Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Minutes of Proceedings 27 January 2022
Meeting Location: Room 30/Virtual Meeting via StarLeaf
Present:
Declan McAleer MLA (Chairperson)
Philip McGuigan MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Present by Video or Teleconference:
Clare Bailey MLA
Rosemary Barton MLA
John Blair MLA
Thomas Buchanan MLA
Harry Harvey MLA
William Irwin MLA
Patsy McGlone MLA
Apologies:
None
Present:
Nick Henry, Clerk
Oliver Bellew, Assistant Clerk
Emma Magee, Clerical Officer
In Attendance by Video or Teleconference:
Elaine Farrell, Clerical Supervisor
The meeting commenced at 10.04 a.m. in Open Session.
1. Apologies
None
2. Chairperson’s Business
Rural Policy Framework
The Committee noted that the Department has advised that the Minister intends to make a statement in the Chamber on the Rural Policy Framework on Monday 31 January.
Climate Change Bills
The Chairperson informed Members of the number of times the Committee’s
Climate Change Bills had been accessed through the website, particularly the Summary Report. The Chairperson thanked Members for using their influence to promote the work of the Committee.
Reform of Red Diesel and other Rebated Fuels
The Committee discussed, with concern, HMRC’s intention to restrict the entitlement to use red diesel and other rebated biofuels from 1 April 2022.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to HMRC and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to express its concern at the legislative proposals and the financial impact they will have on rural communities and to invite Officials to brief the Committee on the rationale for the policy change including the implications for the use of applicable vehicles in permitted and prohibited activities.
Future Agricultural Policy Consultation End Date
The Chairperson reminded Members that, following the meeting on 20 January 2022, the Committee had written to the Department requesting that it consider extending its Future Agricultural Policy consultation deadline.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to reiterate its request and confirm when it will receive a reply
3. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2022
4. Matters Arising
The Environment (2021 Act) (Commencement and Saving Provision) Order (NI) 2022
The Chairperson informed Members that the Committee had considered the relevant SL1 at its meeting on 6 January 2022 and that two changes had subsequently been made to the proposals. The Committee noted that the amendments included a change of the original commencement date to 28 February 2022 and a new provision to maintain the 2007 Packaging Waste Regulations until a new regime is established.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward the policy proposals to the Examiner of Statutory Rules for consideration
5. Oral Briefing - DAERA 2022-2025 Budget
The Committee noted a briefing paper by the Department in relation to its budgetary proposals for the 2022-2025 period.
The Chairperson welcomed the following officials and invited them to brief the Committee.
Richard Downey – Finance Director, DAERA
Arron Wright – Director of Green Growth and Climate, DAERA
Richard McAuley – Deputy Finance Director, DAERA
William Peel – Financial Planning Accountant, DAERA
This was followed by questions from Members.
The Chairperson thanked the Officials for the briefing.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department on outstanding issues from the briefing and that a budget scrutiny report would be drafted for Members’ consideration
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department for assurance that its impending review of the DAERA Estate will include opportunities for consolidation of accommodation and for an indication of when the exercise will begin
6. Oral Briefing: DAERA – Impact of Trade Deals with Australia and New Zealand
The Committee noted a Departmental written briefing on the impact of proposed trade deals between the UK and Australia and New Zealand.
The Chairperson welcomed the following officials and invited them to brief the Committee:
Seamus McErlean – Chief Economist, DAERA
Mark McLean – Principal Agricultural Economist, Food and Farming Group,
DAERA
This was followed by questions from Members.
The Chairperson thanked the Officials for the briefing.
7. Written Briefing: DAERA – NI Environment Agency Oversight of Dalradian’s Activities
The Chairperson reminded Members that, following a Spotlight programme in October 2021 and Committee discussions around the environmental governance of the Dalradian operation in County Tyrone, the Committee wrote to DAERA for an update on NIEA’s oversight of the project.
Members noted a written response to the Committee’s questions.
The Chairperson welcomed the following Officials and invited them to brief the Committee:
Liz Smyth – Principal Scientific Officer, DAERA
Neil McAllister – Lead Principal Scientific Officer, DAERA
Stephanie Millar – Principal Scientific Officer, DAERA
This was followed by questions from Members.
The Chairperson thanked the Officials for the briefing.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to request sight of the right-to-reply letter which the NI Environment Agency undertook to send in response to the Spotlight programme
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to DAERA to seek a breakdown of the costs attributable to the Dalradian application process including those which may be recoverable
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to seek an economic appraisal of the Dalradian applications
8. Oral Briefing: Renewable NI – A Green Economy
Agreed: The Committee agreed to defer the Renewable NI briefing to the meeting on 3 February 2022.
