Agenda and minutes

Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Alderman Spence and Councillors Attwood, McAllister, Pankhurst and Reynolds.

            The minutes of the meeting of 11th October were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st November. 

            No declarations of interest were recorded.

        The Committee agreed the following proposed dates of the meetings of the Brexit Committee for the period between January and April, 2019:

·        Thursday 10th January, 2019;

·        Thursday 14th February, 2019;

·        Thursday 21st March, 2019;

·        Thursday 11th April, 2019.

All meetings would commence at 4.30pm.

(Mr D. Connolly, Environmental Health Manager, attended in connection with this item.)

The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

            The purpose of this report is to update Members on the recently released technical reports relating to food controls including imports and the potential implications on food businesses and the Council’s Food Safety and Port Health Regulatory functions. 

2.0       Recommendations

            The Committee is asked to note the update provided.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

            To date 13 technical notes relating specifically to areas of the UK’s food industry have been produced by the UK Government. A list of these with links to access them is attached as appendix 1. 

            Current food import controls

3.2       The current regime for the importation of foods into the UK is regulated by EU legislation. Foods can currently freely move between EU countries without any restrictions or checks being required at national borders.

3.3       For food imports into the EU from countries outside the EU (3rd country imports), currently all high risk foods, including all animal products and other specified high risk foods not of animal origin, must be notified to the EU using the EU’s database the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) prior to import. These high risk foods can only enter the UK/EU at approved points of entry, with the necessary facilities and qualified staff to carrying the required checks on foods.

3.4       Within NI the Council’s Port Health facility is the only approved sea point of entry for high risk foods into the EU. It is approved for the importation of frozen meat, frozen fish, high risk foods, plastic kitchen ware and organic foods with imported foods destined throughout the Island of Ireland.

3.5       There are many goods originating from 3rd countries which enter the EU through another member state and are then transited towards the UK, these foods currently are checked at the first point of entry into the EU and can then move freely into the UK without the need to be rechecked at the UK border.

3.6       The majority of 3rd country food imports are however not high risk  and whilst they must meet EU standards they can enter at any location, do not have to be pre notified and are not subject to predetermined checks on entry. However, across the EU, food authorities at ports do monitor the low risk foods being imported and carry out sample checks on such foods at points of entry and inland. Non-compliant foods may then be removed from the market and information is shared between member states on an EU data base, the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) to ensure individual states can take follow up action to protect consumer safety.

            Potential food import controls post Brexit

3.7       The UK government is hoping to reach a deal with the EU that will minimise the impact on trade, share EU food safety databases and avoid the need for additional regulatory  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

            The Committee was reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 1st October 2018, had agreed to write to the Secretary of State and to the Prime Minister expressing its support for the growing demand for a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal, where no deal had been negotiated and in both cases remaining in the EU must be an option.

            In response to the agreed correspondence, a letter dated 25th October 2018, was received from the Department for Exiting the European Union, on behalf of the Prime Minister.  The letter outlined the following:

·        That the current government would never accept a second referendum;

·        The referendum on 23rd June 2016 saw the highest number of votes cast in electoral history, indicative of a clear instruction from the British people, which the Government was committed to deliver;

·        Throughout exit negotiations, the UK Government had been clear regarding its unwavering commitment to upholding the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, in all its parts;

·        That the UK Government had committed, in paragraph 53 of the December 2017 Joint Report, to ensuring that no diminution of rights is caused by the UK’s departure from the European Union;

·        Both the UK and the EU share responsibility to reserve the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement;

·        That no UK Prime Minister could accept a solution for Northern Ireland that involved an internal customs border separating one part of the UK from the rest; and

·        That significant progress had been made regarding the Withdrawal Agreement and negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and EU.

            The Committee noted the correspondence received from The Department of Exiting the European Union.

            The Committee was advised that the Chief Executive had received a letter dated 9th October from Ms Wendy Glabraith, Registrar and Chief Operating Officer at Queen’s University. 

            In the letter, Ms Galbraith had commended Belfast City Council for establishing a Brexit Committee and highlighted the contribution Queen’s University had made to the Brexit debate by holding seminars, workshops and by and providing briefings to political representatives.

            Ms Galbraith had indicated that her academic colleagues would be eager to act as a resource to the Committee and suggested forming an ‘expert panel’ to advise the Committee on specific issues that relate to their ongoing work.

            The Committee agreed to share the findings of the Brexit Workshop, which had been held on 30th October 2018, with Queen’s University and to invite representatives to attend a future meeting of the Brexit Committee to discuss the proposal of forming an expert panel.

The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

            The purpose of this report is to outline for Members work that is currently being undertaken in relation to the Council’s Brexit Day 1 preparedness.

2.0       Recommendations

            The Committee is asked to note this update. 

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

            Members may be aware that officers have recently undertaken an internal audit to identify potential Day 1 service implications in relation to Brexit.  This audit has identified that there are several key areas where there may be a potential impact in the event of a no deal Brexit.  However further scoping work is required to define the potential Day 1 impacts, risks and possible mitigations.  These areas include HR, finance/funding, procurement, waste, port health, product safety, communications and business continuity management.

            Officers are currently undertaking this work and it is anticipated that it will be completed by mid-December.  It is likely that further work may be required as a result of the findings of this scoping exercise and that it will also be influenced by the wider developments that are taking place in relation to Brexit.  An update on this work will be brought to the Committee in the New Year.

            Financial & Resource Implications

            There are no financial implications relating to this report but the work that is being undertaken to further define potential day 1 impacts, risks and mitigations may have financial and resource implications and these will be reported to Members as required.

            Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

            There are no implications relating to this report.”

Noted.

The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0 Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

            The purpose of this report is to update Members on the workshop that was held to help identify the potential impact of Brexit on external organisations in the City. 

2.0       Recommendations

            Members are asked to note the update.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

            Members are reminded that in September the Brexit Committee agreed to the holding of an external workshop regarding the potential impact of Brexit on a range of sectors including businesses and community organisations.

            A workshop was held on Tuesday 30th October from 9.30-12.30 in the Banqueting Hall.  24 representatives from various external organisations and six councillors were in attendance.  The sectors represented included higher education, health, industry and the community and voluntary sector.

            The format of the event was an externally facilitated round table discussion with two discussion topics:

·        What are the potential issues, concerns and opportunities from Brexit for your sector?

·        What should we be doing as a City to address concerns and maximise opportunities? 

            Officers took detailed notes at each table and participants were also offered the opportunity to provide feedback through a form or via a mobile app being used on the day.  This information is currently being collated and it is planned to table a more detailed report at the Committee meeting.

            At the end of the workshop, participants were asked to submit, via the mobile app, 3 words that summed up their thoughts on Brexit.  The words submitted were turned into a word cloud and a copy of this is attached as appendix 1.  The larger the word the more it was quoted and Members will see that ‘uncertainty’ was the most quoted word.

            Financial & Resource Implications

            There are no implications relating to this report.

            Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

            There are no implications relating to this report.”

            The Committee noted the contents of the report and, after discussion, agreed that the Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services would bring a report back to the Committee regarding the Inter trade Voucher Scheme, and potential engagement with the Youth Forum in relation to Brexit.

            The Committee noted the verbal update from the Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services who outlined scheduling options available to the delegation to permit the most auspicious itinerary during the visit.

            The Committee agreed to the option for the delegation to travel during the week commencing 10th December 2018 and that the Democratic Services Officer would write to the Party Group Leaders to inform them of the decision and to request a nomination for the delegation from each party.