COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
FIFTH MEETING
WEDNESDAY, 26 JANUARY 2000
ROOM 152, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

1. Apologies
2. Agree Minutes of Proceedings
3. Matters Arising
4. Consider any Statutory Rules
5. Any Other Business
6. Correspondence
7. Date of Next Meeting
8. Government Finance Awareness Session

Members Present:

Mr Francie Molloy (Chair) Mr James Leslie (Deputy Chair) Mr William Bell Mr Seamus Close

Mr Derek Hussey Mr Gardiner Kane Mr Donovan McCelland Mr Peter Weir

In Attendance:
Mr Martin Wilson (Committee Clerk)
Mr Peter Hughes (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Ms Sharon Bowman (Administrative Support)

The Chairman welcomed Mr Hussey, who replaced Mr Nesbitt on the Committee. Mr Hussey declared the following interests:

• Proprietor of "The Castle Inn" Public House, Castlederg.
• Member of Strabane District Council.

• Public House, "The Castle Inn", Castlederg.

2.1 Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Minutes of Proceedings for the Committee meeting on Wednesday, 19 January 2000 should be adopted.

3.1 CBI Report 'Prospering in a Global Economy'. The Chairman informed members that the Director, CBI Northern Ireland would make a presentation to the Committee on the Report on 2 February.

3.2 Role of Committee. The Chair informed members that the role of the Committee would be considered at the meeting on 2 February.

3.3 Appropriation Bill. The Chairman and Deputy Chairman's meeting with the Speaker on 24 January was discussed.

3.4 Agreed The Committee agreed that the Chairman and Deputy Chairman should write to the Speaker regarding their involvement in any consideration by the Business Committee of the procedures for handling financial bills.

4.1 No Statutory Rules were referred to the Committee.

5.1 There was no other business.

6.2 Agreed: The Committee agreed to make a formal response to the

Consultation Paper examining the law on divorce in Northern Ireland. The Law Society, Bar Council and the Office of Law Reform would be invited to give evidence on the matter.

7.1 Agreed: The next weekly meeting of the Committee was scheduled for Wednesday, 2 February at 2.00 pm.

1. Mr P Carvill, Permanent Secretary, Department of Finance and Personnel, supported by Mr A McCormick, Mr V Hewitt and Mr E Rooney, gave a presentation on government finance. An overview of the Northern Ireland Block, the framework and application of Treasury funding policy to Northern Ireland, planning and control of public expenditure and European Union funding arrangements was given. An overview of resource accounting would be provided at a later date.