Present:
Mr James Leslie (Deputy Chairman)
Mr Seamus Close
Ms Patricia Lewsley
Mr Maurice Morrow
Mr Peter Weir

In attendance:
Mr Alan Patterson (Principal Clerk)
Ms Sheila Mc Clelland (Clerk)
Mr Joe Sloan (Assistant Clerk)
Miss Shauna Mc Daid (Executive Support)
Mr Jonathan Briggs (Administrative Support)

1.1. The Principal Clerk presented the Committee's briefing papers for the day's business. The Committee discussed the briefing.

1.2. The Clerk advised the Committee that interviews to select the Committee's specialist adviser for the Review of Rating Policy had been completed and notifications would be issued to the interviewees. The Committee was advised of the name of the selected specialist adviser.

2.1. Mr Francie Molloy and Mr Roger Hutchinson.

3.1. The Committee considered the Minutes of Proceedings for 22 January 2002.

3.2. Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Proceedings for 22 January 2002.

4.1. The Committee considered the response by the Minister to the request by the Committee for Employment and Learning for sight of the Needs Analysis for Training and Vocational Learning by DFP/OFMDFM.

4.2. Resolved: The Committee agreed to forward the response to the Committee for Employment and Learning.

4.3. The Committee considered the request by the Department of Finance and Personnel for an amendment to the Committee's Minutes of Proceedings for 8 January 2002 relating to the Public Procurement Review item of business.

4.4. Resolved: The Committee agreed to amend its Minutes of Proceedings dated 8 January 2002.

4.5. The Committee considered the report - Analysis of Sickness Absence in NI Departments 2000/01.

4.6. Resolved: The Committee agreed to write to the Department requesting further details and to consider revisiting the issue on receipt of the response.

4.7. The Committee considered a draft letter presented by the Clerk in response to the Draft Service Delivery Agreement presented by the Department last week.

4.8. Resolved: The Committee agreed to the draft letter in response to the Draft Service Delivery Agreement.

4.9. The Committee noted the letter from the Department of Finance and Personnel in response to the request by the Enterprise Trade and Investment Committee for submissions to its Tourism Inquiry.

4.10. Resolved: The Committee agreed to forward the Department's response to the ETI Committee. The Committee also agreed to advise the ETI Committee that it did not wish to make a submission to the Inquiry.

4.11. The Committee considered draft public notices and associated costs presented by the Principal Clerk for its Inquiry into the Management of European Funding.

4.12. Resolved: The Committee agreed to the content and costs of the Public Notice for its Inquiry into the Management of European Funding.

5.1. Dr Andrew McCormick and Mr Brian McClure attended and briefed the Committee and answered questions on the progress made in the Rating Policy Review.

5.2 The briefing and questioning was conducted in closed session.

6.1. The Minister of Finance and Personnel and Departmental officials Dr Andrew McCormick and Mr David Sterling attended the Committee and answered questions in relation to the Review of Executive Programme Funds.

6.2. The Committee discussed the recommendations made in its Report into Executive Programme Funds and the questions posed by the Minister of Finance and Personnel and provided comment to the Principal Clerk.

6.3. Resolved: The Committee agreed that the Principal Clerk should draft a Committee response for consideration at next week's meeting.

7. Rates Collection Agency - Quinquennial Review

7.1. Departmental officials, Mr David Ferguson, Mrs Patricia Gibson, Mr Arthur Scott and the Department's Consultant Mr Michael Clarke, attended and briefed the Committee on the recommendations made in the Quinquennial Review of the Agency.

7.2. The officials answered questions in relation to the timing of the periodic Next Steps Agency reviews for the Valuation and Lands Agency in relation to that Agency's inclusion in proposals for the future delivery of services by the Rates Collection Agency.

7.3. The officials answered questions regarding the Department's consideration of recommendations made by the Committee in its PPP Report and the Treasury Task Force's guidance on pooling expertise when examining the potential for PPP.

7.4. The Committee deliberated.

7.5. Resolved: The Committee agreed that the Clerk would prepare a response to be agreed with Members and forwarded to the Department later this week.

8.1. Departmental officials Mr Gerry McKenna, Mr Wally Gamble, Mr Stewart Barnes and Mr Derek Reade attended the meeting and briefed the Committee on the performance by the Agency in clearing backlogs of work.. The officials described proposals approved by the Minister of Finance and Personnel involving extension of its PPP contract and further utilisation of the services of its private partner Syntegra to process cases and reduce the backlog.

8.2. The Committee questioned the officials on the current workload figures and targets and manpower numbers and sought a timeframe for reduction of the current backlogs. The officials advised the Committee that it had ongoing consultation with the legal profession to appraise it of progress by the Agency.

8.3. The Committee deliberated.

8.4. Resolved: The Committee agreed that it would examine a detailed note of this session and asked the Principal Clerk to provide a draft letter to the Minister for consideration at its next meeting.

9.1. The Committee noted the letter from the Minister providing the document European Structural Funds: Community Support Framework.

10. Any Other Business.

10.1. The Committee noted its programme of forthcoming business.

10.2. The Committee noted the seminar on Bonds and alternative sources of finance arranged for Friday 1 February 2002 in Parliament Buildings.

11.1 The next meeting of the Committee was agreed as Tuesday 5 February 2002.

22 January 2002 / Menu / 5 February 2002