1. Welcome
2. Minutes of Proceedings
3. Minutes of Evidence
4. Matters Arising
5. Department of Finance and Personnel Input to Programme of Government
6. Department of Finance and Personnel 2001/02 Budget Requirements
7. Correspondence
8. Any Other Business
9. Date of Next Meeting

1.1 The Chairman welcomed Mr Nigel Dodds and Mr Peter Robinson MP on their appointment on 2 October 2000 as members of the Committee. They replaced Mr Gardiner Kane and Mr Oliver Gibson.

2.1 Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Proceedings for 26 September 2000.

3.1 Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Evidence for the Ground Rents Bill for 7 and 12 September 2000, subject to the following amendment to the Minutes of Evidence of 12 September: Page 38, penultimate line, insert 'clause' before 'is'.

4.1.1 The Committee noted the Committee's Business Programme for October.

4.2.1 The Committee deliberated on the response of 2 October 2000 from the Minister of Finance and Personnel to a letter of 27 September from the Chairman on the timetable for consideration of the Budget for 2001/02. The Committee agreed that the timing of the various stages of the Budget needed to ensure that Statutory Committees were able to allocate sufficient time to proper scrutiny of the Budget.

4.2.2 Resolved: That the Chairman and Deputy Chairman would meet with the Speaker and Minister to consider the best way forward. The Chairman and Deputy Chairman would bring the Committee's concerns to the attention of the Speaker.

5.1 The Minister of Finance and Personnel, supported by officials, appeared before the Committee and was questioned on his Department's contribution to the Programme for Government. He was asked about a number of issues such as the need to review public administration and its costs, government accommodation and the dispersal of jobs, human resources framework, law reform, and resource accounting and budgeting.

6.1 The Minister of Finance and Personnel, supported by officials, appeared before the Committee and was questioned on his Department's bids for the 2001/02 Budget. He was asked about the impact of devolution on the Department's budget and the reasons for a Northern Ireland Spending Review 2000 bid totalling £12.282 million. The Committee sought further information on the Department's budgetary requirements and the costs of devolution.

6.2 Resolved: The Minister agreed to provide the Committee with more detailed figures on the 2001/02 Budget and on the costs of devolution.

7.1 The following correspondence was tabled for members' information: a letter dated 27 September from the Chairman to the Minister of Finance and Personnel on the Department's Budget and Programme for Government. A paper dated 22 September from Intermediary Funding Bodies and Sectoral Partners on the Peace 2 Programme. A minute dated 27 September from the Clerk of Business on The Speaker's Rulings. A letter dated 28 September from the Clerk to Registrar of Titles on Draft Compulsory Registration of Titles (NI) Order 2000. A letter dated 28 September from the Clerk to Belfast European Partnership Board on Peace 2 Presentation. A minute dated 18 September from the DFP Liaison Officer to the Clerk on the Report 'Minority Ethnic People's Experience of Education, Training and Employment.

8.1.1 The Committee considered this item under Matters arising: Budget Timetable.

8.2.1 The Committee deliberated on recent media reporting on open access to Committee meetings. The Chairman noted that he had previously made it a matter of best practice that each formal meeting of the Committee should be open unless there was a clear reason why it should be closed to the public.

8.2.2 Resolved: The Committee agreed that Minutes of Evidence should be published on the Internet as soon as they were formally agreed and that information on the number of meetings held in open session would be considered at the next meeting.

9.1 Resolved: The Committee agreed to meet on Tuesday, 10 October at 2.00 pm when the main items of business would be the Ground Rents Bill and a presentation on the Review of Deprivation Indicators.