COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY, 25 June 2008
Room 152, Parliament Buildings

Present: Mitchel McLaughlin MLA (Chairperson)
Simon Hamilton MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Roy Beggs MLA
Fra McCann MLA
Jennifer McCann MLA
Adrian McQuillan MLA
Declan O’Loan MLA
Peter Weir MLA

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

Apologies: Dr Stephen Farry MLA
Dawn Purvis MLA

The meeting commenced at 10.00 am in open session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

Agreed : that the evidence sessions under agenda items 4, 5 and 7 will be recorded by Hansard and the Official Reports published on the Assembly website.

2. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of 18 June 2008

Agreed: for publication on the Assembly website.

3. Matters Arising

Agreed: that consideration of the next item on Workplace 2010 will be in closed session, due to the commercially sensitive nature of the information being discussed.

Meeting continued in closed session at 10.02 am.

Members considered the Department of Finance and Personnel’s (DFP) response to Committee queries on Workplace 2010 procurement issues raised at last week’s meeting.

Agreed: that the Committee remains of the view that it should have been advised of the issues by DFP at an earlier stage. Members also agreed to continue to monitor this matter closely.

Agreed: that the correspondence between the Committee and the Department on the Workplace 2010 procurement issues will be published on the Assembly website once the information is no longer commercially sensitive.

Meeting continued in open session at 10.07 am.

The Committee noted the outstanding requests for information from DFP.

Mr McQuillan joined the meeting at 10.10 am.

4. Assessment of the Outline Business Case for the Maze/Long Kesh (MLK) Regeneration Site – Evidence from DFP

The Committee took evidence from Leo O'Reilly, Second Permanent Secretary, DFP; Jack Layberry, Head of Supply 1, DFP and Michael Brennan, Head of Strategic Policy Division, DFP. The session was recorded by Hansard.

Mr Hamilton left the meeting at 11.06 am.
Mr Hamilton returned to the meeting at 11.08 am.
Ms McCann left the meeting at 11.07 am.
Ms McCann returned to the meeting at 11.10 am.
Mr Weir left the meeting at 11.16 am.
Mr Weir returned to the meeting at 11.23 am

Agreed : that a written response to issues raised during the session will be requested from DFP.

Agreed : that the DFP paper on its strategic analysis of the outline business case for the MLK regeneration site will be published on the Assembly website.

5. Consultation on Dormant Accounts Bill – Evidence from DFP

The Committee took evidence from Michael Daly, Head of Central Expenditure Division, DFP; Brenda Shearer, Central Expenditure Division, DFP and Neil Lambe, Principal Legal Officer, Departmental Solicitor’s Office, DFP. The session was recorded by Hansard.

Mr Weir left the meeting at 11.39 am.
Mr Weir returned to the meeting at 11.46 am.

Agreed : that a written response to issues raised during the session will be requested from DFP.

6. Outcome of June Monitoring Round – DFP Briefing

The Committee received a briefing from Michael Daly, Head of Central Expenditure Division, DFP and Paul Montgomery, Central Expenditure Division, DFP.

Mr McCann left the meeting at 11.55 am.

Mr Beggs declared an interest as a member of the Board of Governors, Glynn Primary School.

Agreed: that a written response to issues raised during the briefing will be requested from DFP.

7. Update on PEACE Funding – Evidence from DFP/Special EU Programmes Body

The Committee took evidence from Martin Tyrrell, Head of European Division, North -South Programmes Branch, DFP and Pat Colgan, Chief Executive, Special EU Programmes Body. The session was recorded by Hansard.

Mr Beggs declared an interest as a member of Carrickfergus Borough Council which is a partner in one of the cluster groups (with Antrim and Newtownabbey).

Mr Hamilton declared an interest as a member of Ards Borough Council, Local Strategic Partnership.

Mr Weir declared an interest as a member of North Down Borough Council, Local Strategic Partnership.

Mr McQuillan left the meeting at 12.28 pm.
Mr McQuillan returned to the meeting at 12.30 pm.
Mr Weir left the meeting at 12.31 pm.
Mr Weir returned to the meeting at 12.35 pm.

Agreed: that a written response to issues raised during the session will be requested from DFP.

8. Correspondence

The Committee noted the following correspondence

• Committee for the Environment: Provision of criminal history information to Departments through AccessNI.
• Assembly Central Committee Office: Committee Freedom of Information (FoI) procedures.

Agreed : that the Committee will delegate authority to the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson to submit, during periods of recess, views on any non-routine/contentious FoI requests received.

• DFP: Rates Deferment Scheme for Home Owning Pensioners.
• Committee for Social Development: Neighbourhood Renewal Scheme

Agreed : a written response to be forwarded to the Committee for Social Development.

• Minister of Finance and Personnel: Economic Research Institute of Northern Ireland - Review of Rate Relief for Small Businesses.
• DFP: Follow up information on June 2008 Monitoring Round.
• DFP: Details on bonus payments made to Senior Civil Servants

Agreed: that this item of correspondence from DFP will be considered by the Committee at next week’s meeting.

• Climate Change Coalition Northern Ireland: Issues relating to climate change and fair trade procurement.

Agreed : that a written response on the issues raised by the Climate Change Coalition Northern Ireland will be requested from DFP.

9. Committee Work Programme

Members considered the latest draft of the Committee work programme for the period up to summer recess.

Agreed: that the first meeting after summer recess will be on 10 September 2008 unless further work pressures require an additional meeting on 3 September 2008.

Agreed: that the scrutiny of efficiency savings and the potential impact on front line services will be discussed under Matters Arising at next week’s meeting.

Agreed : that the latest draft of the programme will be published on the Assembly website.

10. Any Other Business

The Committee considered a draft press release on the Committee’s Report on the Building Regulations (Amendment) Bill. Members were advised that the printed report was issued today to the Minister of Finance and Personnel and all MLAs.

Agreed: press release on the Report on the Building Regulations (Amendment) Bill for issue on 25 June 2008.

11. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 2 July 2008 at 10.00 am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.50 pm.

Mitchel McLaughlin, Chairperson,
Committee for Finance and Personnel.
2 July 2008

18 June 08 / Menu