Minutes of Proceedings - 08 November 2001

Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 8 November 2001 in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

Present: -
Rev Dr Wm. McCrea (Chairperson)
Ms C Hanna (Deputy Chairperson)
Mrs J Carson 
Mr A Doherty
Mr David Ford
Mr D McClarty
Mr M McLaughlin
Mr M Murphy
Mr E Poots

Apologies: -
Mr J Leslie
Mr D Watson

In Attendance:
Mr J Simmons (Committee Clerk)
Miss J Adair (Assistant Clerk)
Mr J Beatty (Assistant Clerk)
Mr M McCourt (Administrative Support)

The meeting commenced at 10.30 a.m.

  • Minutes of previous meeting

The minutes of the meeting of 25 October 2001 were agreed.

  • Matters Arising
    1. The Committee noted further questions raised by Mr Ford regarding the
      2. Landfill site at Ballyrickard.

Agreed: To write to the Department regarding these questions.

Ms Hanna joined the meeting at 10.33 a.m.
Mrs Carson joined the meeting at 10.34 a.m.

    1. The Committee considered a revised draft response to the consultation

paper on Speed Limiters for Commercial Vehicles - Amendment to

European Directive (26/6/EEC).

Agreed: To issue the response to the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

    1. The Committee considered a response from the Department of the Environment regarding the Committee's dissatisfaction at the
      Department's decision to continue to issue permits to capture hares for
      coursing.

Agreed: To write to the Department 
expressing the Committee's concerns about the lack of information on the impact of coursing on the hare population.

    1. The Committee discussed a letter from the Minister of the Environment regarding the Chairman's letter to the State the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about the decision to grant permission to open a nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield in Cumbria.

Agreed: To write to the Department expressing the Committee's serious concerns about the decision and requesting copies of recent/further correspondence between the Department and DEFRA on this issue.

The meeting was suspended at 10.45 a.m. and recommenced at 11.18 a.m.

  • Replies Outstanding
  1. Proposed Ferry - update awaited from Newry and Mourne District Council.
  2. Dumping of Toxic Waste - reply awaited from the Department of the Environment.
  • Any other Business
    1. The Committee noted that a lunchtime seminar which was to be hosted by

the Committee for Members of the UK Sustainable Development Commission on Tuesday 20 November, has been rescheduled for early March 2002.

  • Waste Management - EU/International Obligations

Mr Murphy rejoined the meeting at 11.24 a.m.

Members considered recent letters from the Department regarding the Committee's concerns at the apparent lack of progress with the implementation of a Waste Management Strategy.

Agreed: To write to the Department 
expressing the Committee's concern on the need to allocate all of the resources available within this financial year's budget for the development of a Waste Management Strategy.

To write seeking an update on the current position from the 3 Waste Management Regional Partnerships.

  • Report on the Inquiry into Transport used for Children travelling to and from School

The Committee considered a letter from the Minister of the Environment regarding the timescale and costs of evaluating the key recommendations contained in the Committee's Report. Discussion of this issue was suspended to allow the Committee to discuss the Local Government (Best Value) Bill with the Minister of the Environment and his Officials.

  • Local Government (Best Value) Bill

Dr Wm. McCrea, Ms C Hanna, Mr D McClarty, and Mr M Murphy declared an interest as Local Government Councillors before this item was discussed.

The Minister of the Environment and Senior Officials, Mr Stephen Quinn, Permanent Secretary, Mrs Cynthia Smith, Deputy Secretary, Mr David Barr, Principal Officer and Mr Donald Starritt, Deputy Principal, joined the meeting at 11.27 a.m. The Minister gave a brief presentation on his position regarding this Bill and a lengthy detailed question and answer session followed.

Mrs Hanna left the meeting at 11.43 a.m.
Mr Poots joined the meeting at 11.53 a.m.
Mr McLaughlin joined the meeting at 11.55 a.m.
Mr Doherty left the meeting at 12.08 p.m.

The Minister and his Officials left the meeting at 12.12 p.m. and Members held a short discussion on the way forward on the Bill.

Agreed: To invite representatives of the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) to attend next week's meeting to present their views on this Bill.

  • Report on the Inquiry into Transport used for Children travelling to and from School (continued)

The Committee continued their consideration of the Minister of the Environment's letter regarding the timescales and costs of evaluating the key recommendations contained in the Committee's Report.

Agreed: To write expressing the Committee's strong concern with the delay in responding to the recommendations of the Report and requesting copies of the submissions sent to the Department by the Department of Regional Development, Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Learning.

  • Statutory Rules

The Committee gave consideration to the following SL1s:

    1. The Draft Local Government Pension Scheme (Transitional Provision)
      2. Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002
    2. The Draft Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Agreed: That the Committee had no comment to make on the proposed Rules.

The following Motion was put and agreed by the Committee:

"The Committee for the Environment resolves, under Standing Order 41, to delegate to the Examiner of Statutory Rules the technical survey of Statutory Rules referred to the Committee under the above-mentioned Standing Order,

The Committee further resolves that in carrying out this function, the Examiner shall be authorised to report his findings on each Statutory Rule to the Assembly, through the Business Office and to the relevant Department, as well as the Committee itself, and to publish his Report."

Agreed: To write to the Examiner of Statutory Rules confirming that the Committee has agreed to the above Motion.

  • DCAN 8 - Small Unit Housing

The Committee considered a draft response to the above consultation paper based on Members' comments following a presentation by Departmental Officials on 25 October 2001.

Agreed: To issue the response to the 
Department.

  • Any other Business (continued)
    1. The Committee discussed arrangements for the proposed visit by some

Committee Members to see at first hand the proposed site of the housing development and sewage pumping station at Mullaghboy, Islandmagee.

Agreed: That the Secretariat would 
progress arrangements for the proposed visit next week.

    1. The Committee noted a paper on Sustainable Development as a proposed

theme for the Committee response to within the Draft Programme for

Government.

    1. Members also noted that the Committee's Report on the Game

Preservation (Amendment) Bill had been published and that it is for the Department of the Environment to put down the motion for debate of this Bill.

  • Next Meeting

The next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, 15 November at 10.30 a.m. in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting adjourned at 12.28 p.m.

Chairperson
Dr Wm. McCrea MLA