MINUTES OF THE TWENTY-eIGHTH meeting
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FORUM,
6 JUNE 2006
CITY HALL,
Present: See attached list (Annex 1)
Apologies: David
1.
WELCOME
AND APOLOGIES / MINUTES OF LAST MEETING / MATTERS ARISING
1.1
The Chair welcomed members
to the 28th meeting of the Forum.
She also welcomed Ann-Marie Slavin to her
first meeting of the Forum as the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce
representative.
1.2
The Chair noted that Jim McCusker needed to leave the meeting at noon. As Mike Brennan, DFP needed to leave the
meeting earlier than anticipated it was agreed that it would be helpful to
cover the draft regional economic strategy item before moving on to the
planning item.
1.3
The minutes of the last meeting were accepted with one
minor amendment to paragraph 5.3.
ACTION: Secretariat to amend minutes
before upload to EDF website.
Matters Arising
Invest NI Funding Position
1.4 The Chair referred to questions raised at the March meeting about Invest NI’s funding position. Members were advised that the issue of the concordat would be central in the June monitoring round. Invest NI had made bids and the outcome would be known around July / August. Invest NI had sufficient funds to meet present commitments.
2.
DRAFT REGIONAL ECONOMIC
STRATEGY
2.1 The Chair reminded members that a draft of the regional
economic strategy had been discussed at the March meeting when it had been
agreed that further work was required. DFP
and other Government Departments had agreed to work with the Sub-group Chairs
to ensure that the focus was appropriate and that it would help deliver the
economic vision.
2.2 Mike Brennan advised that the inter-Departmental Steering
Group established to take forward the strategy had met with EDF Sub-group
Chairs and other stakeholders over the past 3 months. These discussions had resulted in amendments
being made to section 4 in terms of expanding the role of the private sector
and section 5 had been reduced with more of a focus on a forward looking
dimension. In relation to members’
concerns about the lack of targets, some high level targets had been added to
section 8 but this needed further work in terms of alignment with EDF targets
and the Regional Forecasts work. He
advised that DFP intended to continue to work with EDF and other Government
Departments with a view to having a strategy ready to go to Ministers in the Autumn.
2.3 During discussion which followed a number of issues were
raised as follows: -
–
In
terms of presentation it was felt that much of the information could be moved
to appendices to leave sharper, key challenges in the main text;
–
There
needed to be more balance between the quantum public and private sector actions
- further focus was required on what the private sector could do to help
achieve the Vision. It was
agreed that the Sub-groups should review section 7 and agree additional private
sector actions;
–
Further
work was required to ensure that the outputs from the Vision Sub-groups were
fully reflected in the strategy; and
–
Still
too much emphasis on national policy considerations: need for greater clarity
on whether this was a public sector strategy or one for the economy as a whole.
ACTION: Sub-group Chairs to forward written
comments on the strategy to DFP.
ACTION: DFP to engage with Sub-group
Chairs following receipt of their written comments on the regional economic
strategy.
3. PLANNING
3.1 David Ferguson led a
presentation on planning in NI, covering concerns previously raised by EDF and
Planning Service’s own views and experience.
He said that Planning Service was aware of comments about the planning
system being slow and unresponsive and a deterrent to investment and
acknowledged concerns about the efficiency of the system, as evidenced by performance
against PSA targets. Part of the reason
for this was the sheer pressure of demand in terms of applications, which had
been much higher than forecast. But it also
had to be remembered that the system was an end to end process that involved a
range of participants as well as the Planning Service - applicants, agents, consultees, objectors, and so on - each with the capacity
to speed it up or slow it down. Moreover, the twin objectives at the heart of modernising the process - speed and transparency -
frequently pulled in opposite directions.
3.2 However he acknowledged
the importance of perceptions and members were advised that work was ongoing to
address the concerns – particularly those about deterring investment. This included internal organisational
changes to provide a sharper focus on the management and processing of
economically and socially significant applications; more emphasis on
pre-application discussion with developers and their agents, and work with key consultees on Service Level Agreements, particularly with
the Environment Heritage Service (EHS) where there were acknowledged
problems. Mr
Ferguson believed that these and other measures had begun to pay dividends and
that the facts on the ground in relation to processing the more significant
applications, particularly in the recent past, told a more encouraging and
somewhat different story than current perception. However, he acknowledged that
more work was required to improve public confidence in the planning system and
he assured members that that was what he and his senior colleagues were trying
to do.
3.3 In follow-up questions,
members referred to figures that had been quoted for processing times for major
applications in the
3.4 In response to a query
about resources for the Planning Service members were advised that additional
resources had been secured under the 2003 Budget. It was a difficult area to forecast and the
extra resources had not been enough to cope with the growth in demand. However, the additional staff that had been
recruited were developing in experience and therefore
efficiency, and there were signs that the current level of demand was beginning
to taper off.
3.5 Members also referred to
the planning restrictions being implemented in rural areas and the need for
innovative schemes for economic regeneration.
Members were advised that the Planning Service recognized the issues
about farming and diversification and reported that a policy statement for
rural areas was currently out for consultation.
