COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
Minutes of Proceedings
Wednesday,
18
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)
Vivien Ireland (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Colin Jones (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Paula Sandford (Clerical Supervisor)
Chris McCreery (Clerical Officer)
Apologies: None
The meeting commenced at 10.07 am in open session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of 11 February 2009
Agreed: for publication on the Assembly website.
3. Matters Arising
The Committee noted the outstanding requests for information from the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP).
Members noted that, following the agreement at last week’s meeting to request a copy of the response by the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service to the House of Lords Select Committee Inquiry on the Barnett Formula, advice had been received that the request should be made through the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (COFMDFM).
Agreed: that a request will be issued to COFMDFM as advised.
Members were reminded that, at last week’s meeting, the Committee had agreed to BANKCheck’s request for the following session to be held in closed session, due to the confidential nature of the issues being discussed.
The meeting continued in closed session at 10.10 am.
4. Briefing from BANKCheck
The Committee was briefed by the following BANKCheck representatives: Trevor Hillen, Managing Director; Eddie Fitzpatrick, Director and Roy Elliott, Senior Banking Consultant.
Mr McNarry left the meeting at 10.27 am.
Mr Hamilton left the meeting at 10.36 am.
Mr Hamilton joined the meeting at 10.45 am.
Mr McNarry joined the meeting at 10.49 am.
Mr Weir left the meeting at 10.56 am.
Mr Weir joined the meeting at 11.15 am.
Mr O’Loan left the meeting at 11.28 am.
Mr O’Loan joined the meeting at 11.39 am.
Agreed: that BANKCheck representatives will provide a written submission to the Committee highlighting issues of concern in the local financial sector.
The meeting continued in open session at 11.44 am.
Mr Paisley Jnr left the meeting at 11.44 am.
Mr McNarry left the meeting at 11.44 am.
5. Implementation of Access to Benefits (A2B) Report on Take-Up of Rate Reliefs: DFP Briefing
The Committee was briefed by the following officials: Brian McClure, Head of Rating Policy Division, DFP; Patrick Minne, Chief Executive Officer, A2B and Zoë Anderson, Content Officer, A2B.
Ms McCann left the meeting at 11.53 am.
Dr Farry left the meeting at 11.54 am.
Mr Weir left the meeting at 11.54 am.
Mr Paisley Jnr joined the meeting at 12.03 pm.
Mr Weir joined the meeting at 12.12 pm.
Agreed: that the DFP officials will provide further information to the Committee as requested during the briefing session, together with regular progress reports on the implementation of the recommendations in the A2B Report.
Ms Purvis left the meeting at 12.15 pm.
6. Subordinate Legislation
The Committee considered Statutory Rule 2009 No. 31: The Rates (Regional Rates) Order (Northern Ireland) 2009, which had been laid in the Business Office by DFP. Members noted that the members had previously considered the proposal for this subordinate legislation on 28 January 2009, when the Committee agreed that it was content with the policy implications of the proposed legislation.
The Committee noted the Report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules, which raised no issues by way of technical scrutiny.
Agreed: that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered the Rates (Regional Rates) Order (Northern Ireland) 2009 and recommends that it be affirmed by the Assembly.
The Committee considered Draft Statutory Rule: The Rates (Maximum Capital Value) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009, which had been laid in the Business Office by DFP. Members noted that the Committee had previously considered the proposal for this subordinate legislation on 28 January 2009, when the Committee agreed that it was content with the policy implications of the proposed legislation.
The Committee noted the Report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules, which raised no issues by way of technical scrutiny.
Question put: that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered the Rates (Maximum Capital Value) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 and recommends that it be affirmed by the Assembly.
Agreed: to record the concern expressed by Mr O’Loan at what he considers the regressive nature of the provision in the Regulations.
Question accordingly agreed to.
The Committee considered a proposal from DFP to make a Statutory Rule under the Rates (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009.
The Committee was briefed on the proposal by Brian McClure, Head of Rating Policy Division, DFP.
