17/09/2001
Belfast Harbour Committee must be more “accountable”
The authorities in charge Belfast Port have been criticised for not keeping the Northern Ireland Assembly adequately informed of its dealings and renegotiations concerning leases on public land.
The Belfast Harbour Commissioners (BHC) are accused of failing to keep Stormont informed about a deal it made with the Harland and Wolff shipyard over the Titanic Quarter regeneration.
The BHC are the effective landlords of Belfast’s Harbour estate and have to run the Port of Belfast and its surrounding lands as a commercial business. However as a statutory body it also has a duty to public interest.
In the report published on Monday 17 September, the Regional Development Committee criticised the commissioners for failing to keep the minister and his department informed about a deal “which represented a material change to the lease for the Titanic Quarter”.
In the report, the committee said they “deemed unreasonable” such a failure to provide information.
The report states: “The committee is of the opinion that the commissioners could have been more open in its dealings and displayed greater public accountability.”
Committee chairman Alban Maginness said the failure of the Harbour Commissioners to inform the department of the shipyard deal was viewed as “suspicious”.
“What we are calling for is more accountability by the Harbour Commissioners to the department and assembly. We want to see greater transparency in their actions.
“The Assembly has a right and a duty to make rigorous inquiry into their activities and the Assembly committee have a right to the Minister and also to the Assembly.” (AMcE)
The Belfast Harbour Commissioners (BHC) are accused of failing to keep Stormont informed about a deal it made with the Harland and Wolff shipyard over the Titanic Quarter regeneration.
The BHC are the effective landlords of Belfast’s Harbour estate and have to run the Port of Belfast and its surrounding lands as a commercial business. However as a statutory body it also has a duty to public interest.
In the report published on Monday 17 September, the Regional Development Committee criticised the commissioners for failing to keep the minister and his department informed about a deal “which represented a material change to the lease for the Titanic Quarter”.
In the report, the committee said they “deemed unreasonable” such a failure to provide information.
The report states: “The committee is of the opinion that the commissioners could have been more open in its dealings and displayed greater public accountability.”
Committee chairman Alban Maginness said the failure of the Harbour Commissioners to inform the department of the shipyard deal was viewed as “suspicious”.
“What we are calling for is more accountability by the Harbour Commissioners to the department and assembly. We want to see greater transparency in their actions.
“The Assembly has a right and a duty to make rigorous inquiry into their activities and the Assembly committee have a right to the Minister and also to the Assembly.” (AMcE)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.