TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THIRD MEETING OF THE GENERAL CONSUMER COUNCIL FOR NORTHERN IRELAND HELD AT RADAR, UNIT 8-12 HARBOUR COURT, 9 HERON ROAD, SYDENHAM BUSINESS PARK, BELFAST, BT3 9HB ON TUESDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT 9.00AM.

273/1 ATTENDANCE

Ms Sheila McClelland Chair

Mr Mick McAteer Deputy Chair

Ms Noyona Chundur

Ms Lynne Crowther

Dr Sinéad Furey

Mrs Mary Woods

Mr Sam Snodden

IN ATTENDANCE

Mr John French Chief Executive

Mrs Kathy Graham Interim Director of Policy

(Except agenda items 273/6.c)

Mr Don Leeson Director of Operations

(Except agenda items 273/6.c)

Mr Graham Smith Interim Head of Policy, Water

(Agenda item 273/9.f)

Mrs Fiona Lavery Personal Assistant

(Except agenda items 273/6.c)

APOLOGIES

Mr David Galloway

Dr Joan Martin

Mr David Beattie

BY INVITATION

Ms Jenny Pyper Utility Regulator

Mr Andrew Webb Webb Advisory

273/2 PRESENTATION BY UTILITY REGULATOR

Ms Jenny Pyper joined the meeting at 10am.

The Chair welcomed Jenny Pyper, Chief Executive Officer of the Utility Regulator to the meeting. Introductions were made, and Ms Pyper informed Members of the role of the Utility Regulator.

The Chair thanked Ms Pyper for her very informative presentation.

It was agreed that a Board to Board meeting would be arranged between the Utility Regulator and the Consumer Council to take place in the New Year.

Having answered Members’ questions, Ms Pyper left the meeting at 11.10am.

273/3 DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The Chair advised Board Members that any conflict of interest relating to agenda items should be recorded at the beginning of Council meetings. Should a Member have a conflict of interest they should leave the meeting at that particular agenda item and the minutes would reflect this.

She explained the Chair would have the ability to define a conflict of interest and requested Board Members’ compliance if this arose.

No Members declared a conflict of interest on any agenda item.

273/4 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the two hundred and seventy-second meeting which had been circulated were proposed by Mary Woods and seconded by Lynne Crowther.

The Minutes were agreed and signed.

273/5 Matters arising

It was agreed that an update on the actions from the Banking on Change Report would be shared with Members twice a year.

It was agreed that the self assessment against the National Audit Office Checklist for the Audit Committee would be carried out at the end of the next Audit and Risk Assurance Committee on 18 October 2016.

The Matters Arising were noted.

273/6 CHAIRPERSON’S BUSINESS

273/6.1 Deputy Chair Recruitment

The Chair reported that competition for the Deputy Chair had now been concluded and welcomed Mick McAteer to the meeting.

273/6.2 The Chair informed Members that she would ask the CEO to update the Board on the reorganisation. All officers apart from the CEO left the meeting.

Officers left the meeting at 11.31am.

The CEO advised that the reorganisation was fully underway and that the new structures were being introduced from 3 October 2016.

He reported that there were two competitions for posts which were deemed two for ones or where there was no immediate assimilation.

Members noted the update and commended the CEO for progressing with the reorganisation in such an expeditious manner.

Officers returned to the meeting at 11.41am.

273/7 Chief Executive’s Business

273/7.1 The Chief Executive’s Report

273/7.1.1 The Chief Executive informed Members that he had been asked to produce a Briefing for the Minster for the Department for the Economy on the Assembly Motion on Rural Bank Closures, and sit in the official’s box during the debate. He reported that the Minister had thanked the Consumer Council for the report and for their continued work with Bank of Ireland.

The Chair congratulated those involved in preparing the briefing.

273/7.1.2 The Chief Executive reported that the Minister for the Department for the Economy would be presenting badges to Girl Guides at the “Guided Consumer” Launch on 29 September 2016.

273/7.1.3 The Interim Director of Policy informed Members that Mrs Christine Stafford, in the last week of her employment, had closed a complaint resulting in almost £93K being returned to Derry City and Strabane District Council.

It was agreed that the Board would send a letter to Mrs Christine Stafford congratulating her on closing the complaint in her final week of her 30 year employment.

