Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Note of informal Committee meeting via Microsoft Teams video conferencing facility on 30 April 2020
Members present:
Declan McAleer (Chairperson)
Philip McGuigan (Deputy Chairperson)
Clare Bailey
Rosemary Barton
John Blair
Maurice Bradley
Pat Catney
Harry Harvey
William Irwin
Staff present:
Stella McArdle
Barbara Love
Elaine Farrell
Marion Johnston
Marrianne McGuiggan
The Chair noted that he has received a reply from Minister Poots in connection with the letter of condolence sent by him on behalf of the Committee.
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 21 April 2020Members 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.
Members noted copied correspondence from the Minister to the Chief Executives of all councils setting out principles to help inform the decision making process on whether to open up household recycling centres again.
2. Correspondence from the Department on the UK Wide Wine (Amendment) Regulations 2020. Members noted the correspondence which advises that DEFRA proposes to make the Statutory Instrument under powers conferred on it by section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972Members agreed to forward any questions on the regulations to the Clerk by 12 noon.
3. Committee draft report on DAERA’s Budget 2020/21. The Committee considered and agreed the draft report. The Committee noted that the response from the Department’s Director of Finance had been incorporated into the report and agreed to publish the response on the Committee web page alongside a Tweet to advise of the publication.The Committee agreed to add a paragraph in connection with the Digital Transformation Budget. The Committee agreed to forward the budget report to the Committee for Finance.
The Committee agreed to publish the Budget Report on the Committee web page alongside a Tweet to advise of the publication.
4. Correspondence from the Minister advising that the draft legislation on the Direct Payments to Farmers (Crop Diversification Derogation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 would be coming before the Committee for consideration at the meeting on 6 May 2020. Members noted the correspondence alongside the draft Statutory Rule.5. Correspondence from the Minister in which he advises that he and Minister Dodds have written to the Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth on the requirements in the Single Electricity Market and Carbon Emission Trading in the UK-EU negotiations and concerns that NI needs a greater input. Members agreed to write to the Department to request an update on any developments in relation to this.
6. Committee letter of support for an Agri-Food Industry financial package. The Committee agreed that the letter should issue to the Executive, NI MPs and the EU Commissioner.
The Committee considered a draft Press Release on the letter of support and agreed for it to issue.
7. Note of the Informal Meeting which took place on 23 April 2020. The Committee agreed the note and agreed that is should be published on the Committee web page and for a Tweet to issue alongside this to advise of the publication.
8. Correspondence from the Committee for the Executive Office on a list of commitments in the New Decade New Approach document. The Committee noted the correspondence.
9. Correspondence from the Chairpersons’ Liaison Group on revised guidance for Assembly Committees during the current Covid 19 pandemic. The Committee noted the revised guidance.
10. Correspondence from the Clerk on the arrangements for the formal committee meeting on 6 May 2020 in Parliament Buildings. The Committee noted the arrangements and were advised that the Clerk would confirm attendance and the location for the meeting on Friday 1 May 2020.
11. Correspondence from Henderson/Spar, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and the Livestock and Meat Commission on the importation of Polish Beef. The Committee noted the correspondence and agreed to publish them on the Committee web page alongside a Tweet to advise that they had been published.
