COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
SEVENTY FOURTH MEETING
TUESDAY, 27 NOVEMBER, 2001
COMMITTEE ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Mr Francie Molloy (Chairman)
Mr James Leslie (Deputy Chairman)
Mr Seamus Close
Mr Derek Hussey
Ms Patricia Lewsley
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Maurice Morrow
Mr Peter Weir
In attendance:Mr Alan Patterson (Principal Clerk)
Mr Peter Hughes (Clerk)
Ms Sheila Mc Clelland (Clerk)
Mr Joe Sloan (Assistant Clerk)
Ms Sharon Bowman (Executive Support
Mr Jonathan Briggs (Administrative Support)
The Chairman declared the meeting open at 2.32.p.m. The meeting was held in open session
1. Apologies.
1.1 Mr Billy Bell and Mr Roger Hutchinson
2. Minutes of Proceedings.
2.1 Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Proceedings of 20 November 2001.
3. Matters arising.
3.1 The Committee noted the letter issued to the Department requesting timetables for the objectives in the Department's New Targeting Social Need (TSN) Action Plan. The Committee were advised that a revised Action Plan would not be available until week commencing 10 December 2001.
3.2 The Committee noted the response from the DETI Committee on Renewable Energy.
Mr Leslie attended the meeting at 2.36 p.m.. Mr Hussey attended at 2.38 p.m.. Mr Close left the meeting at 2.43 p.m.
4. 4. Peace II Allocations.
4.1 The Committee was briefed by Mrs Lucia Wilson of the Assembly's Research and Library Services on the paper prepared for the Committee on Peace II allocations to Local Strategy Partnerships (LSPs).
Mr Close returned to the meeting at 2.55 p.m. and Mr Maskey attended the meeting at 3.05 p.m.
4.2 Departmental officials Dr Andrew McCormick, Mr Leo O'Reilly, Mr Martin Tyrell and Mr Robert Beatty attended the meeting and briefed the Committee on the proposed allocations under Priority 3 of Peace II to the Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs).
4.3 The officials answered questions from the Committee on the rationale for the allocation formula produced by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) for allocations to the LSPs, the validity of the 1999 data used in the formula and on how New TSN and Equality issues were addressed in urban and rural areas.
Mr Weir left the meeting at 3.46 p.m.
4.4 The officials advised the Committee that mechanisms would be in place to review spending by LSPs and to reallocate funds if necessary, some work was ongoing to investigate the possibility of centralising some administration functions required to be undertaken by Local Strategy Partnerships so that administration costs could be reduced and expertise centralised.
4.5 Resolved: The Committee agreed to provide comments to the Principal Clerk on a draft response to the Minister by 29 November for issue by the Chairperson on the 30 November 2001.
Mr Hussey left the meeting at 4.11 p.m.
5. Review of Rating Policy.
5.1 Departmental official, Dr Andrew McCormick briefed the Committee on the progress made by the Department on the Review. Dr McCormick told the Committee that the Steering Group had considered many complex areas and that these would be presented to the Executive to form its view on the scope of the public consultation.
5.2 Dr McCormick advised the Committee of external and peripheral issues, which could have a bearing on Rating Policy including, Industrial derating, the Review of Public Administration and EU Directives on separate rates for water charges.
Ms Lewsley left the meeting at 4.24 p.m.
5.3 Dr McCormick informed the Committee that a revised timetable would be presented. He agreed to include provision in the timetable for consultation between the Committee and the Department and the Committee and other Statutory Committees.
6. Children's Fund
6.1 Departmental officials Mr Rodney Scott and Miss Linda Wilson attended the Committee and briefed it on the level of Executive Programme Funds allotted to the Children's Fund and the amount still to be allocated.
6.2 The officials also informed the Committee of the publicity in relation to the consultation undertaken by the Department on proposals for management and administration and for the involvement of the community and voluntary sector in the Fund.
6.3 The officials answered questions from the Committee and agreed to present the results of their consultation to the Committee in early or mid February 2002.
7. Committee Business Plan
The Principal Clerk presented an updated sessional business plan for all known committee business between December 2001 and July 2002.
The Chairman declared the meeting closed at 4.52 p.m.
Francie Molloy
Chairman