COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THIRTY SIXTH MEETING
TUESDAY, 9 JANUARY 2001
COMMITTEE ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
1. Minutes of Proceedings
2. Matters arising
3. Consider any Bills
4. Consider any Statutory Rules
5. Private Finance Initiative/Private Public Partnerships
6. Correspondence
7. Any Other Business
8. Date of Next Meeting
Present: Mr Francie Molloy (Chairman)
Mr James Leslie (Deputy Chairman)
Mr Billy Bell
Mr Seamus Close
Mr Nigel Dodds
Mr Derek Hussey
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Peter Weir
Apologies: None
In attendence: Mr Martin Wilson (Committee Clerk)
Mr Peter Hughes (Assistant Clerk)
Ms Edel Gillen (Executive Support)
Ms Sharon Bowman (Administrative Support)
The Chairman declared the meeting open at 2.35 p.m. The meeting was held in public session.
1. Minutes of Proceedings
1.1 Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Proceedings for 19 December 2000.
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2. Matters arising: 2.1 Review of the Legislative Process - Letter to Committee on Procedures
2.1.1 The Committee deliberated on a draft reply to the letter on the review of how legislation is handled in the Assembly from Conor Murphy, Chairman Procedures Committee, dated 5 December 2000.
2.1.2 Resolved: That the draft reply should be issued subject to inclusion of a reference to pre-drafting consultation.
2.2 Letter from Treasury on Northern Ireland Block Grant
2.2.1 The Committee deliberated on the reply by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, dated 11 December to the Chairman's letter of 20 September 2000 on the Northern Ireland Block Grant.
2.2.2 Resolved: That the Committee noted the Chancellor's response.
Mr Derek Hussey and Mr Alex Maskey attended from 2.55 pm.
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3. Consider any Bills: 3.1 Government Resources and Accounts Bill (NIA Bill 6/00)
3.1.1 Mr Mark Durkan MLA, Minister of Finance and Personnel appeared before the Committee and was questioned on the Committee's proposal to extend the powers of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) to investigate bodies receiving substantial public monies by an amendment to Clause 18 of the Government Resources and Accounts Bill. The Minister was in broad agreement with the principle of the amendment but asked the Committee to exercise caution in how bodies were defined. He considered that the wording should be changed so that the C&AG's powers related only to bodies that could be defined by the term "public sector".
3.1.2 The Minister was also questioned on his proposal to introduce an amendment to Clause 18 to oblige the Department of Finance and Personnel to have regard to the views of the Public Accounts Committee. The Minister confirmed that it was his intention to extend the C&AG's audit remit in the Audit Reorganisation Bill but could not give a firm commitment at this stage. When questioned on the audit of performance information he explained that it was premature to make this a part of the financial audit role of the C&AG but that the matter was being examined in the context of the development of public service agreements.
3.1.3 Resolved: That the Committee would consider Clause 18 again at the next meeting when the draft report on the Bill would be considered.
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4. Consider any Statutory Rules: 4.1 The Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 389/2000
4.1.1 The Committee deliberated on The Building Regulations (NI) 389/2000.
4.1.2 Resolved: That the Rule would be considered again at the next meeting when an official from the Department of Finance and Personnel would be asked to brief the Committee on the Rule.
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5. Private Finance Initiative / Private Public Partnerships
5.1 The Committee deliberated on the arrangements for undertaking an inquiry into the use of Private Finance Initiative / Private Public Partnerships in funding public services in Northern Ireland.
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6. Correspondence
6.1 The Committee deliberated on the tabled correspondence as follows:
- Government Resources and Accounts Bill.- letter dated 5 January 2001 from the Minister of Finance and Personnel, two letters dated 12, 20 December copied to the Committee by Mr Des McConaghy, and a research paper on the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000.
- Report, dated 8 January, from the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly on Statutory Rules - No.333 and No.342.
- Reply to a letter, dated 4 December, from the Department of Finance and Personnel on making the Statutory Rule for the office of the Chief Executive to the Mental Health Commission:
- 'Ireland, North and South: a Statistical Profile' - NISRA Publication, dated 4 January.
- Letter, dated 2 January, from Department of Finance and Personnel enclosing its revised New TSN Action Plan.
- Letter dated 4 January, from the Minister of Finance and Personnel on the repeal of the Trading Stamps Act NI 1965.
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7. Any other business:
7.1 There was no other business.
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8. Date of next meeting
8.1 Resolved: That the Committee meet on Tuesday, 16 January 2001 at 2.30 p.m. in Committee Room 144 to consider the Government Resources and Accounts Bill and other matters.
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The Chairman declared the meeting closed at 4.40 p.m. FRANCIE MOLLOY
Chairman
19 December 2000/ Menu / 16 January 2001