Transport & Infrastructure: MECs briefing

Meeting report

Mr Bonginkosi Madikizela, Western Cape Provincial Minister of Transport and Public Works, thanked the Chairperson for the opportunity to present. He handed over to the Head of Department (HOD) who took the Committee through the presentation, noting he would answer any questions the Committee had.

Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works Presentation

Ms Jacqueline Gooch, Head of the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW), said the nation-wide lockdown in South Africa, and the introduction of the Disaster Management Regulations and Directives, caused Directorate Traffic Law Enforcement to readjust normal operational mandates, directives and its deployment approach. As part of its new mandate, services are clustered under the Emergency Personnel of Security Services. The South African Police Services is the lead to effectively render its enforcement approach, and to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. Departmental provisioning of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ensures the Department’s compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993. Section 14 stipulates the employer’s responsibility is to ensure the health and safety of its employees.

The procurement of all essential PPE items ensures all of the Department’s traffic officers are fully equipped to mitigate contracting and preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus, while rendering daily functions. DTPW assisted local traffic authorities with PPE as well as assisted with the distribution of PPE received from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) for local traffic authorities.

Institutional Directives were compiled and instituted together with the full distribution of all PPE items. It was done as a preventative measure, and to ensure the safety of traffic officers from the virus while performing daily assigned duties.

On the 15th March 2020 the Department immediately suspended all its roadside alcohol breath testing sampling. It also suspended use of its three mobile breath Evidentiary Units, and two-alcohol Evidentiary Centre’s which determine the level of alcohol intake of a driver.

Any persons suspected of being over the legal limit are taken to have blood drawn at the nearest hospital. On 26th March the Department suspended use of all eight weighbridges and used strategic vehicle check points, 24/7, during the lockdown period. It also conducted integrated law enforcement operations to apply the Disaster Management Regulations and Directives.

Appointed service providers ensure the patrol vehicle fleet across the province is cleaned and sanitised once a week. As part of its additional internal safety protocols, officers follow this regime while the vehicle is in use or handed over at the end of a shift.

Operational Deployment

Duty Rosters were adjusted to make provision for 12 hour shifts. This started at 06:00 on Friday 27 March 2020 until current time. The Department’s buddy system approach was amended from two officers per vehicle, to two patrol vehicles in close proximity to each other. The purpose is to support each other with one officer per vehicle. Using technology enabled all officers to book on/off duty using handheld devices. Briefings/debriefings take place roadside. This promotes social distancing.

The Department provides daily resources to eight fixed major interprovincial roadblocks, 24/7, as well as to nine secondary Vehicle Check Points (VCP’s). These are located at strategic points. DTPW continues to deploy its officers to visible and active patrols on all major and secondary routes. This is to maintain and enforce general law and order, as well as ensuring compliance in term of the Disaster Management Regulations on its road network.

Compliance Monitoring

The Committee implemented the daily monitoring of public transport operations at Public Transport Interchanges (PTIs) in partnership with the City of Cape Town, to monitor compliance with the regulations. This began on the 5th April in both the am and pm operations and continued until the 25th April, currently paused due to contractual issues being experienced by the City. The USSD App was launched on the 27th April as a cellphone-based system that passengers can use to provide feedback on compliance of public transport operators with the COVID-19 regulations. Live monitoring of MBT ranks and operations is also occurring at the DMC through the monitoring and assessment of video surveillance at several PTIs and receipt of feedback from stakeholders and the public. Issues identified are responded to proactively by the Committee, including engagement with the minibus taxi industry (and other operators), site visits at any problem ranks and liaison with law enforcement.

USSD Monitoring and Reporting

The DTPW is monitoring compliance of public transport operators and users with the lockdown Regulations and Directions issued by National Government.

Passengers will be asked if the mode of transport used is compliant with the following:

• Vehicle capacities
• Use of a mask by driver
• Availability of hand sanitiser on board

Capacity Restrictions

• DPTW works closely with the bus services it oversees to ensure compliance with the capacity restrictions imposed by National Government.
• The DTPW has created a Frequently Answered Questions (FAQ) document which outlines the exact capacity restrictions for different types of vehicles, both public and private.
• This has been distributed and used by various government stakeholders.

