1. Minutes of Proceedings
2. Matters Arising
3. Consider Any Bills
4. Consider Any Statutory Rules
5. Programme for Government
6. DFP Budget
7. Any Other Business
8. Date of Next Meeting

Present: Mr Francie Molloy (Chairman)
Mr Seamus Close
Mr Nigel Dodds
Mr Derek Hussey
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Peter Robinson
Mr Peter Weir

Apologies: Apologies were received from Mr James Leslie and Mr Billy Bell.

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

1.1 Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Proceedings for 19 and 24 October 2000.

2.1 The Clerk informed the Committee that a letter had been sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer seeking a reply to the Chairman's letter of 20 September.

2.2 The Clerk informed the Committee of the outcome of the letter of 12 October to the Chairman, Assembly Commission on the need for additional staffing to assist the Committee in the preparation for the Budget Debate and Report. Mr Close asked for the Minutes to record that no staffing resources were available.

3.1 Deliberation on the Ground Rents Bill was postponed until 16 November 2000.

3.2 Officials from the Department of Finance and Personnel briefed the Committee on the principles of resource accounting and budgeting and the purpose of the Government Resources and Accounts Bill.

3.3 Resolved: That the Department would provide the Committee with an example of the 'dry-run' that it has undertaken for resource budgeting and an example of the resource accounting when it becomes available.

3.4 Resolved: That a presentation on the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General under the Government Resources and Accounts Bill be arranged.

4.1 The Committee deliberated on the Compulsory Registration of Title Order (Northern Ireland) 2000.

4.2 Resolved: That the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered the Compulsory Registration of Title Order (Northern Ireland) 2000 and has no objection to the Order.

5.1 The Committee deliberated on the responsibilities and priorities of the Department of Finance and Personnel and the role of the Committee with regard to the draft Programme for Government. Departmental priorities considered were Civil Service accommodation and job dispersal, public sector procurement, equality, and modernising public administration.

5.2 Resolved: That the Committee would consider its response to the Executive Committee at a later date and following the debate on the draft Programme.

6.1 The Committee deliberated on the draft Department of Finance and Personnel Budget allocation for 2001/02 and the Substantive 'take note' Debate on the Budget on 14 November.

6.2 Resolved: That the Clerk should write to the Department of Finance and Personnel to seek information on: the effect of the shortfall in the allocation against the bids made e.g. what objectives may not now be achieved with regard to accommodation and job dispersal? The rise in the allocation for the North/South Body: Special EU Programmes from £0.3M to £0.6M and any requirement for matching funding. The Regional Rate and any linkage of the 8% increase in the Regional Rate to the funding of certain Water Service based projects. And the reason for deciding that 8% was the appropriate increase for the incoming financial year.

7.1 The Committee deliberated on the timetable for handling the Committee Stage of the Government Resources and Accounts Bill, the Defective Premises Bill and the Family Law Bill. The Committee considered that it did not have an intrinsic interest in the Family Law Bill and that the subject matter related most closely to the work of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

7.2 Resolved: That motions be made to extend the Committee Stages of the Government Resources and Accounts Bill to 2 March 2001 and the Defective Premises Bill to 27 April 2001. And that the Chairman should write to the Chairman, Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety to seek his Committee's views on adopting the Family Law Bill.

8.1 Resolved: That the Committee would meet on Thursday, 16 November at 2.00 p.m. in Committee Room 135 to continue scrutiny of the Ground Rents Bill.