Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thirteenth Meeting Wednesday, 14 June 2000
Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings

1. Minutes of Proceedings
2. Matters Arising
3. Subordinate Legislation
4. Pensions Scheme
5. Allowances to Members and Office Holders Bill
6. Briefing on European Union Structural Fundsl
7. Consider Any Statutory Rules
8. Consider Any Bills
9. Correspondence
10. Any Other Business
11. Date of Next Meeting

Present:

Mr Francie Molloy (Chairman)
Mr James Leslie (Deputy Chairman)
Mr Alex Attwood
Mr William Bell
Mr Seamus Close
Mr Oliver Gibson
Mr Derek Hussey
Mr Gardiner Kane
Mr Alex Maskey

Apologies:

Mr Donovan McClelland

In attendence:

Mr Martin Wilson (Committee Clerk)
Mr Peter Hughes (Assistant Clerk)
Ms Sharon Bowman (Administrative Support)

The Chairman declared the meeting open at 2.00 pm. The meeting was held in closed session except for the item on the European Union Structure Fund, which was opened to the public.

Minutes of Proceedings

1.1. Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Proceedings for 7 June 2000.

top

Matters Arising

1.2. Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Third Report - the NIO 2000 Departmental Report

1.2.1. Resolved: The Committee agreed to consider this matter at a later date.

top

1.3. Subordinate Legislation

1.3.1.

  • Resolved: The Committee agreed to consider this matter at a later date. top

    1.4. Pensions Scheme

    1.4.1. The Committee deliberated on a letter of 14 June from the Assembly Commission on the Assembly Members Pension's Scheme.

    1.4.2. Resolved: The Committee agreed that the services of a specialist advisor on the Assembly Members' Pensions Bill were not longer required.

    top

    1.5. Allowances to Members and Office Holders Bill

    1.5.1. The Committee deliberated on the handling of the Consideration Stage of the Bill.

    The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 2.30 pm.

    top

    Briefing on European Union Structural Funds

    1.6. Mr Mark Durkan, Minister of Finance and Personnel and officials, and Herr Manfred Beschel, European Commission appeared before the Committee. The Committee deliberated on the use of European Structural Funds, the key principles of the Transitional Objective I and Peace II Programmes, and the development of the Community Support Framework for 2000-2006.

    1.6.1. Resolved: The Committee requested written details from the Department on the funding that would be available under the EU Structural Funds.

    The Chairman declared the meeting closed to the public at 4.10 pm.

    top

    Consider any Statutory Rules

    1.7. No statutory rules were tabled.

    Consider any Bills

    top

    1.8. Ground Rents Bill

    1.8.1. Resolved: The Committee agreed, subject to the timing of the start of the Committee Stage, to invite the sponsors of the Bill to speak to the Committee before the summer recess.

    top

    Correspondence

    1.9. North/South Ministerial Council

    1.9.1. The Committee deliberated on a letter of 14 June from the Minister of Finance and Personnel to the Chairman on a meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council on 16 June.

    1.9.2. Resolved: The Chairman would inform the Committee of the method of nominating accompanying Ministers to attend Council meetings.

    1.9.3. Year End Flexibility

    1.9.4. The Committee deliberated on a letter of 13 June from the Minister of Finance and Personnel to the Chairman, and a letter of 13 June from the Chairman to other Committee Chairpersons on priorities for Year End Flexibility monies.

    • 1.9.5. Resolved: A response to the Minister would be agreed at the Committee meeting on 21 June.

    top

    Any Other Business

    1.10. DFP Equality Scheme

    1.10.1. Resolved: The Committee agreed that the Chairman should write to the Minister of Finance and Personnel to request that the Department's Equality Scheme document should be submitted to the Committee for consideration prior to submission to the Equality Commission.

    1.10.2. Invitations from other Departmental Committees to Minister and officials, Department of Finance and Personnel

    1.10.3. The Committee deliberated on how requests from other Departmental Committees for the Minister and officials, Department of Finance and Personnel to appear before those Committees, or provide information to them should be handled.

    1.10.4. Resolved: The Committee agreed that, in response to requests from other Departmental Committees, agencies of the Department of Finance and Personnel (with particular reference to the Office of Law Reform) could appear before, or provide information to any such Committee when the matter was of direct relevance to the work of that Committee. The relevant Committee should inform this Committee that any such request was to be made.

    1.10.5. Requests for the Minister and/or his officials to appear before, or provide information to another Committee should be directed to this Committee in the first instance for consideration. The Chairman agreed to raise this matter with the proposed liaison Committee.

    p top

    Date of Next Meeting

    1.11. Resolved: The Committee agreed to meet on Wednesday, 21 June at 2.00 pm to consider the draft Equality Scheme for the Department of Finance and Personnel.

    top

    The Chairman declared the meeting closed at 4.20 pm.


    07 June 2000/ Menu / 21 June 2000