273/7.1.4 Responding to the Deputy Chair’s enquiry, the Interim Director of Policy informed Members that an element of the work of the FCA Secondment will be to promote awareness of consumers’ rights under the Payment Accounts Directive which came into force on 18 September 2016. She stated that the Consumer Council will work with other agencies to promote the availability of basic bank accounts and switching accounts to ensure consumers acquire the best deal.

273/7.1.5 In response to the Chair’s enquiry regarding Water Champions, the Interim Director of Policy informed Members that seven more Water Champion Certificates would be awarded by the end of October 2016.

The Chief Executive’s Report was noted.

Dr Sinéad Furey left the meeting at this point, 12.15pm

273/7.2 Management Dashboard – August 2016

The Dashboards were noted.

273/7.3 Draft Forward Work Programme for 2017-18

The Chief Executive tabled a copy of the first draft of the Draft Forward Work Plan 2017-18.

It was agreed that Members should provide written comments on the Draft Forward Work Plan before the next Council Meeting on 25 October 2016, and that a NIL return would indicate no comments.

273/7.4 Consumer Engagement

Board Members stated that they were impressed with the high level of enthusiasm shown by staff at the Consumer Engagement event which followed the last Council Meeting.

273/8 Finance and Governance

273/8.1 Management Accounts for the Month Ending 31 August 2016

The Director of Operations informed Members that the main change since the last Board meeting was the approval of additional VES funding. The Management Accounts for the Month Ending 31 August 2016 were approved.

273/9 POLICY/STRATEGY

273/9.1 Low Income Consumers; Disabled and Chronically Ill Consumers; and, NI vs GB Consumers Research

Members agreed that the presentation should be held at the end of the Council Meeting.

Andrew Webb joined the meeting at 12.52pm.

The Chair welcomed Andrew Webb of Webb Advisory to the meeting to present highlights from his draft report on his research findings.

Following the presentation, the Chair stated that the information would be useful to map the Consumer Council’s future focus. She thanked Mr Webb for his report and having answered Members’ questions, he left the meeting at 13.15pm.

Members noted the Low Income Consumers; Disabled and Chronically Ill Consumers; and, NI vs GB Consumers Research report.

273/9.2 Update Paper on Promoting Best Value Public Transport Fares

The Interim Director of Policy informed Members that this work was mostly captured via “business as usual” activities.

Members noted the Update Paper on Promoting Best Value Public Transport Fares, and it was agreed to check the possibility of including a hyperlink on the Consumer Council website to Translink’s “What Ticket” online tool.

273/9.3 Position Paper on North-South Interconnector

The Interim Director of Policy informed Members that this paper had been presented at the Energy Policy Meeting on 12 September.

Due to the absence of some Members at the Energy Policy Meeting, it was agreed that the paper should be re-circulated with approval to be sought at the next Council Meeting on 25 October 2016.

273/9.4 House of Lords’ Select Committee on Financial Exclusion – Response to Call for Evidence

The Director of Operations presented the House of Lords’ submission to Members. He informed them that the submission had been approved by the Minister for the Economy and it had been submitted to the Select Committee on 15 September.

He stated that, while not yet confirmed, there was a high probability that the Consumer Council would be invited to present oral evidence to the Select Committee in due course.

Members noted the House of Lords’ Select Committee on Financial Exclusion – Response to Call for Evidence.

273/9.5 Policy Briefing Paper

Members noted the Policy Briefing Paper.

273/9.6 NI Water Engagement

Graham Smith joined the meeting at 12.30pm.

The Chair informed Members that she and the Chief Executive had an imminent meeting with the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of NI Water, and she invited Graham Smith, Head of Policy, Water to present a paper to Members on current interaction and engagement with NI Water.

The Chair thanked Graham Smith for his presentation and having answered Members’ questions, he left the meeting at 12.52pm.

273/10 ANY OTHER BUSINESS

273/10.1 Dates of 2017 Board, Policy Group and Committee Meetings

Members approved the dates of the 2017 Board, Policy Group and Committee Meetings.

273/10.2 Review of the Meeting

Members discussed the meeting content. They were happy with the size of the papers and to have received some papers by email.

273/11 DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 25 October 2016 at 10 am in the Consumer Council, Seatem House, 28-32 Alfred Street, Belfast.

There was no further business and the meeting closed at 1.25 p.m.

Signed ______

Date ______

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