Other News In Brief

Annual Water NI Conference Commences

Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy has opened the annual Water NI Conference in Belfast.

The theme of the conference is delivering a long-term strategy for water.

Danny Kennedy said: "The water sector has a key role to play in meeting the goals set out in the Executive’s Programme for Government. Every day it delivers high quality drinking water to the entire population and helps to protect the environment by safely disposing of 340 million litres of waste water.

"Recent agreements will see my Department provide over £300 million in investment to enable NI Water to make environmental improvements, cut pollution, reduce leakage, tackle flooding from our sewers and keep our drinking water safe. This will make a real difference to people’s lives."

O’Dowd Sets Out Education Plan

Education Minister, John O’Dowd, has set out the next steps for area planning of education.

In a statement to the Assembly, the Minister confirmed that the Education and Library Boards are to publish their post-primary plans today and that a steering group is being set up to move the plans forward.

Speaking about this announcement the Minister said:"I am happy to report that progress has been made on the area planning for post-primary schools in the north. As we move forward towards the establishment of ESA, it is important that we maintain momentum and build on this work to date. To this end I am establishing an area planning steering group.

"This group, under the chairmanship of my Department, will co-ordinate and oversee the continuing development of the area plans. Membership will include the controlled, maintained, integrated and Irish-medium sectors."

Roslea Food Packer Fined Over Shortweight Goods

A Roslea Food Packer who had sold short weight packages of meat was today fined a total of £4,500 at Enniskillen Magistrates' Court.

In a case brought by the Trading Standards Service of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Empire Meats Ltd, who trade under the name of Flynn’s Fine Foods, pleaded guilty to eight charges under the Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011.

In June 2012, a Trading Standards Officer on routine inspection found packages of meat, prepacked by Empire Meats Ltd that were significantly short weight because the Quality Assurance procedures in the factory were insufficient.

Stuart MacMurdo of the Trading Standards Service said: "Consumers need to be able to buy with the confidence that prepacked food they choose has the weight in the pack that is declared on it. I hope other food packers will check that their procedures are fit for purpose to make sure consumers get what they paying for."

Any trader who needs advice or consumer who believes they have been sold a shortweight package should contact Consumerline on 0300 123 6262.

(GK)