Hygiene and Safety

• Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) are monitored daily to ensure compliance with vehicle sanitisation requirements.
• MyCiTi buses are regularly sanitised at the depots.

General Strategy in Dealing with Pandemics: Transmission

Four World Health Organisation (WHO) transmission categories / scenarios (stages) inform critical preparedness, readiness and response actions

• No Cases - No reported cases
• Sporadic Cases - One or more cases, imported or locally acquired
• Clusters of Cases - Most cases of local transmission linked to chains of transmission
• Community Transmission - Outbreaks with the inability to relate confirmed cases through chains of transmission for a large number of cases, or by increasing positive tests through sentinel samples (routine systematic testing of respiratory samples from established laboratories

Each scenario calls for a different and scaled-up public health response: Quarantine and Isolation is generally utilized in the suppression stages (1-3)

Quarantine and Isolations (Q and I) Conclusions

• In general, it costs around R1050 per bed per night to activate privately owned hospitality facilities which offer turn-key services.
• Government-owned facilities requiring minimum set-up cost, but do have a lead time to activation and costs around R400 per bed per night.
• Cost is, however, heavily influenced by geographical location and the activation of either private or state-owned facilities, by the lead time and the state of readiness of such facilities for Q&I purposes.

Introduction: Covid19 and the Public Works Sector

• Construction sector is crucial to South Africa’s economic growth
• Contributes to the labour market, according to Stats SA the South African construction sector employed more than 1.4 million people in the past few years before the current decline.

Impact of COVID-19: Concluding Remarks

COVID-19 had and continues to have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable, on systems of governance and ultimately on the whole fabric of society. Government has been responsive to the unfolding crisis and has instituted suppression mechanisms to ultimately protect the health care system from collapse. The COVID-19 challenge will remain for some time to come. Every effort has been made to support the national fight against COVID-19, from front line staff in the Provincial Traffic Services to the men and women assisting with transport operations. The Department is committed to protect citizens and the most vulnerable. It runs deep in the Department’s ethos and as economic activity is gradually opened up, the Department will through the execution of its mandate do its part to build resilience, create opportunity and maximise service delivery.

The Chairperson thanked Ms Gooch for the presentation and welcomed the Provincial Minister and the Department of Human Settlements.

Mr Tertius Simmer, Western Cape Provincial Minister for Human Settlements, said the current Covid-19 situation clearly shows all three spheres of government sadly have a reactionary approach. The Department of Human Settlements (DHS) future plans seek to give a proactive solution in what is an unusual situation and circumstance to deal with. The Department wants to address the realities of the Province, such as the ever growing densely populated informal settlements. It is working to ensure its programs become a success.

Western Cape Department of Human Settlements Presentation

Ms Jacqueline Samson, Head of Department, Western Cape Department of Human Settlements, thanked the Committee and outlined the presentation.

On 15 March 2020, President Ramaphosa declared the current COVID-19 pandemic a National Disaster in terms of Act 57 of 2002. The National Departments were requested to initiate programmes and / issue directives and regulations under respective portfolios to contain the spread of the virus. The National Department of Human Settlements identified amongst other things, the need to de-densify overcrowded areas as a response to the containment of the virus. 29 informal settlements were subsequently identified across the country targeting 356 010 households. The following three (3) areas were identified in the Western Cape:

• Du Noon: 1 500
• Kosovo: 2 000
• Khayelitsha: 3 000

Covid-19 Partnership Initiatives

Anticipating the need for urgent action and response plans related to the effect of Covid-19 on informal settlements, the Department created a Covid-19 Task Team, which is segmented into different Work Streams. The Work Streams are comprised of officials from the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements (WCDoHS), the City of Cape Town (CoCT), the Housing Development Agency (HDA), and the Department of Water & Sanitation (DWS).

DWS Water Tank and Tanker Covid Initiative

• In an effort to constrain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements replied to a call by the DWS to support them in providing water tanks to densely populated informal settlements.

Additional recommendations

• Disaster Management Centre Funding Application: The Province’s application for Covid response funding totaled R193 million, yet only R13 million was approved. This is in no way sufficient and must be addressed.
• Allocation of the R20 billion Relief Funding: The criteria for how this funding will be allocated to the various Provinces must be determined with haste.
• Speedy Release of Funding: Mechanisms must be put in place for the immediate release of Disaster funding: waiting until the Adjustments Budget in August will be too late.

