19th January 2022

20220119 Draft Minutes.pdf (198.13 kb)

Committee for the Economy

Minutes of Proceedings

19th January 2022

Meeting Location: Virtual Meeting   

     

In Attendance by Video or Teleconference: 

Dr Caoímhe Archibald (MLA (Chairperson)

Mr Keith Buchanan MLA

Mr Peter Weir MLA

Mr Stewart Dickson MLA

Mr Mike Nesbitt MLA

Mr Matthew O’Toole MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

Mr John O’Dowd MLA       

Mr Stephen Dunne MLA

 

Apologies:            

Ms Claire Sugden MLA

 

 

In Attendance by Video or Teleconference: 

Mr Peter Hall (Assembly Clerk)

Mr Thomas Armstrong (Assistant Assembly Clerk)

Mr Aaron Pakenham (Clerical Officer)

Ms Sinead Kelly (Assistant Assembly Clerk)

Mr Michael Greer (Clerical Supervisor)

 

The meeting commenced at 10:12am in open session.

 

 1.     Apologies

 

As noted above.

 

 2.     Draft Minutes

 

Agreed: The Committee agreed the Minutes from 12th January 2022.

 

3.     Chairperson’s Business

 

Agreed: Members noted that Invest NI is undergoing an external review and agreed to write to the Department to seek further details and to ask whether the review is advisory or a catalyst for redesign.

 

Agreed: Members noted the amendments tabled by the Department for the Further Consideration Stage of the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill and agreed to invite officials to provide an oral briefing on the amendments at today’s meeting.

 

 

4.     Small-Scale Green Energy Bill – Informal Clause by Clause

 

Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee will reserve its position on the clauses of the Bill and present the evidence it received as part of this Committee Report for consideration by the Assembly should the Bill proceed to Consideration Stage.

 

5.     Small-Scale Green Energy Bill – Formal Clause by Clause and Draft Committee Report

 

Agreed: Members agreed that as the Committee had decided to reserve its position on the Bill, there was no requirement to carry out a Clause by Clause.

 

 

The Committee considered the draft report on the Small-Scale Green Energy Bill.

Executive Summary

The Committee considered the Executive Summary as drafted.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the Executive Summary as drafted.

 

The Committee considered the Introduction and Committee Approach as drafted.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the Introduction and Committee Approach as drafted.

 

The Committee considered the Consideration of the Bill as drafted.


Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the Consideration of the Bill as drafted.

 

The Committee considered the Clause by Clause Scrutiny of the Bill as drafted.


Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the Clause by Clause Scrutiny of the Bill as drafted.

 

The Committee considered the List of Appendices as drafted.


Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the List of Appendices as drafted.

 

Agreed: The Committee agreed that a section would be added to the Committee Report to reflect the report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules once it is received.

 

Matthew O’Toole joined the meeting at 10.20am

 

 

Members agreed to suspend the meeting at 10.22am

 

The meeting recommenced at 10.46am in open session

 

 

6.     Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill – Informal Clause by Clause

 

The Committee commenced its informal clause by clause consideration of the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill.

 

The Chair put the question in relation to each clause.  

 

Clause 1: Safe leave for victims of domestic abuse

The Committee considered Clause 1 as drafted.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with Clause 1 as drafted.

 

Clause 2: Annual Report

The Committee considered Clause 2 as drafted.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with Clause 2 as drafted.

 

Clause 3: Guidance

The Committee considered Clause 3 as drafted.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with Clause 3 as drafted.

 

Clause 4: Commencement

The Committee considered Clause 4 as drafted.

 

Agreed: The Committee agreed to query with the Bill Sponsor the rationale for there being no commencement date in the Bill.

 

Agreed: The Committee agreed to proceed to Formal Clause by Clause at the next meeting.

 

7.     Employment (Zero Hours Workers and Banded Weekly Working Hours) Bill

 

Noted: Members noted the legal advice in relation to the Bill.

 

 

 

Members agreed to move to closed session 10.53am

 

 8.     Resignation of Former CEO of Invest NI

 

Agreed: As discussed at Item 3,Members agreed to seek further information in relation to the external review of Invest NI.

