COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
SIXTY SIXTH MEETING
TUESDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER, 2001
COMMITTEE ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr James Leslie (Deputy Chairman)
Mr Alex Attwood
Mr Billy Bell
Mr Seamus Close
Mr Nigel Dodds MP
Ms Patricia Lewsley
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Peter Weir
In attendance:
Mr Alan Patterson (Principal Clerk)
Mr Peter Hughes (Clerk)
Ms Sheila Mc Clelland (Clerk)
Ms Sharon Bowman (Executive Support)
Mr Jonathan Briggs (Administrative Support)
The Chairman declared the meeting open at 2.36p.m.. The meeting was held in open session
1. Apologies
1.1. Francie Molloy.
2. Minutes of Proceedings
2.1. Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Proceedings of 11 September 2001.
Patricia Lewsley attended the meeting at 2.40pm
3. Matters arising
3.1. The Committee noted the letter sent to the Minister regarding the representation on the Financial Report Advisory Board and the Minister's recent response.
3.2. The Committee noted the letter sent to the Minister about Land Registers NI.
3.3. The Committee noted the letter sent to the Minister on Public Private Partnership and the response from the Minister. The Committee Office was asked to seek further clarification on the Minister's letter about when DFP are informed of PPP contracts being entered into by Departments.
3.4. The Committee noted the referral of the CBI letter on Derating to the Rating Policy Review Team.
3.5. The Committee noted the referral of the Pricewaterhouse Coopers letter to Transport 2000 for comment.
Seamus Close left the meeting at 2.46pm
3.6. The Committee considered the options for response to the consultation document on Physical Punishment of Children in the Home which was recently issued with a deadline to complete consultation by end of January 2002. The Committee agreed that they would invite the Office of Law Reform to provide an update on the consultation process in early January 2002.
4. Draft Budget
4.1. The Minister for Finance and Personnel and officials attended the meeting, made a presentation and took questions on:-
- the relationship between the draft budget and the PfG;
- DFP's own departmental budget; and
- The role and timing of the Finance and Personnel Committee in the Budget exercise.
Nigel Dodds left the meeting at 3.13pm.
Alex Attwood attended the meeting at 3.14pm..
The Committee established that the Committee's Report on the Draft Budget needed to be issued by 9 November 2001 to allow the Minister adequate time to fully consider the concerns and issues highlighted.
Alex Attwood left the meeting at 3.35pm
Patricia Lewsley left the meeting 3.43pm
5. Deeds and Escrows
5.1. Claire Irvine, Secretary to the Law Reform Advisory Committee appeared before the Committee and gave an outline briefing on the consultation currently underway on the potential review of Deeds and Escrows. The members questioned Ms Irvine on the implications of the review.
5.2. Resolved: The Committee agreed that they should respond to the consultation thanking LRAC for their inclusion in the process and requesting that they be further updated on completion of the consultation.
6. Victims Strategy Consultation Paper
6.1. The Committee noted receipt of the Victims Strategy Consultation paper and the Clerk briefed the Members on the areas of interest to the Committee.
6.2. Resolved: The Committee agreed that they would provide a minimum response to the consultation process stating that the policy area did not fall within their remit as a Committee but that they would expect to be informed of transparent and effective financial accountability arrangements.
7. Commissioner for Children Consultation Paper
7.1. The Committee noted receipt of the consultation paper on the Commissioner for Children and the Clerk briefed the Member on the areas of interest to the Committee
7.2. Resolved: The Committee agreed they would respond to the consultation process identifying that given the cross-Departmental remit of the proposed Commissioner the only area of interest to them was the requirement to ensure that transparent financial arrangements were put in place.
8. Statistics Advisory Committee
8.1. Departmental official, Edgar Jardine, briefed the Committee on the background to the Statistics Advisory Committee and the intention to reconstitute the Committee. The members questioned Mr Edgar on the breadth and balance of the membership.
8.2. Resolved: The Committee agreed to recommend that a representative of the Federation of Small Businesses should be invited as a member of the reconstituted committee.
9. Correspondence
9.1. The Committee noted that a letter had been issued from the Clerk to the Department on the Census results. The Committee were informed that the timetable for issuing the results had been provided and would be tabled for information at the next meeting.
9.2. The Committee noted receipt of the Report of the Procurement Review Implementation Team and was informed that the item would be tabled for full consideration at the next meeting.
9.3. The Committee noted the letter from the Chairman of the Committee for Employment and Learning.
9.4. The Committee noted the letter from the Minister on the imminent launch of the consultation in respect of Audit and Accountability and were informed that the item would be further considered at the next meeting.
9.5. The Committee noted the letter from OLR re Physical Punishment of Children and were informed that it directly cross-referenced with the previous agenda item at which a resolution had been agreed.
9.6. The Committee noted the letter received from the Minister on Building Sustainable Prosperity.
10. Date of next meeting
10.1. The Committee agreed the next meeting as Tuesday, 2 October 2001.
The Deputy Chairman declared the meeting closed at 4.38 p.m.
Francie Molloy
Chairman