9. Draft SR – The Single Use Carrier Bags Charge (Amendment and Revocation) Regulations (NI) 2022
The Committee noted the Ninth Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules which contained comments on the Draft Rule.
The Chairperson reminded Members that the Committee had previously considered the draft rule SR 2021/338 The Single Use Carrier Bags Charge (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2021, which had been subject to the affirmative resolution.
The Committee noted that the ESR had advised that the original draft regulation had been proposed under the incorrect procedure and as such had been revoked and replaced with the draft SR.
Agreed: The Committee noted the draft Statutory Rule – The Single Use Carrier Bags Charge (Amendment and Revocation) Regulations (NI) 2022 and recommended that it be affirmed by the Assembly
10. Spring Traps Approval (Amendment) Order (NI) 2021
The Committee noted the Ninth Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules and in particular that the ESR had no comment to make on the proposed Order.
Agreed: The Committee noted the Spring Traps Approval (Amendment) Order (NI) 2021 and had no objection to the rule
11. Written Briefing – DAERA: AFBI, QUB and Teagasc work on Carbon Sequestration
The Chairperson reminded Members that the Committee had requested a sixweekly written update on the collaborative research of AFBI, QUB and Teagasc on soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Committee noted the first written update, which had been provided by the Department.
12. Written Briefing – DAERA: Bio-methane Stakeholder Group
The Committee noted a Departmental written update on the work of the Biomethane Stakeholder Group.
13. Correspondence
The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:
Response from the Department for the Economy to the Committee’s queries regarding grid connectivity;
i. The Institute for Public Health has submitted a briefing paper on Change Climate legislation to support Members’ considerations.
iii. Home Office response to the Committee’s query regarding allocation of temporary visas for pork butchers for NI including clarification that the 800 visas have not been specifically allocated to any part of the UK;
iv. NI Fiscal Council’s assessment of the NI Executive 2022-25 draft budget;
v. Departmental response to Committee queries on the Radioactive Substances Common Framework;
vi. Correspondence from the Committee for The Executive Office seeking the Committee’s experience of the Common Framework process and in particular, timing, quantity and quality of information provided; Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to TEO to advise that it found the process to be overly technical and not all-island inclusive.
vii. Departmental notification that a UK wide consultation on the practical implications of introducing an electronic waste tracking system was launched on 21 Jan 2022;
viii. Departmental notification that the Fisheries Framework Memorandum of Understanding and Operational Agreement have now been published;
ix. Correspondence from the Department for Justice to outline its intention to lay regulations that will enable the PSNI to share information with education providers (including CAFRE) in respect of reported incidents of domestic abuse;
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to ascertain how the regulations would affect the work of CAFRE.
x. Departmental correspondence to advise of the DoJ regulations as outlined above;
xi. Tabled correspondence from the Office for Environmental Protection to advise of its consultation on the draft strategy and draft enforcement policy which will close on 22 March 2022;
xii. Tabled correspondence from a member of the public regarding potential questions for NIEA Officials in relation to the organisation’s oversight of Dalradian activities;
xiii. Tabled correspondence from Belfast City Council to advise of a motion it had passed to outline its disappointment at the lack of progression of a Bill to ban hunting of wild mammals with dogs;
Agreed: The Committee agreed to acknowledge the correspondence and to advise BCC that the Bill, as proposed, did not pass Second Stage and therefore could not be scrutinised by the Committee. xiv. Tabled correspondence from the Minister to advise of his intention to make a statement on the Future Rural Policy Framework on Monday 31 January 2022.
14. Forward Work Programme
The Clerk informed the Committee of conversations he had held with representatives of Moy Park who advised that they would provide a written briefing in place of an oral briefing.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to Moy Park to ensure clarity on labourrelated issues and their impact on operations were included in the briefing.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the draft Forward Work Programme.
15. Any Other Business
None.
16. Date, time and place of the next meeting
The next meeting of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs will take place on Thursday 3 February 2022 at 10.00 a.m. and will be a hybrid meeting streamed on the Assembly’s website.
The Chairperson reminded Members of the stakeholder event which was scheduled for Thursday 3 February at 6.30 p.m.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to move to closed session.
The meeting moved to closed session at 1.22 p.m.
17. Committee Discussion: Future Agricultural Policy
Agreed: Members agreed to defer the discussion until 3 February 2022
18. Climate Change (No.2) Bill – Members Preparation for Consideration Stage
The Committee noted that both Climate Change Bills had now completed their Committee Stages and that the Climate Change (No.2) Bill had been scheduled for Consideration Stage on Tuesday 1 February 2022.
The Chairperson informed Members that the Clerk would be available to discuss any queries Members may have in relation to the Bills.
The meeting was adjourned at 1.28 p.m.
