12th January 2022

2022-1-12 Draft Minutes.pdf (421.01 kb)

Committee for the Economy

Minutes of Proceedings

12th January 2022

Meeting Location: Room 30, Parliament Buildings

 

Present:                 

Dr Caoímhe Archibald (MLA (Chairperson)

Mr Keith Buchanan MLA

Mr Peter Weir MLA

Mr Stewart Dickson MLA

Mr Mike Nesbitt MLA

 

In Attendance by Video or Teleconference: 

Mr Matthew O’Toole MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

Mr John O’Dowd MLA       

Mr Stephen Dunne MLA

Ms Claire Sugden MLA

 

In Attendance:      

Mr Peter Hall (Assembly Clerk)

Mr Thomas Armstrong (Assistant Assembly Clerk)

Mr Aaron Pakenham (Clerical Officer)

 

In Attendance by Video or Teleconference: 

Ms Sinead Kelly (Assistant Assembly Clerk)

Mr Michael Greer (Clerical Supervisor)

 

The meeting commenced at 10:03am in open session.

 

1.     Apologies

 

As noted above.

 

2.     Draft Minutes

 

Agreed: The Committee agreed the Minutes from 15th December 2021.

 

3.     Chairperson’s Business

 

Noted: Members noted that the Further Consideration Stage of the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill is postponed until 24th January 2022.

 

Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department with a number of queries in relation to the High Street Voucher Scheme.

 

 

4.     Departmental Briefing – Budget 22-25 and January Monitoring

 

Members received a briefing from:

 

Sharon Hetherington                Director of Finance, Department for the Economy

Johanna Park                          Accountant Grade 6, Financial Management, Department for the Economy

 

The witness left the meeting at 12.03pm  

 

Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department to request further information on a number of issues.

 

Agreed: Members agreed to forward a copy of the budget briefing slides to the Finance Committee.

 

 5.     Departmental Written Briefing – Energy Strategy

Agreed: Members noted the Energy Strategy published by the Department and a number of associated papers and agreed to write to the Department to clarify whether the Ministerial briefing on 26th January would include the Energy Strategy or if a separate briefing would be required.

 

Agreed: Members agreed to seek clarity from the Department on the timing of publication of the Action Plan.

 

 

Members agreed to move to closed session 12.12pm

 

 

6.     Discussion on Private Members’ Bills

 

Agreed: Members noted written submissions on the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill from the Labour Relations Agency, NI Human Rights Commission, UNISON, Victim Support, Women’s Aid, Women’s Regional Consortium and Women’s Policy Group.

Agreed: Members noted the Hansard from the Committee meeting on 8th December 2021.  

Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department to seek its views on the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill.

Agreed: Members agreed to proceed with the clause by clause in relation to the Small-Scale Green Energy Bill and the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill at the next meeting.

Members agreed to move to open session 12.44pm

 

7.     Matters Arising

 

Agreed: Members agreed to schedule an informal meeting with stakeholders in relation to the loss of funding from the European Social Fund.

 

Agreed: Members agreed to schedule an informal meeting with travel agents in relation to Covid support.

 

Agreed: Members agreed to deal with the remaining items of Matters Arising via correspondence.

 

8.     Small-Scale Green energy Bill

 

This item was covered under Agenda Item 6.

 

  1. 9.     Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill

 

This item was covered under Agenda Item 6.

 

10. Correspondence

 

Agreed: Members agreed to deal with these items via correspondence.

 

 

Members moved to Agenda Item 13.

 

13. SR 2022/002 The Insolvency Practitioners (Recognised Professional Bodies) (Revocation of Recognition) (Revocation) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022

 

Noted: Members noted SR 2022/002 The Insolvency Practitioners (Recognised Professional Bodies) (Revocation of Recognition) (Revocation) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022.

 

Members moved to Agenda Item 11.

 

11. Any Other Business

 

Agreed: Members agreed to seek clarity from the Department in relation to the timescale for recruitment of a new CEO of Invest NI and to schedule a closed session at the next meeting to discuss the matter.

 

12. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

 

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Wednesday 19th January 2022 in Room 30, Parliament Buildings at 10am.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 12.51pm.

Dr Caoímhe Archibald MLA

Chairperson, Committee for the Economy

19th January 2022   

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