Present:
Mr Francie Molloy (Chairman)
Mr Billy Bell
Mr Seamus Close
Mr Derek Hussey
Mr Roger Hutchinson
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 Committee received a briefing on the general issues contained in the proposed Bill of Rights and requested a further briefing on the related issues of the Bill to the Department of Finance and Personnel's remit.

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

1.3. The Committee received briefing on proposed visits to Westminster and the Scottish Parliament.

1.4. Resolved: The Committee agreed in principle to give evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Finance Committee for its Inquiry into Public/Private Partnerships during a potential visit on 12/13 March 2002.

2.1. Mr James Leslie and Mr Alex Attwood.

3.1. The Committee considered and agreed the Minutes of Proceedings for 29 January subject to one amendment.

3.2. Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Proceedings of 29 January 2002.

4.1. The Committee noted the letter from the Minister of Finance and Personnel regarding the instruction to officials on the inclusion of a questionnaire in the consultation stage of the proposed amendment to Building Regulations including Radon Gas.

4.2. The Committee noted the response from the Minister to its letter of 15 January 2002 in regard to Peace II allocations to Local Strategy Partnerships (LSPs).

4.3. Resolved: The Committee agreed to write to the Department requesting details on how the Committee's recommendations for centralisation of support functions for LSPs will be carried through.

4.4. The Committee noted the letter sent to the Minister in response to the Stage One report and briefing provided by officials in relation to the Rates Collection Agency Quinquennial Review.

4.5. The Committee considered the detailed note of its meeting with officials from Land Registers of Northern Ireland and requested confirmation of the statement by the Chief Executive regarding timing for the reduction of backlogs to 5,000 cases.

4.6. The Committee considered a draft letter to the Minister of Finance and Personnel regarding the growing backlog in Land Registers of Northern Ireland.

4.7. Resolved: The Committee agreed the prepared draft and that it should be sent to the Minister.

4.8. The Committee noted its response to the Minister regarding the policy document and briefing from officials regarding the proposed Matrimonial Proceedings and Family Law Bill.

4.9. The Committee noted the letter to the Department regarding the report Analysis of Sickness Absence in NI Departments 2000/2001.

5.1. Departmental officials Mr David Sterling and Mr Richard Pengelly attended and briefed the Committee and answered questions on the Spring Supplementary Estimates Near Final Proof document. The officials detailed the progression of the figure-work from the Main Estimates presented in June 2001 through internal reallocations and Monitoring Round statements to the Spring Supplementary Estimates.

5.2. The officials described the document's relevance to the Budget Bill and requirement to have Royal Assent using accelerated passage in Standing Order 40 before the end of the current financial year.

5.3. Resolved: The Committee agreed to formally write to the Speaker under Standing Order 40(2) to confirm to the Assembly that the Committee was satisfied that there had been appropriate consultation with the Committee on the public expenditure proposals contained in the Budget Bill.

6.1. Departmental officials Mr David Sterling and Mr Richard Pengelly briefed the Committee and answered questions on the Vote on Account Near Final Proof document. The officials advised the Committee that through the Vote on Account departments would receive authority to spend up to 45% of the current year's total voted provision. This was necessary until authority to spend the full provision from the Budget was made when the 2002/03 Main Estimates were presented in June 2002.

6.2. The officials described the document's relevance to the Budget Bill and the requirement to have Royal Assent using accelerated passage in Standing Order 40 before the start of the 2002/03 financial year.

7.1. The Committee met with its specialist advisers Mr David Magor and Mr Pat Doherty who detailed the major issues they had encountered during previous experiences of local taxation reviews and implementation.

7.2. The specialist advisers answered questions from the Committee.

8.1. The Committee noted the letter from the Department regarding the scheduling of consultation with the Committee on the Northern Ireland Civil Service Accommodation Review.

8.2. The Committee noted the response from the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety to the Minister of Finance and Personnel in relation to the Executive Programme Fund for Children consultation paper.

8.3. The Committee noted the letter from the Department regarding the Northern Ireland construction bulletin.

9.1. The Committee noted its programme of forthcoming business.

9.2. The Committee considered a matter raised by the Chairman of phasing in the Aggregates Tax in Northern Ireland and the absence of a similar tax in the Republic of Ireland.

9.3. Resolved: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister to request that the issue be raised at a North/South Ministerial Council meeting in the context of neutralising the effect of the tax to the industry throughout Ireland due to the economic advantage in the Republic of Ireland of non-implementation of the legislation.

10.1 The next meeting of the Committee was agreed as Tuesday 12 February 2002.

29 January 2002 / Menu / 12 February 2002