COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY,
25 NOVEMBER 2009
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Peter Weir MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Simon Hamilton MLA
Mitchel McLaughlin MLA
David McNarry MLA
Declan O’Loan MLA
Ian Paisley Jr MLA
Fra McCann MLA
Dawn Purvis MLA
In Attendance:
Shane McAteer (Assembly Clerk)
Karen Jardine (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Kathy O’Hanlon (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
David McKee (Clerical Supervisor)
Kevin Marks (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Jennifer McCann MLA (Chairperson)
Dr Stephen Farry MLA
Adrian McQuillan MLA
As notification had been received that the Chairperson would be absent, the Deputy Chairperson took the Chair and commenced the meeting at 10.10 am in open session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
Agreed: that, in line with normal convention for considering draft reports relating to Committee inquiries, the Committee will consider the draft report on the Public Procurement Stakeholder Conference in closed session.
Agreed: that the evidence sessions from Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) officials on public procurement and on rating issues will be recorded by Hansard, and the Official Report published on the website.
The Deputy Chairperson advised the Committee that he would be temporarily absent from the meeting and Members agreed to appoint a temporary chair for that time.
It was proposed by Mr McCann and seconded by Mr McNarry that Mr McLaughlin takes the chair during the temporary absence of the Deputy Chairperson.
Agreed: that Mr McLaughlin will take the chair of today’s meeting during the temporary absence of the Deputy Chairperson.
2. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of 18 November 2009
Agreed: that the minutes be published on the Assembly website.
3. Matters Arising
The Committee noted the composite request for information from DFP which provided an update on any matters arising not covered elsewhere on the agenda.
Members noted that the Chairperson has written to the Minister requesting an update on the completion of the DFP reviews of the Monitoring Round process and the Executive’s Budget process.
Mr Hamilton joined the meeting at 10.14am.
The Committee moved into closed session at 10.14am.
4. Public Procurement Policy and Practice in Northern Ireland: Draft Report on Public Procurement Stakeholder Conference
Members considered the draft report on the Public Procurement Stakeholder Conference, prepared by the Conference Facilitator. Members also noted a Secretariat Paper on the benefits and lessons learned from the Conference process.
The Committee also considered a paper tabled by Dr Farry, in his absence, on issues in relation to the Inquiry, including the use of social clauses in public procurement contracts.
Agreed: that the report on the Stakeholder Conference will form part of the evidence base for the Committee’s Inquiry and will be published as an appendix to the final Inquiry Report.
Agreed: that the issues raised in Dr Farry’s paper, alongside other issues arising from the Inquiry to date, will be considered more fully during consideration of the initial draft Inquiry Report.
Agreed: that the report on the Stakeholder Conference is forwarded to Dr Aris Georgopoulos, University of Nottingham and Professor Chris McCrudden, University of Oxford for comment in order to inform the Committee Inquiry Report.
The Committee moved into open session at 10.26am
5. Assembly Research Briefing on Local Government Procurement
The Committee considered a paper by Assembly Research on Local Government Procurement. Members also noted a written submission from the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) to the Committee Inquiry into Public Procurement.
Mr McNarry left the meeting at 10.30am.
Ms Purvis joined the meeting at 10.38am.
Agreed: that Assembly Research will provide further information as requested by the Committee, including details of local government procurement spend.
Agreed: that the Committee will forward the Assembly Research Paper on Local Government Procurement to the Committee for the Environment and NILGA for information.
Agreed: that the Assembly Research Paper on Local Government Procurement and the submission from NILGA will be added to the Inquiry evidence base.
6. Public Procurement Policy and Practice in Northern Ireland: Evidence from Central Procurement Directorate & Procurement Board
The Committee took evidence from the following officials from DFP’s Central Procurement Directorate (CPD): Des Armstrong, Director, CPD, and member of the Procurement Board ; Aileen Edmund, CPD and Stewart Heaney, Divisional Director, Construction and Advisory Division, CPD.