Covid-19 major Challenges to Response Plan

• Lack of clear and coherent understanding and response from stakeholders involved in the informal settlement Responses e.g. Food Distribution.
• Finding alternative land for dedensification, isolation, decanting and relocation.
• Funding and implementing non-human settlements related mandate to respond to COVID-19.
• Informal settlements projects are generally associated with complexity and rigorous community engagement/participation which is also time-consuming process and can’t be done under the current Lockdown Arrangement.

Discussion

Mr D Mitchell (DA) thanked the Departments for the presentations. He asked the following:

• for some more information about launching the red dot service. He said it would be good for Members of the Committee to have more information around the Tier One isolation facilities, especially, to the adjustment process of identification. He referred to the example of the Overberg District, and asked about the identification of the amount of quarantine and isolation sites.
• He also asked if it was possible for the Department to make known all quarantine and isolation sites in the province.
• He asked which ones are active or will be active for accommodating patients.
• He wanted to know if isolation and quarantine sites will be available in communities identified by the Department of Health, going forward.
• He said Muslims are in the process of observing the month of Ramadaan, and asked if isolation facilities made provision for facilities to accommodate the Muslim community.

Ms R Windvogel (ANC) said she saw disturbing pictures about the seriously unhygienic state of facilities. She asked who was responsible for cleaning the facilities, as well as how many times a week cleaning was meant to be done. She wanted to know how many facilities were earmarked for the big timetables. Lastly, she asked about how much progress was made regarding the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), and how much was budgeted for the project.

Mr B Herron (GOOD) asked:

• If the Department of Transport and Public Works were responsible for the operation of the sites identified as quarantine and isolation sites.
• He asked if he was correct in assuming the Department of Transport and Public Works were merely responsible for establishing the sites before handing the sites over to the Department of Health (DOH).
• He wanted clarity about operational aspects of the quarantine and isolation sites. 
• When the time came and the numbers increased, he wanted to know how soon new sites could be added.
• He sought more information around the modeling and the addition of capacity. Saying the central line was an important factor according to plans presented months ago, he asked if those plans were still on track.
• Posing the question to DHS, he asked how far progress was regarding the relocation of informal settlements along rail reserves.

Mr F Christians (ACDP) asked:

• Regarding the re-blocking, he wanted to know if it was only working according to a housing waiting list and how soon people will be moved.
• He asked if all the queries regarding illegal lockouts and housing problems were seen to and assisted.
• He expressed satisfaction in hearing the DTPW established the cellphone based system where passengers could give feedback.
• However, he wanted to know what the Department was doing to address non-compliance by people, a situation which would become dire as the province was on the verge of possibly moving to Level Three. This will see an increase in the amount of commuters.

MEC Madikizela said its IT Department was inundated with calls, particularly from health workers who could not get transport after the curfew. This was the reason for the red dot launch. Originally established for health workers, after the launch of it, the Department looked at its extension to supply essential service workers as a whole.

Ms Gooch said the Department of Transport and Public Works worked along with local authorities and municipalities to determine if available facilities can be utilised, as well as any others. The Provincial DTPW and National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure worked alongside one another along the guidelines issued. There was a general view it would identify the facility and hand it over to the DOH to put into operation.

From a governmental perspective, where individuals can quarantine or isolate themselves at home the person will be asked to do so. The Department understands not everyone can do that. Essentially, for quarantine the DOH is trying to provide patients with a home away from home, a space where people are safe and comfortable for the 14 days. While the DOH worked with participating authorities, the Department was not the ones managing the day-to-day operations of the facilities, as it needed to focus on the health response.

Regarding the modeling, if the Department followed an upper trajectory, it will need to look at isolating approximately 11 500 people, and quarantining 53 000 for the June-July period. If this is converted to cost, it becomes undoable, at a cost running close to R3 billion. The response shifted from providing infrastructure to assisting the vulnerable people in the community. Costing was already begun on large scale parking lots and unused land. Regarding the Overberg area, the Department was continually trying to find more facilities it could utilise or convert. Given the sensitivity of security issues it was not included or at least not in detail in the presentation. Information can be supplied to Members if need be, while still respecting its confidentiality.

