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COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL

Minutes of Proceedings
WEDNESDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2007
Room 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mitchel McLaughlin MLA (Chairperson)
Roy Beggs MLA
Dr Stephen Farry MLA
Simon Hamilton MLA
Fra McCann MLA
Jennifer McCann MLA
Adrian McQuillan MLA
Dawn Purvis MLA
Peter Weir MLA

In Attendance:
Shane McAteer (Assembly Clerk)
Vivien Ireland (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Colin Jones (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Paula Sandford (Clerical Supervisor)
Mary Thompson (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mervyn Storey MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Declan O’Loan MLA

The meeting commenced at 10.03 am in open session.

  1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

  1. Draft Minutes of Proceedings 12 September 2007

Agreed: for publication on the Assembly website.

  1. Matters Arising

Members noted that the Committee’s special report on Workplace 2010 and Public Sector Jobs Location, agreed at last week’s meeting, was being printed and will be forwarded to all MLAs by the Business Office in the week prior to the Assembly debate on the Report.

Members noted correspondence from the Minister of Finance and Personnel updating the Committee on both Workplace 2010 and Public Sector Jobs Location. It was noted that the Minister will make a statement in the Assembly on Monday 24 September 2007 in relation to both these policy areas.

Members noted that copies of the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) slides from the budget seminar hosted by the Committee on Monday 17 September 2007 will be issued to all MLAs.

Members noted a follow-up paper from Assembly Research on the small business rates relief scheme.

  1. DFP Briefing on Draft Priorities and Budget 2007 and Comprehensive Spending Review

Agreed: that the meeting will be adjourned to allow the Committee to consider the DFP paper to accompany the briefing as it had not been received in advance of the meeting.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 10.07am.

The Chairperson reconvened the meeting at 10.15am.

Mr McCann and Ms McCann joined the meeting at 10.15am.

The Committee was briefed by Chris Thompson, Director, Corporate Services Group and Jim O’Hagan, Finance Director, on the Department’s preparations to date for Budget 2007 and the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Agreed: that, as the Committee had not had sufficient time to consider the Department’s paper in detail, DFP officials will attend next week to respond to members’ questions.

  1. Correspondence

Members noted the following correspondence:

– Craig Maxwell: Industrial Rates on Manufacturing;

– Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment: ERINI Review of Industrial De-Rating;

– Minister of Finance and Personnel: Funding for Child Contact Centres.

  1. DFP Briefing on European Funding Programmes 2007 - 2013

The Committee was briefed by Bill Pauley, Head of EU Division, Central Finance Group and Lynsey Moore, Head of Structural Funds Policy and Management Unit on the process to agree Northern Ireland’s EU Structural Funds Programmes for 2007 – 2013.

Mr Beggs declared an interest as a member of Carrickfergus Borough Council and Carrickfergus Borough Development Group.

  1. Committee Work Programme

Members considered the latest draft of the Committee work programme until Christmas recess.

Agreed: that Assembly Research will provide a paper on international comparators on domestic rating, which will inform the Committee’s deliberations on the Department’s Domestic Rating Review.

Agreed: that the briefing from the Minister on the Draft Budget on 14 November 2007 will be held in the Senate Chamber.

Agreed: that the work programme will be published on the Assembly website.

  1. Any Other Business

The Chairperson advised members that he would not be able to attend the plenary session on Monday 24 September.

Agreed : that the Deputy Chairperson will be asked to respond to the Ministerial Statement on Workplace 2010 and Public Sector Jobs Location on behalf of the Committee, by taking the opportunity to ask a question.

Agreed : that the Committee will consider EU Funds as a potential topic for a future inquiry.

  1. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 26 September 2007 at 10.00am in Room 152 Parliament Buildings. The Chairperson gave his apologies.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at11.50am.

Mitchel McLaughlin, Chairperson,
Committee for Finance and Personnel.
26 September 2007

12 September 2007 / Menu