Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 2010
ROOM 135, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Ms Jennifer McCann MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Peter Weir MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Dr Stephen Farry MLA
Mr Simon Hamilton MLA
Mr Fra McCann MLA
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin MLA
Mr Declan O’Loan MLA
Ms Dawn Purvis MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Shane McAteer (Assembly Clerk)
Miss Karen Jardine (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Kathy O’Hanlon (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr David McKee (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Kevin Marks (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr David McNarry MLA

The meeting commenced at 10.07 am in open session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

Agreed: that the evidence sessions from Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) officials at agenda items 4 and 5 respectively, will be recorded by Hansard, and the Official Report published on the website.

2. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of 11 February 2010

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 recording of the evidence session with DFP officials on Green Rates Rebates, held on Wednesday 10 February, had failed and, as such, a Hansard transcript was not produced.

4. Strategic Financial Issues (DFP Briefing)

The Committee took evidence from the following DFP officials: Mr Michael Daly, Head of Central Expenditure Division, Central Finance Group; and Mr Paul Montgomery, Central Expenditure Division, Central Finance Group.

The session was recorded by Hansard.

Mr Weir left the meeting at 10.17am.
Mr Weir returned to the meeting at 10.19am.
Mr Hamilton joined the meeting at 10.24am.
Dr Farry joined the meeting at 10.49am.

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

5. Land and Property Services – Implications of Revised 2010-11 Spending Plans

The Committee took evidence from the following LPS officials: Mr John Wilkinson, Chief Executive; Mr Iain Greenway, Director of Operations; and Mr Stephen Boyd, Director of Finance and Corporate Support.

Dr Farry declared an interest as a member of North Down Borough Council.

Mr O’Loan declared an interest as a member of Ballymena Borough Council.
Mr O’Loan left the meeting at 11.00am.
Mr O’Loan returned to the meeting at 11.14am.
Mr Hamilton left the meeting at 11.22am.
Mr Hamilton returned to the meeting at 11.24am.
Mr Weir left the meeting at 11.35am.
Mr Weir returned to the meeting at 11.37am.
Mr McLaughlin left the meeting at 11.55am.
Mr McLaughlin left the meeting at 11.57am.

The session was recorded by Hansard.

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

6. Consideration of Statutory Committee Responses to the Review of 2010-11 Spending Plans

The Committee considered responses from the other statutory committees to the Review of 2010-11 Spending Plans. Members also noted concerns raised at the Chairpersons’ Liaison Group about the difficulties committees experienced in obtaining appropriate and detailed information from Departments, in relation to their Review of 2010-11 Spending Plans.

Agreed: to forward the responses from the other statutory committees to DFP in advance of the Committee’s co-ordinated report being prepared.

Agreed: to include the responses from the statutory committees in the Report on the Review of 2010-11 Spending Plans; and to include a section on strategic and cross-cutting issues within the Report.

Agreed: to schedule a short meeting on Monday 1 March to formally agree the Committee Report on the Review of 2010-11 Spending Plans to meet the Minister’s request that the Committee report be completed as close to the end of February as possible.

7. Subordinate Legislation

Mr O’Loan left the meeting at 12.20pm.
Ms Purvis left the meeting at 12.23pm.

(i) The Committee considered SR 2010 No.11 Land Registry (Fees) Order (NI) 2010 and the accompanying explanatory memorandum, which had been laid in the Business Office by DFP. Members noted the Tenth 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 SR 2010 No.11 Land Registry (Fees) Order (NI) 2010 and recommends that it be affirmed by the Assembly.

(ii) The Committee considered SR 2010 No.17 The Rates (Exemption for Automated Telling Machines in Rural Areas) Order (NI) 2010 and the accompanying explanatory memorandum, which had been laid in the Business Office by DFP. Members noted the Tenth 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 SR 2010 No.17 The Rates (Exemption for Automated Telling Machines in Rural Areas) Order (NI) 2010 and recommends that it be affirmed by the Assembly.

(iii) The Committee considered SR 2010 No.18 The Rates (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2010 and the accompanying explanatory memorandum, which had been laid in the Business Office by DFP. Members noted the Tenth 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 SR 2010 No.18 The Rates (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2010, and has no objection to the Rule.

8. Assembly Research Briefing: Systems Thinking and Public Sector Efficiencies

The Committee received a briefing on the Assembly Research Paper Systems Thinking and Public Sector Efficiencies.

Agreed: the Committee will forward the Assembly Research Paper to PEDU and the Minister for Finance and Personnel for a response on the issues raised, with the possibility of a follow-up evidence session.

Agreed: the Research Paper will be included in the Appendices of the Committee’s Report on the Review of Spending Plans 2010-11.

9. Proposed Review of Senior Civil Servants’ Pay: Draft Terms of Reference

Members considered correspondence from the Minister for Finance and Personnel on the draft Terms of Reference for the proposed review of Senior Civil Servants’ Pay.

Agreed: to write to the Minister requesting that the proposed review incorporates a final ‘independent oversight’ stage.

10. Correspondence

The Committee noted the following correspondence:

11. Committee Work Programme

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

12. Any Other Business

Members noted that, at the request of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee the Chairperson will be meeting with Pat Colgan, Chief Executive of the Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB) along with the Deputy Chairperson and the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the ETI Committee on Monday 22 February 2010 to discuss the INTERREG IVA Programme.

The Committee noted that the debate on the Report of the Committee’s Inquiry into Public Procurement Policy and Practice will be debated in plenary on Tuesday 23 February 2010.

Agreed: that embargoed copies of the report will be issued to relevant press contacts prior to the plenary debate.

Members noted the launch of a report ‘The Case for a Reduced Rate of Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland’ by the Northern Ireland Economic Reform Group.

Agreed: that the issue of Corporation Tax will be considered in detail by the Committee at a future meeting .

13. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 24 February 2010 at 10.00 am in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.48pm.

Jennifer McCann, Chairperson,
Committee for Finance and Personnel.
24 February 2010

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