Regarding the provisions for Muslims observing the month of Ramadaan, provisions were not only made for the Muslims, but an all-inclusive approach for all religions was accommodated.

Replying to Ms Windvogel, she said she too saw the images and was beyond horrified at what she saw. Meetings were held with the municipality, as it was the municipality who was responsible for the cleaning and sanitation of the facility.

Mechanisms were being put in place to address what had to happen to ensure it would not happen again.  Regarding the CTICC, the initial rental was R47 million. This excluded the Department of Health needing to set up its own health equipment.

The company scan displays who is responsible for the setting up of and the erection of the internal workings. All in all everything will be operational from June, and the Department was still on track with the initial date deadline set.

Lastly, the Department was engaging with Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) around the central line. Discussions were still ongoing around the relocation of people. A plan was in place for the Department to work towards, as lockdown levels reduced. The entire rail system will not be online unnecessarily. It will be done in phases, but social distancing must be maintained.

MEC Simmers said the Department held virtual meetings. Parties agreed to join the CoCT to look at possible pockets of land within a ten-kilometer radius from the central line, where individuals can be relocated to. Figures are expected to balloon beyond 80 000. He said specific earmarked projects are already in the advanced stages. This could accommodate a number of qualified beneficiaries. Pockets of land belonging to the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure can be expedited to the CoCT. This will further enhance the entity’s footprint. On other sites, it can accommodate approximately 30 000 people who are living along those centrelines. 

The CoCT is doing its work diligently, regarding cleaning, recycling, sanitation, and social distancing. The inhabitants of the area are adhering to regulations.

Ms Samson said while its offices were closed during the lockdown period, staff members were available to take queries from members of the public. Regarding the issue of landlords evicting tenants, out of 159 queries and complaints received, the Department managed to deal with approximately 80% of those cases.

Regarding the Tribunal, the Department only dealt with matters where complaints were actually lodged. Along with the Minister, the Department took the decision to determine the rental housing central service. It was currently working through 160 cases to find out if those were legitimate complaints. The next few days it will work virtually on those deemed urgent and will include unlawful evictions, illegal lockouts, and unlawful seizures.

Ms Phila Mayisela, Chief Director: Human Settlements, Implementation, said, regarding waiting lists and allocation of houses within informal settlements, the Department does not necessarily make use of waiting lists. Rather, it works along with the CoCT to identify vulnerable beneficiaries such as the elderly, disabled, and child heeded homes. It moves them into the relocation areas, and from there the persons are allocated homes. The Department will not be limited to a waiting list, as it understands the challenges which come along with it.

The Department hopes to start moving people to the transitional areas by the second week of June. However, it is experiencing some delays with planning approvals from the local authority.

The Department already submitted an application in terms of section 69 of the Municipal bylaws which allowed the Department to establish agent housing within those areas. It is still waiting for approval and is not in a position to begin with the construction. Everything is in order and the Department will commence immediately once approval is issued.

Ms M Maseko (DA) said:

• She wanted to know what engagement the Department had with communities when it came to implementing projects. 
• Secondly, she asked what was being done to ensure contractors adhered to the Covid-19 directives issued.
• Lastly, she asked for more information regarding the readiness of the Transitional Housing Programme, asking if the messages were true, by August only some of the housing projects will be done.

Mr R Mackenzie (DA) asked:

• how the Department will ensure taxis and scholarly transports are not overloaded, especially considering schools were meant to open on 1 June
• He asked for information regarding the Ministers plan for planning and implementation of new housing in Mitchells Plain.
• Lastly, he asked how the Minister will ensure possible new projects achieve its objectives and timelines, given the lockdown over the last two months. 

Mr K Sayed (ANC) asked if there were engagements not only with taxi associations, but on the overall strategy around schools reopening.

He wanted to get a sense as to what plans were in place to deal with hygiene and sanitation when it came to the reopening of schools.

He also wanted to know what plans were in place regarding the number of movers and travellers who tested positive for Covid-19 in the Eastern Cape, after being tested in the Western Cape before departure.

He asked how the Western Cape ensured the validity of permits and testing of people who were travelling to and from the rest of the provinces.

Lastly, he wanted to know how many people who left and entered the Province were actually tested by the provincial government.