ACTION: Planning Service
to provide comparative processing figures for the
4. DEVELOPMENT
SINCE MARCH PLENARY: BUSINESS
4.1 David Dobbin and Michael Maguire advised
members about the business representative’s meeting with the Prime Minister and
Taoiseach on 6 April which had been followed up by a presentation to the
Transitional Assembly on 16 May on the challenges facing the NI economy. Members were provided with a run through of
the presentation which aimed to shape the economic debate for local politicians
and were advised that there had been widespread consensus on the issues to be
addressed.
4.2 Following the business representatives’
presentation the Assembly debated a motion put forward by the Secretary of
State for “the assembly to consider the economic challenges facing NI, in the
context of both the UK and all island economies, to be a key priority for a
restored Executive and called on the Business Committee to take forward
establishing a working group on this issue to make recommendations to a
restored Executive”. This motion was
passed unanimously. On behalf of the
trade unions, it was reported that while they could agree with much of the
presentation by the business representatives, there were aspects on which there
was not agreement.
4.3 Members raised the issue of EDF
undertaking a study on the impact of equalisation of corporation tax and other
fiscal measures on economic development in NI.
It was pointed out that while Government would be prepared to consider
the findings of such a study, it would be inappropriate for Ministers to lead
such work directly. Members accepted
that the preferred route would be through the political parties and were
advised that the question of an economic working group was still under
consideration. Also the Industrial Task
Force was considering a study on cross-border competitiveness.
ACTION: DETI to check the latest
position on a working group and whether it would be the Business Committee or
the Secretary of State who would take the final decision.
5. SUB-GROUP
REPORTS
Innovation
Sub-group
5.1
David
Dobbin, Chair of the Innovation Sub-group reported progress on the
establishment of the HE/FE Collaboration Fund; nanotechnology; and the
establishment of a NI Science and Industry Panel. The Group also reported that it would be
taking forward some work in relation to the global tracking of innovation and
it would be considering the outcomes of the Food Strategy Implementation
Partnership work in advance of the next plenary meeting. In view of the importance of the agri-food sector to the NI economy members asked that the
work of the Food Strategy Implementation Partnership be
included on the agenda for the September EDF meeting.
ACTION: Secretariat: Food Strategy Implementation Partnership to be
included on the September agenda.
Enterprise Sub-group
5.2
Lord
Rana, Chair of the Enterprise Sub-group updated
members on the actions agreed in the Group’s work programme. He reported that discussion at the Group’s
last meeting had concentrated on the action relating to the marketing of NI,
with presentations by the NI Bureau in Washington and Invest NI. The Group would continue to examine material
to emphasise NI’s overall image in a positive way.
Skills Sub-group
5.3 Michael Maguire, Chair of the Skills Sub-group reported a
concern about the resources allocated to deliver DEL’s
skills strategy. Resources appear to
have been allocated on an historical basis rather than a planned approach to
what is necessary to deliver the strategy.
The skills sub-group expressed concern that the current funding would
not allow delivery of the strategy. Work
continued in the Group’s priority areas of developing linkages between schools
and FE colleges, careers guidance and education, skills for innovation and in
developing linkages between Invest NI and DEL.
Infrastructure Sub-group
5.4 It was agreed
that an update would be deferred to the next meeting.
6. ANY OTHER
BUSINESS
Reform
Agenda
7.1
Members
noted the update paper on the Reform Agenda but asked that this be included as
a more substantive item on the September agenda.
ACTION: Secretariat:
Reform Agenda to be included on the September agenda.
Changes
to EDF Membership
7.2
The
Chair advised members that a number of changes to the business representative
organisation membership of EDF would take place in the coming months which
would have implications for the Forum’s sub-groups.
7.3
It
was agreed that the Secretariat would discuss with the business representative
organisations to ensure a smooth handover.
ACTION: Secretariat
to pursue with business representative organisations.
Future
Agenda Items
7.4 No
other items at this stage. It was agreed
that the Secretariat would continue to work with the Sub-group Chairs to agree
future agendas.
Press Release
7.5
Members
agreed a press release was not required on this occasion.
|
Maria Eagle |
Chair |
|
Attendee |
Organisation |
|
David Dobbin |
CBI |
|
Michael Maguire |
IOD |
|
Bob Barbour |
CforC |
|
Stephen Kingon |
Invest NI |
|
Lord Rana |
NICCI |
|
Ann-Marie Slavin |
|
|
John |
|
|
Jim McCusker |
NIC/ICTU |
|
John Mann |
Higher Education |
|
Raymond Mullan |
Further Education |
|
Frances McCandless |
NICVA |
|
Wilfred Mitchell |
FSB |
|
Peter McNaney |
SOLACE |
|
|
|
|
Leo O’Reilly |
DFP |
|
Michael Brennan |
DFP |
|
Stephen Quinn |
DETI |
|
Wilfie Hamilton |
DETI |
|
Graeme Hutchinson |
DETI (Economics Service) |
|
Helen McConkey |
DETI
(Secretariat) |
|
David Ferguson |
Planning
Service |
|
Tom Clarke |
Planning Service |