MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS - 26th JANUARY 2000
Proceedings of the Regional Development Committee
Minutes of meeting held on Wednesday, 26 January 2000 at 10.30 in room 135, Parliament Buildings
1. Minutes of the last meeting
2. Matters arising
3. Presentation by the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHC)
4. The Department's Budget
5. AOB
6. Next meeting
Present were:
Mr A Maginness (Chairman)
Mr A Mc Farland (Deputy Chairman)
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr J Byrne
Mr W Hay
Mr D Hussey
Mr C Murphy
Mr J Wells
In Attendance:
Mrs D Pritchard ( Committee Clerk)
Mr S Fay ( Assistant Committee Clerk)
Mr N Currie ( Executive Support)
Mrs S Young ( Administrative Support)
Apologies:
Mr R Hutchinson
The Chairman welcomed Mr Bradley who has been appointed by his party to fill the vacancy on the Committee created by Mr Haughey's appointment as Junior Minister.
Mr Bradley declared that he had no interests relevant to the Committee's terms of reference.
1. Minutes of the last meeting
The minutes of the meeting held on 12 January 2000 were agreed.
2. Matters arising
- Parliamentary Private Secretary Post - Potential Conflict of Interests.
Advice on this matter from the Speaker is still awaited.
- Port of Belfast.
Members noted the Department's progress report on the extension of powers to Port Authorities.
The Department is hopeful that the options paper on the Port of Belfast will be finalised within the next few weeks.
The Committee noted the legal advice which confirmed that the Department cannot be compelled to release the report on the review of Trust Ports because it was completed before devolution.
The Committee wishes the matter of the leases issued recently by the Belfast Harbour Commissioners to be pursued and asked for the Committee Clerk to obtain details.
Members noted the report on the review of Trust Ports completed by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions.
- Climate Change Levy.
The matter is now being pursued with the Office of the First and Deputy First Ministers.
- Seats on Ministerial Advisory Boards.
Agreed: That the Minister is notified that the Committee is grateful for his offer of seats on Ministerial Advisory Boards but will not take up the offer.
- Letter from NIC-ICTU about disability impact studies.
Advice from the Office of the First and Deputy First Ministers is pending on this matter.
- The Chairman and Deputy Chairman's meeting with the Minister on 10 January 2000.
A report on this meeting has been prepared and will be circulated to Members.
- The possible expansion of Belfast City Airport (BCA).
There have been some procedural difficulties in obtaining information in this case.
Agreed: That the possible expansion of the BCA is relevant to the Regional Development Committee and the necessary information about it should be obtained.
- Details of Minister's programmes.
Agreed: That the Chairman will speak to the Minister and that Members will raise the general point with the Executive Committee.
- Reports available to the Committee Members.
A proforma has been prepared to help Members to select the reports they require and request them from the Committee Office.
3. Presentation by the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHC)
The representatives of the NITHC joined the meeting at 11.02am. They were:
Mrs Joan Smyth Chairman
Mr Jim Aiken Director of Corporate Affairs
Mr Ted Hesketh Managing Director, Group Operations
Mr Jim Noble Director
Ms Cathy Burns Personal Secretary.
They described the company's:
- Powers;
- Its structure and its relationships with the Department and with the operating subsidiaries;
- Resources and income;
- EU funding;
- Use of its assets;
- Key issues and priorities;
- Need to update its trains and buses and the impact of underfunding on its rolling stock replacement.
The Committee discussed the matters raised and questioned the NITHC representatives. Further points raised were:
- The serious underinvestment in funding for transport and the withdrawal of funds from NITHC;
- The company must act on a commercial basis but is restricted by being part of the public expenditure regime;
- The company may be included in the Department's resource budgeting arrangements;
- It cannot carry over unspent receipts into the next financial year;
- It is keen to counter the Northern Ireland Audit Office's criticism of its use of its commercial interests;
- An independent Transport Unit on public transport would be very useful;
- The company representatives will provide a report on their view of the way forward and their suggested solutions to the problems they face.
The Chairman thanked the representatives of the NITHC and they left the meeting at 12.15pm.
4. The Department's Budget
Agreed: That the Minister and his officials will discuss the budget with the Committee at a public session on 9 February 2000.
That the Committee will obtain a critique on the budget figures in advance of the meeting.
5. AOB
(a) Letter from UTV.
Agreed: That Members should respond individually to UTV to its invitation to participate in a series of programmes some of which are relevant to regional development matters.
(b) The British-Irish Council - the Northern Ireland Executive Committee to take the lead on transport.
Agreed: That the Committee requests the Minister to keep it fully informed.