The session was recorded by Hansard.
Mr Weir left the meeting at 10.34am.
Mr McLaughlin took the chair at 10.34am.
Mr Paisley Jr left the meeting at 11.02am.
Mr O’Loan left the meeting at 11.24am.
Mr O’Loan returned to the meeting at 11.28am.
Agreed: that CPD officials will provide further information as requested by the Committee including annual procurement plans for departments and sustainable development plans for CPD and the other CoPEs.
Agreed: that the Committee will write to CPD officials requesting a response to further questions arising from this evidence session.
7. Rating Issues: DFP Evidence Session
The Committee took evidence on rating issues including Small Business Rate Reliefs, Rural ATMs and take up of other rate reliefs, from the following DFP officials:Brian McClure, Head of Rating Policy Division and Patrick Neeson, Rating Policy Division. The session was recorded by Hansard.
Mr McNarry returned to the meeting at 11.40am.
Mr McCann left the meeting at 11.45am.
Agreed: that the Committee is content for the rates exemption for ATMs in rural areas to continue.
Mr Paisley Jr. returned to the meeting at 12.04pm.
Mr Weir returned to the meeting at 12.11pm
Mr Weir took the chair at 12.11pm.
Mr Hamilton left the meeting at 12.16pm.
Mr McLaughlin left the meeting at 12.24pm.
Mr McLaughlin returned to the meeting at 12.25pm.
Mr Hamilton returned to the meeting at 12.33pm.
Mr Paisley Jr left the meeting at 12.36pm.
Agreed: that the DFP officials will provide further information as requested by the Committee during the evidence session, including the Inter-Departmental Working Group minutes on benefit take up; information on when small businesses will be notified for rate reliefs; and, clarification on the continued use of the term ‘Disabled Persons Allowance’.
8. Efficiency Savings (Written evidence from Professor Midwinter)
Members considered a written submission from Professor Arthur Midwinter, University of Edinburgh, to the Committee’s current investigation into departmental efficiency savings.
Agreed: that, once completed, a copy of the report arising from this investigation is forwarded to the other statutory committees in addition to DFP.
9. Correspondence
The Committee noted the following correspondence
- DFP: Follow up to Multiple Deprivation session on 4 November 2009;
- DFP: Response to INTERREG IVA query;
- DFP: Special EU Programmes Body;
- DFP: Place Names Project Response;
Agreed: that the correspondence is copied to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure for information.
- DFP: Completed procurement templates from NI Housing Executive, Health Estates and the Education and Library Boards;
- Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment: NI Manufacturing briefing;
- NI Ombudsman: Invite to 40 th anniversary celebration in Dunadry Hotel;
- University of Ulster : Invite to Seminar on “Cameron and Ideology”;
- NI Lottery Forum: Invite to Chair to event in Ulster Museum;
- Northern Ireland Office staff: Equal Pay query;
Agreed: that the correspondence will be copied to DFP for comment and clarification on the position of Northern Ireland Civil Service secondees to the Northern Ireland Office.
- DFP: Research report into the Penny Product Process;
Agreed: that the Committee will request an update from DFP on the steps being taken to improve the quality and timeliness of information gathered.
- Public Accounts Committee: Post Project Evaluation;
- Sellafield Ltd: UK Supply Chain Ombudsman
Agreed: that the correspondence is included in the Procurement Inquiry evidence base.
- DFP: Forecast Outturn Reports November 2009;
Agreed: that the Committee will request fuller information from DFP, including budget baselines, for comparative and monitoring purposes.
- DFP: Equal Pay Update.
10. Committee Work Programme
Members considered the current draft of the Committee work programme until February 2010.
Agreed: that the current draft of the work programme be published on the Assembly website.
11. Any Other Business
Members noted correspondence that had been received from the Stakeholder group.
Agreed: that the correspondence from Stakeholder will be considered at the meeting on 2 December 2009.
12. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 02 December 2009 at 10.00am in Room 135.
The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.54 pm.