Mr Herron asked if the 11 500 isolation sites and 53 000 quarantine sites included only people who would not be able to self-isolate or whether it included the number as whole to include those who could and those who could not self-isolate.

Mr Christians asked if it was feasible for a device to be issued to taxis to assist people getting into taxis to be screened, and if such a device can be extended to the entire public transport system. He said a lot of unhappiness occurred when relocating, especially when it came to kids. He asked what the timelines for the relocations were, and what the additional cost of it was. Lastly, he asked about the feasibility of having security guards to ensure buildings were not vandalised.

MEC Simmers said as a Department, it had to find creative ways to engage, and constructive ways to engage the communities. The Department had included separate meetings with the Ward Councillors. In certain communities there was formally recognised leadership. This had to be engaged with. The Department gives recognition to the essence of the Constitution, which was to ensure proper participation and consultation.

The contractors adhered to the guidelines prescribed. Contractors were appointed to end with well over 1 300 units, and were ensuring these units were properly sanitised for the new beneficiaries to move into them before or by 7 June 2020. 

Regarding the backyard issue, the Department was working with doctors to find out the exact percentage of envisaged beneficiaries forming part of the blocking.

Lastly, the Department had sufficient data it was working through, and so once it came to the stage of identifying beneficiaries for hearings and units, the Department would utilise a data back mechanism and engage with the Project Steering Committee. In these communities the Department was busy for more than two to three years formalising structures, utilising specific data to assess the percentage of elected units to go o the backyard.

As a Department, it instructed the construction industry how to conduct itself. The Department is looking at sites and has one catalytic project. It is looking at more projects in the pipeline.

On Mr Mackenzie’s question, the two city projects were part of Mitchells Plain,and was currently only at the tender stage. The Beacon Valley project in the Mitchells Plain area would create 1 320 opportunities and contractors are already on site.

Regarding the second question posed, it was very crucial to address the legacies of the past by creating new integrated communities. Firstly, it was a catalytic project ensuring socio-economic opportunities for both communities to benefit.

From a provincial perspective, the project will benefit both backyarders and residents from the informal settlements, as well as bringing together residents from different backgrounds.

The Department is currently assisting to create new communities reflecting the two demographics. For the specific site where there was a shift towards changing and addressing the injustices of the past, 90% of the earthworks for the specific project was completed. The Department was due to commence with top structure within the next month.

MEC Madikizela said scholarly transport fell under the scope of the Department of Education. He had spoken to Ms Schaefer, the Provincial Minister of Education as there were two things the respective Departments had to work together on:

• the first was the restructure of the contracts of transport, to align it with current regulations,
• secondly, to ensure the enforcement of the law.

Only grades seven and twelve are going back. This allows the Departments enough time to monitor the transport situations and make sure the law is enforced. It must be understood, while people were screened, between 50% to 75% of people are asymptomatic. This meant it would not even present any indication of being sick when testing positive for the virus.

The Department of Transport was not mandated to carry out testing. Regarding fake permits, MEC Madikizela said he spoke to the Commissioner. An investigation was happening in the City with regards to that. The Department was working on protecting all areas and set up roadblocks. Only screening could take place however, and not testing.

The Department will be working with the DOH to make sure those presenting with symptoms do not suffer, and can be tested. It will follow the necessary processes. There are people who are using alternative routes on the roads to bypass roadblocks and get into other provinces. It is something happening across the board. It is very difficult to verify the story.

Ms Gooch said the numbers indicated only included those who need to be supported when it came to quarantine and isolation facilities. It did not include those who would be able to self-isolate under their own financial terms, or obviously in their own homes.

Regarding community transmissions, it was a question which could only be answered by the DOH.

Addressing the issue of testing for public transport, she said thermal scanners were already ordered by the CoCT. This will allow checking temperatures when individuals entered and exited the services. When taking into consideration the costs of a handheld scanner and the amount needed, the amounts become substantial. The Department did not have a holistic view of what the numbers could be when it came to the additional costs around relocating homes. Communication will always be sent out to the various operators and drivers for those persons to understand the potential ramifications of continued compliance.

The Chairperson thanked the Departments for its replies and took another round of questions.

