreed to include in the main body of the report. Members further agreed to defer the publishing of the report until the Bill resumes its passage through Westminster.
6. Responses from supermarkets on the importation of Polish Beef during the current COVID 19 crisis: Members noted that replies had been received from ASDA, Iceland, Marks and Spencer, Musgrave NI and Co-Op. Members noted that there were still a number of outstanding replies and a holding response from LIDL. Members agreed to publish to responses to date on the Committee webpage.
7. AOB: Members agreed to write a letter to the Executive and MPs in support of the package that is currently being sought for the agri-food industry.
(a) Members agreed to consider a formal meeting in Parliament Buildings with the Minister and his officials to discuss a range of issues of concern that are relevant to the COVID 19 crisis. Members agreed to forward topics to be covered at the meeting to the Clerk by 12 noon on 27 April 2020.
