COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Twenty Fourth Meeting
Tuesday, 10 October 2000
Room 144, Parliament Buildings
1. Minutes of Proceedings
2. Minutes of Evidence
3. Matters Arising
4. Consider Any Bills
5. Correspondence
6. Any Other Business
7. Date of Next Meeting
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Present: |
Mr Francie Molloy (Chairman) Mr James Leslie (Deputy Chairman) Mr Billy Bell Mr Seamus Close Mr Nigel Dodds Mr Peter Weir |
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Apologies: |
Mr Derek Hussey |
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In attendence: |
Mr Martin Wilson (Committee Clerk) |
The Chairman declared the meeting open at 2.00 pm. The meeting was held in public session.
Mr Dodds attended from 2.50 pm.
Mr Hussey left the meeting at 3.00 pm.
The Chairman declared the meeting closed at 4.20 pm.
1. Minutes of Proceedings
1.1 Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Proceedings for 3 October 2000.
top2. Minutes of Evidence
2.1 Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Evidence for the Ground Rents Bill for 19 September 2000.
top3. Matters arising:
3.1 Meeting with Speaker - Financial Planning Procedures
3.1.1 The Committee deliberated on the outcome of the meeting of 3 October on arrangements for handling the 2001/02 Budget Proposals between the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, and the Speaker and Minister of Finance and Personnel. Members expressed concern at the difficulties that statutory committees faced, such as the late introduction of the Budget into the Assembly and the effect of the autumn recess, in attempting to undertake a full and effective scrutiny of the Budget Proposals in the time being allowed for approval of the Budget by 11 December 2000.
3.1.2 Resolved: The Committee agreed that the Chairman should write immediately to The Speaker to inform him that the Committee would not request responses from other statutory committees nor attempt to prepare a report on the 2001/02 Budget unless there was adequate time to undertake a proper scrutiny of the proposals.
3.2 Public access to Committee meetings
3.2.1 The Committee noted that as of 3 October 16 meetings had been open to the public for all or part of the meeting and 7 meetings had been closed to the public. And that all of the meetings on the Ground Rents Bill had been open to the public.
top4. Consider any Bills: Committee Stage of Ground Rents Bill (NIA Bill 6/99) (cont'd)
4.1 The Committee deliberated on the Ground Rents Bill.
4.2 Resolved: The Committee agreed to seek clarification from the Office of Law Reform on a number of issues related to Clauses 13 to 16.
top5. Correspondence
5.1 The following correspondence was tabled for members' information: a letter dated 28 September from the Department of Finance and Personnel on its New TSN Action Plan. A letter dated 29 September from the Minister of Finance and Personnel on the National Fraud Initiative. A letter dated 5 October from the Minister of Finance and Personnel on the Government Resources and Accounts Bill. A DFP press notice of 6 October on the Review of Deprivation Indicators.
top6. Any other business:
6.1 Scheduling of Committee Stage of Bills
6.1.1 The Committee deliberated on the scheduling of forthcoming Bills, namely the Resource Accounting and Budgeting Bill, the Defective Premises (Landlords' Liability) Bill and the Family Law Bill. And the need to prioritise Bills before they reach the Committee Stage.
6.2.1 Resolved: The Committee agreed that the Chairman should write to the Minister of Finance and Personnel on the timing of the Second Stage of the Resource Accounting and Budgeting Bill, the Defective Premises (Landlords' Liabilities) Bill, and the Family Law Bill to seek his views on the priority to be attached to these Bills.
top7. Date of next meeting
7.1 Resolved: The Committee agreed to meet on Thursday, 12 October at 2.00 pm when the main item of business would be the Ground Rents Bill.
topFRANCIE MOLLOY
Chairman
3 October 2000/ Menu / 19 October 2000