Mr C Dugmore (ANC) requested that he be allowed to ask questions in the final round

The Chairperson welcomed Mr Dugmore to the meeting and stated that Members had been posing questions for the past two hours already and stated that they were now going into a third round of questions where he would be allowed to pose his questions. Each party would be given one minute to pose any questions which they had.

Mr Mitchell asked if any particular assistance was being provided by the Department to make sure that municipalities were able to address their backlog.

Mr Dugmore asked for an indication on which social housing projects were implemented over the last ten years in the inner City of Cape Town.

The Chairperson interrupted Mr Dugmore and said his question did not relate to the presentations and must be asked in the relevant committee meetings, or through parliamentary questions.

Mr Dugmore respectfully said he heard MEC Simmers’ mention a number of projects which were actually only due to start around June. He said he believed the Chairperson displayed absolute bias in not allowing him to pose his questions.

Mr Mitchell said it was ingenious of Mr Dugmore to join the Committee nearly two hours after the question sessions had begun and then pull a carte blanche on what kind of questions he wanted to pose to the relevant departments. He asked Mr Dugmore to stick to the presentation at hand and not pose questions irrelevant to the presentation.

Mr Dugmore asked for an indication as to what support was provided during the Covid-19 period to contractors at all levels. Regarding construction and the inability to actually do physical construction, he wanted to know how schools, and hospitals, and various other buildings would be worked on, and if any of the construction started or was due to start.

Mr Christians wanted to know if the Department spoke to the Minister about the moratorium of informal settlements. He also wanted to know how social distancing will be managed, as the levels of the lockdown changed.

MEC Simmers said during lockdown Level 5, and even during Level 4, up until a week ago, no one was allowed to move between areas, even in the informal settlements. However, what happened was the police failed to enforce the lockdown regulation.

Regarding the assistance to contractors, he said the Department appointed service providers to develop the occupational health and safety plans, to ensure adherence and assistance to contractors when it came to the Covid-19 situation. Unfortunately, Mr Dugmore was late. If he had not been, he would have seen the question raised by him was already answered.

He repeated, he visited specific sites where contractors and subcontractors systematically started going on site and there was adherence to regulations. The units which were supposed to be handed over before lockdown were being worked on to ensure those units are ready to be handed over by June.

Ms Samson said the opening up of the construction sites increased economic opportunity and therefore it served as economical relief for some. This was an added benefit of the construction sites.

Ms Gooch said the Department was involved in a number of meetings with the Road Traffic Management Corporation. As per the requirement from it, the Department resubmitted a risk assessment document on the reopening of the Vehicle Testing Centres, Driver License Centres, and Vehicle Licensing itself.

Regarding readiness and social distancing, the Department was getting guidance from the RTMC to understand what it intended to do about operations, functions, and ensuring certain transactions can actually be processed online.

Regarding contactors, the Department alerted contractors to comply with health and safety requirements.

The Chairperson thanked the Departments for the presentations. The Departments were excused, and Members were asked to remain behind to deal with administrative matters.

The Members were informed, any further questions or information needed, can be forwarded to the procedural officers who will compile the questions and comments and forward it to the relevant Departments for response.

Consideration and adoption of minutes

The Committee minutes of 13 May 2020 were looked at.

The Chairperson asked that if there were edits for the minutes to be adopted.

Ms D Baartman (DA) moved to adopt the minutes

Ms G Bosman (DA) seconded the adoption of the minutes

The Chairperson thanked Ms Baartman and Mr Bosman, the minutes were adopted.

Members were asked to look at the minutes of 15 May 2020.

Mr Herron said he was present for the meeting, yet his name was not listed and asked for it to be corrected.

The Chairperson told Mr Herron it will be corrected, and said if there were no further edits, the minutes are asked to be adopted.

Ms Baartman moved to adopt the minutes with corrections.

Mr Herron seconded the adoption with corrections.

The Chairperson thanked Ms Baartman and Mr Herron.

Mr Herron reminded the Chairperson, in the previous meeting, he asked for clarification on the procedure when a delegation/Department before the Committee purposefully misled the Committee. He wanted to know if the Chairperson had any feedback about this.

The Chairperson said unfortunately she did not receive feedback on this matter. However, she asked if she could forward it to him in writing before the Committee’s next meeting.

Mr Herron agreed and thanked the Chairperson.

The Chairperson thanked the Committee for attendance and participation.

The meeting was adjourned.