COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY, 16 MARCH 2011
ROOM 29, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Daithí McKay MLA (Chairperson)
Mr David McNarry MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Paul Frew MLA
Mr Paul Girvan MLA
Mr Simon Hamilton MLA
Ms Jennifer McCann MLA
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin MLA
Mr Adrian McQuillan MLA
Mr Declan O’Loan MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Shane McAteer (Assembly Clerk)
Miss Karen Jardine (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Dominic O’Farrell (Clerical Officer)
Mr Gareth Brown (Bursary Student)

Apologies:
Ms Dawn Purvis MLA
Dr Stephen Farry MLA

The meeting commenced at 10.07am in open session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above .

2. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of 08 March 2011

Agreed: that the minutes are published on the Assembly website.

3. Matters Arising

Dormant Accounts

Members noted that previous correspondence from DFP had indicated that distribution of funds under the proposed Dormant Accounts scheme would be on the basis of population share.

Composite Request

The Committee noted the composite request for information from the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) which provided an update on any matters arising not covered elsewhere on the agenda.

Agreed: that any matters outstanding on the composite request at the end of mandate will be included in the Committee’s legacy report.

Land and Property Services Presentation from 8 March Meeting

Members noted a copy of a presentation prepared by Land and Property services for their evidence session on 8 March 2011

Equal Pay

The Deputy Chairperson advised members that the Committee for Justice had recently discussed matters relating to Equal Pay and the Department of Justice.

Mr Hamilton joined the meeting at 10.14am.

Agreed: to forward correspondence received from DFP on 28 February 2011 to the Committee for Justice for information; to publish the correspondence received by the Committee during this mandate on the website; and that Equal Pay will be included in the Committee’s legacy report as a matter which the incoming Committee for Finance and Personnel may wish to consider.

In line with normal convention when considering committee reports, the Committee moved into closed session at 10.21am.

Agreed: That the Committee will meet on Monday 21 March to formally agree the reports considered at today’s meeting.

4. Third Report on the Budget Scrutiny Inquiry: Consideration of working draft report

The Committee considered a working draft of its third report on the Budget Scrutiny Inquiry.

Mr McQuillan joined the meeting at 10.27am.

Agreed: that members will provide comments on the report, including suggested amendments to the text, by close of business on Wednesday 16 March.

5. Draft End of Session Report

The Committee considered a working draft of its End of Session Report.

Mr Frew joined the meeting at 10.40am.

Agreed: that the draft report will be amended to reflect members’ comments today; and that members will provide any further comments on the report, including suggested amendments to the text, as soon as possible.

6. Draft Legacy Report

The Committee considered a working draft of its legacy report.

Mr McNarry left the meeting at 10.55am.
Mr McQuillan left the meeting at 10.55am.
Mr McQuillan returned to the meeting at 10.59am.

The meeting moved into open session at 11.03am.

7. Subordinate Legislation

The Committee considered the following statutory rules:

SR 2011 No. 82 The Whole of Government Accounts (Designation of Bodies) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011

The Committee noted that, while the Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules was not yet available, he had indicated informally that he has no points to raise by way of technical scrutiny in relation to the Rule.

Agreed: that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered SR 2011 No. 82 The Whole of Government Accounts (Designation of Bodies) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules’ final report, has no objection to the rule.

SR 2011 No. 91 The Rate Relief (Low-Carbon Homes Scheme)(Revocation and Savings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011

Agreed: that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered The Rate Relief (Low-Carbon Homes Scheme)(Revocation and Savings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 and, subject to the Examiner of Statutory Rules’ final report, has no objection to the rule.

SR 2011 No. 92 The Rate Relief (Energy Efficiency Homes Scheme)(Revocation and Savings) Regulations 2011

Agreed: that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered SR 2011 No. 92 The Rate Relief (Energy Efficiency Homes Scheme)(Revocation and Savings) Regulations 2011, has no objection to the rule.

The Committee considered a proposal for a statutory rule from DFP:

SL1 and SR - Superannuation (Director and Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011

Agreed: that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered DFP’s proposal for subordinate legislation under The Superannuation (Director and Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions) Order (NI) 2011 and has no objections to the policy implications of the proposed legislation at this stage.

The Committee also noted the proposal SL1 Pensions Increase (Modification) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011 which is not subject to Assembly Procedures.

The Committee noted the following proposals for statutory legislation which had been tabled at today’s meeting.

SL1: The Land Registration (Amendment) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2011;
SL1: The Land Registration (Electronic Communications) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011; and
The Cross-Border Mediation Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2011.

Agreed: to postpone formal consideration of the proposals for statutory legislation until the next meeting of the Committee.

8. Correspondence

The following items of correspondence were noted:

Association of British Insurers: Damages (Asbestos-Related Conditions) Bill;
Agreed: to publish the correspondence on the Committee’s website alongside the other material relating to the Bill.
Committee for Justice: PSNI Equal Pay Settlement;
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission: Human Rights Considerations in Developing Legislation;
3rd Northern Ireland Data Protection Review: DFP Written Briefing;
DCAL: Data retention in the NI Civil Service;
DFP: Mandating the Provision of Carbon Monoxide Alarms;
Agreed: to issue a press release, as amended, welcoming the Minister’s proposal on carbon monoxide alarms, following representations made by the Committee.
CHSSPS: Consultation on the Draft Budget; and
DFP: Follow-up to Public Procurement Action Plan & Draft Procurement Guidance Session.
Agreed: to publish this response on the Committee’s webpages.

The Committee also noted the following routine correspondence which had been emailed to Members prior to the meeting:

DFP: Response to Committee of the Environment on the Greenhouse Gas Action Plan.

9. Committee Work Programme

Members noted a draft of the Committee work programme.

Agreed: that the Committee will meet at 12.30pm on Monday 21 March 2011 to formally agree the three Committee reports considered today and any issues that are outstanding.

Agreed: that the work programme is amended to reflect the decisions made today, and that the revised programme is published on the Assembly website.

10. Any Other Business

Agreed: that the Minutes of Proceedings of the final meeting of the Committee for this mandate will be approved by the Chairperson before dissolution and published on the website.

11. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Monday 21 March at 12.30pm in Room 29, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting ended at 11.14am.

Daithí McKay, Chairperson
Committee for Finance and Personnel
21 March 2011

1 March 11 / Menu

COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS WEDNESDAY, 16 MARCH 2011 ROOM 29, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS