Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL

Minutes of Proceedings
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Room 152, Parliament Buildings

Present:
Mitchel McLaughlin MLA (Chairperson)
Simon Hamilton MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Dr Stephen Farry MLA
Fra McCann MLA
Jennifer McCann MLA
David McNarry MLA
Adrian McQuillan MLA
Declan O’Loan MLA
Ian Paisley Jnr MLA
Dawn Purvis MLA
Peter Weir MLA

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

Apologies:
none

The meeting commenced at 10.01 am in open session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

Agreed : that the evidence from Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) officials on the forthcoming Financial Provisions Bill; the Budget Bill 2009 and the DFP February 2009 Monitoring Round position will be covered by Hansard and the finalised transcripts published on the website.

2. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of 28 January 2009

Agreed as amended: for publication on the Assembly website.

3. Matters Arising

The Committee noted the outstanding requests for information from DFP.

Members noted further correspondence from the Quarry Products Association.

Agreed: that the Committee will consider this matter further once a response from the Minister of Finance and Personnel is received by the Committee. It was noted that this response was due today and will therefore be considered at next week’s meeting.

Agreed : that the most recent DFP briefing papers relating to the Civil Registration Bill will be forwarded to the genealogical organisations which had previously given oral evidence to the Committee.

4. Pre-Introduction Briefing on Financial Provisions Bill: Evidence from DFP

The Committee took evidence from the following DFP officials: David Thomson, Treasury Officer Head of Accounts, Central Finance Group; Michael Daly, Head of Central Expenditure Division, Central Finance Group and Deborah McNeilly, Head of Finance Branch, Corporate Services Group. The session was recorded by Hansard.

Members noted that copies of the Draft Bill had been sent to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment; the Public Accounts Committee and the Audit Committee for scrutiny, as there were clauses in the Bill within their respective remits.

Members noted the responses from the respective committees, stating that they had no issues to raise in relation to the Bill.

Mr Hamilton declared an interest as a member of Ards Borough Council.

Agreed: that DFP officials will add further explanation to the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum relating to the Bill to clarify Clause 5 – the Repeal of requirement to prepare Finance Accounts.

5. Correspondence

The Committee noted the following correspondence:

Mr McQuillan joined the meeting at 10.14 am.

Agreed: that the relevant extracts from DFP’s response will be copied to Mr McNeill, who had originally raised this issue with the Committee;

Agreed: that information will be sought from DFP on the review of the decision to remove the requirement for GCSE qualifications for administrative positions on a pilot basis.

6. Budget Bill 2009: Spring Supplementary Estimates 2008/09 and Vote on Account 2009/10: Evidence from DFP

Mr Paisley Jnr joined the meeting at 10.20 am.

The Committee took evidence from the following DFP officials: Michael Daly, Head of Central Expenditure Division, Central Finance Group and Agnes Lennon, Central Expenditure Division, Central Finance Group. The session was recorded by Hansard.

Members noted the respective embargoes on the Budget Bill 2009, the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum and the Spring Supplementary Estimates for 2008/09.

Agreed : that further evidence from DFP officials, provisionally scheduled for next week’s meeting, was unnecessary.

Question put: That the Committee for Finance and Personnel is satisfied that there has been appropriate consultation with it on the public expenditure proposals contained in the Budget Bill 2009 and is content to grant accelerated passage to the Bill in accordance with Standing Order 42(2).

The Committee divided: Ayes 8; Noes 1; Abstentions 1.

AYES

Dr Farry, Mr Hamilton, Mr McCann, Ms McCann, Mr McQuillan, Mr Paisley, Ms Purvis, Mr Weir

NOES

Mr O’Loan

ABSTENTIONS

Mr McNarry

Question accordingly agreed to.

The Committee considered draft correspondence to the Speaker, informing him of the Committee’s decision in relation to accelerated passage for the Budget Bill 2009.

Agreed : that the correspondence will issue to the Speaker as drafted.

7. DFP February 2009 Monitoring Round Position: Evidence from DFP

The Committee took evidence from the following DFP officials: Deborah McNeilly, Head of Finance Branch, Corporate Services Group and Adrian Doherty, Finance Branch, Corporate Services Group. The session was recorded by Hansard.

Agreed: that DFP officials will provide further information to the Committee as requested during the evidence session.

8. Correspondence (continued)

The Committee noted the following correspondence:

Agreed: that the deadline will be extended to 13 March 2009 as requested and that COFMDFM will be informed;

Agreed: that the request for DFP officials to attend the next meeting of the Audit Committee will be forwarded to DFP;

Agreed: that a written submission on the proposed implementation of IFRS across Northern Ireland departments will be requested from DFP to allow the Committee for Finance and Personnel to respond to the Audit Committee by 23 February 2009;

Agreed: that the correspondence will be forwarded to DFP as requested;

Agreed: that DFP will be asked to provide twice-yearly updates to the Committee for Finance and Personnel on the implementation of those recommendations in the Report which are within the Department’s remit;

Agreed: that written and oral briefings will be requested from DFP on the actions in the Executive’s Response for which DFP has responsibility and that the Committee will subsequently respond to COFMDFM by 28 February 2009;

Agreed: that the invitation will be forwarded to DFP as requested and that the Committee will also write to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure highlighting concerns that a proportion of the funding allocated to arts development in Northern Ireland may potentially be spent in Eastern Europe;

Agreed : that DFP will be asked whether it intends to respond to the Review and, if so, will be asked to consult with the Committee on the preparation of the response;

Agreed : that DFP will be asked whether it intends to respond to the Inquiry and, if so, will be asked to consult with the Committee on the preparation of the response;

Agreed: that the Committee will write to the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety to determine the funding streams which would potentially be available to the Centre;

Agreed: that a briefing from DFP officials will be scheduled in the Committee’s work programme and that further information will be sought from DFP on the outcomes from PEDU’s assessment of the arrangements in place for delivery of Public Service Agreement targets;

Agreed: that the response will be forwarded to COFMDFM as requested;

9. Committee Work Programme

Members considered the current draft of the Committee work programme until summer recess.

Members considered the potential for a briefing from representatives from the Strategic Investment Board in relation to the funding arrangements for the Executive’s Investment Strategy.

Agreed : that this will be considered at a future meeting.

Members considered a request from DFP to postpone the briefing on the outcome of the Review of the Executive’s Budget Process .

Agreed: that the briefing will be postponed until mid-March 2009.

Members noted press coverage relating to problems with the HR Connect system. It was noted that a briefing from DFP officials on HR Connect had been scheduled for 25 February 2009 and that information on end-user experience had been requested from the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance. Members noted that DFP had not conducted any research to date in this area.

Members noted that a briefing from BankCheck had been scheduled for 18 February 2009.

Agreed: that the submission from the British Bankers’ Association and the Official Report of the evidence from the local banking representatives will be forwarded to BankCheck.

Agreed: that the work programme, as amended, will be published on the website.

10. Any Other Business

None.

11. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 11 February 2009 at 10.00 am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.52am.
Mitchel McLaughlin, Chairperson,
Committee for Finance and Personnel.
11 February 2009

14 January 09 / Menu