 

 

Members agreed to move to open session 11.09am

 

9.     Matters Arising

 

Agreed: Members noted a response from the Department regarding the connectivity of farm holdings and agreed to forward to the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs who raised the issue.

 

Noted: Members noted a copy of a response from the Department to the Infrastructure Committee regarding the inquiry into the Decarbonisation of Road Transport in Northern Ireland.

 

Noted: Members noted a response from the Department to the Communities Committee regarding the Increase in Energy costs and the funding of the Utility Regulator.

 

Noted: Members noted a response from the Department of Agriculture regarding the Committee’s query around the energy price crisis and funds raised through the emissions trading scheme.

 

Agreed: Members noted correspondence from Include Youth regarding the loss of core funding for Essential Skills and agreed to write to the Minister to urge him to meet with Include Youth given the urgency and loss of core funding for Essential Skills.

 

Noted: Members noted a response from the Executive Office Committee regarding grants for ventilation in high-risk settings.

 

 

10. Correspondence

 

Noted: Members noted correspondence from the Minister regarding the Company Law Common Framework.

 

Noted: Members noted a copy of the Company Law Common Framework.

 

Noted: Members noted correspondence from the Minister regarding the Late Payment Policy Common Framework.

 

Noted: Members noted a copy of the Late Payment Policy Common Framework.

 

Agreed: Members agreed to request an oral briefing from officials on the Common Frameworks and to consult with stakeholders.

 

Noted: Members noted a response from the Department to the Committee for Education regarding structured education provision for young refugee and asylum seekers.

 

Noted: Members noted correspondence from the Minister regarding new powers conferred on the Department by the Environment Act 2021 (Commencement) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022 in relation to amending the UK REACH Enforcement Regulations.

 

Noted: Members noted correspondence from the Finance Committee regarding the Outturn for November 2021 indicating substantial DEL underspends in the Department.

 

Noted: Members noted a Written Ministerial Statement by the Communities Minister regarding Executive support for a £55m Energy Payment Support Scheme.

 

Noted: Members noted the NI Chamber and BDO 4th Quarter 2021 Economic Survey.

 

Noted: Members noted correspondence from BEIS to the Chair of the Protocol Sub-Committee regarding a Regulation on Cosmetic Products.

 

Noted: Members noted correspondence from the Chair of the Protocol Sub-Committee to the BEIS Minister regarding harmonised standards for toys.

 

Noted: Members noted correspondence from the Chair of the Protocol Sub-Committee to the Minister for Agri-Innovation and Climate Adaptation regarding a Regulation on batteries and waste batteries.

 

Noted: Members noted correspondence from the Chair of the Protocol Sub-Committee to the BEIS Minister regarding and EU Directive on radio equipment.

 

Noted: Members noted correspondence from the Chair of the Protocol Sub-Committee to the BEIS Minister regarding a Regulation establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism.

 

Noted: Members noted correspondence from the Chair of the Protocol Sub-Committee to the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work regarding a Regulation on the labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures.

 

 

Noted: Members noted the Eight Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules.

 

Noted: Members noted a Departmental paper regarding the consultation on the Department’s intention to grant two mineral prospecting licences to Dalradian Gold Ltd.

 

Members agreed to move to Agenda Item 13

 

 

13. Departmental Briefing on Further Consideration Stage Amendments to the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill

 

 

Members received a briefing from:

 

Mr Colin Jack,  Director of Business & Employment Regulation, DfE

 

Ms Kellie Sprott,         Employment Relations Policy and Legislation, DfE

 

Mr Laurence Rogers,  Employment Relations, DfE

 

 

The witness left the meeting at 11.53am  

 

 

Members agreed to move to closed session 11.54am

 

Members discussed the proposed amendments to the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill tabled by the Department for Further Consideration Stage and received advice from the Assembly Bill office.

 

 

Members agreed to move to open session 12.15pm 

 

Agreed: Members noted the amendments tabled by the Department for Further Consideration Stage of the Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Bill and agreed to take some time to consider these and to await the decision of the Speaker on the amendments.

 

 

11. Any Other Business

 

None received.

 

12. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

 

The next meeting of the Committee will take place on Wednesday 26th January 2022 in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings at 10am.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 12.19pm.

Dr Caoímhe Archibald MLA

Chairperson, Committee for the Economy

26th January 2022   

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