Agreed: that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered DFP’s proposal for subordinate legislation under the Rates (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 and is content with the policy implications of the proposed legislation at this stage.
7. DFP’s Responsibilities in the Executive’s Response to the Barroso Taskforce Report
Members considered and agreed to DFP’s request to postpone the scheduled briefing.
Members noted a written submission from DFP detailing the Department’s responsibilities in the Executive’s Response to the Barroso Taskforce Report and considered a draft Committee response to COFMDFM.
Agreed: that the response will be forwarded to COFMDFM and that the Official Report of the rescheduled evidence from DFP will subsequently be sent to COFMDFM for information.
8. Correspondence
The Committee noted the following correspondence:
- DFP: Response on Post Project Evaluations (PPEs);
Agreed: that regular updates on progress on clearing outstanding PPEs will be requested from DFP and that the most recent correspondence with the Department will be copied to the Public Accounts Committee and to the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) for information;
Mr Paisley Jnr left the meeting at 12.27 pm. - Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Submission to the Committee’s Inquiry into Public Procurement Policy and Practice in Northern Ireland;
- DFP: Proposed Timetable for the Rates Amendment Bill;
Agreed: that, given the DFP request for the Bill to be processed as speedily as possible and in view of the amount of public consultation already on the proposals in the Bill and the fact that it will comprise mainly enabling powers, the Committee’s public consultation on the Bill would be restricted to four weeks. The Committee will then consider the responses received before deciding on whether to propose an extension of the Committee Stage of the Bill; - Committee on Procedures: Inquiry into Legislation Consent;
Agreed: that a response will be drafted for consideration at next week’s meeting;
- Committee for Social Development: February 2009 Monitoring Round;
Agreed: that the correspondence will be forwarded to the Minister of Finance and Personnel as requested; - DFP: Response on the Implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS);
Members considered a draft response to the Audit Committee on the Implementation of IFRS;
Agreed: that the response will issue to the Audit Committee; - DFP: Response to Audit Committee on the Appointment of Auditors to the NIAO;
- Treasury Select Committee: Visit to Belfast on 2 March 2009 on its Inquiry into the Banking Crisis;
Agreed: that further details will be considered at next week’s meeting; - DFP: Response to Audit Committee on IFRS.
9. Committee Work Programme
Members considered the current draft of the Committee work programme until summer recess.
Agreed: that DFP will be asked to include the original objectives and expected benefits for HR Connect in its written submission to be received in advance of next week’s briefing.
Members considered a request from DFP for a copy of the submission on HR Connect due to be received by the Committee from the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) in advance of next week’s briefing.
Agreed: that the NIPSA submission on HR Connect will be copied to DFP in advance of next week’s briefing.
Members noted that a seminar on public procurement will be held in Maastricht on 20 - 21 April 2009 and that the focus of the seminar was of direct relevance to the current Committee Inquiry into Public Procurement Policy and Practice in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: that the Committee will meet the costs for a representative from Assembly Research to attend the seminar and report back to the Committee, to inform members’ deliberations on the Inquiry.
Members noted that DFP officials had previously briefed the Committee on the way forward for improving data security in the public sector in September 2008 and had agreed to brief the Committee again, prior to the publication of a second report in November 2008, which has yet to be published.
Agreed: that the Committee will write to DFP, seeking an explanation for the delay in the publication of the second report on data security and requesting a briefing as soon as possible.
Members noted that, when DFP officials gave evidence to the Committee in October 2008, they had stated their intention to begin a programme of rolling budget baseline reviews, with the aim of subjecting all departmental expenditure to a zero-based analysis over three to five years. The Committee had highlighted the importance of this programme in its submission to the Executive’s Strategic Stocktake.
Agreed: that information will be requested from DFP on progress to date and future plans for the baseline reviews of departmental budgets.
Agreed: that the current draft of the programme will be published on the Assembly website.
10. Any Other Business
None.
11. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 25 February 2009 at 10.00 am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson reminded members of the concurrent meeting with the Committee for Regional Development which would follow at 1.30 pm in the Senate Chamber
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.40 pm.