COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
EIGHTY FIFTH MEETING
TUESDAY, 19 MARCH 2002
COMMITTEE ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Mr Francie Molloy (Chairman)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairman)
Mr Billy Bell
Mr Derek Hussey
Mr Roger Hutchinson
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Maurice Morrow
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)
The Chairman declared the meeting open at 2.57 p.m. The meeting began in closed session.
1. Chairman's business
1.1 The Principal Clerk presented the Committee's briefing papers for the day's business. The Committee discussed the briefing.
Mr Bell attended the meeting at 3.07 p.m. Mr Hussey left the meeting at 3.08 p.m.
The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at.3.13 p.m.
2. Apologies.
2.1 Mr Peter Weir.
Mr Maskey attended the meeting at 3.15 p.m.
3. Minutes of Proceedings
3.1 The Committee considered and agreed the Minutes of Proceedings for 5 March 2002.
3.2 Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Proceedings of 5 March 2002.
4. Matters arising
4.1 The Committee noted the response by the Principal Clerk in relation to the Review of systems and procedures for Committees of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
4.2 The Committee considered the letter from the Minister of Finance and Personnel regarding the Noble Indicators of Deprivation.
4.3 Resolved: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister to clarify that it had not at any stage approved the use of the deprivation indicators for allocation of resources. The Committee had been consulted about the use of the indicators in the allocations of European Funding to Local Strategy Partnerships.
4.4 The Committee noted the request by the Committee of the Centre for a presentation on the Noble Indicators of Deprivation.
4.5 The Committee noted its letter to the Department on the Review of the formalities for sale of land.
4.6 The Committee noted its letter to the Minister regarding the delay in laying the Statutory Rule for the Regional Rates Order 2002.
4.7 The Committee noted its letter in response to the consultation by the Committee for Education and Learning on statutory backing for Trade Union learning representatives.
4.8 The Committee noted its letter referring the correspondence received from the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance in relation to the use of the Public Private Partnership contract in Land registers to the Minister.
The Chairman declared the meeting closed to the public at.3.21 p.m.
5. Review of Rating Policy
5.1 Mr Molloy, Mr Beggs, Mr Bell, Mr Hussey, Mr Hutchinson, Mr Maskey and Mr Morrow declared personal interests in relation to this business item.
5.2 The Committee's specialist advisers, Mr David Magor and Mr Pat Doherty attended the meeting and presented a draft report of their analysis of the Review's First Stage Report and the issues being addressed in the proposed public consultation document being drawn up by the Department.
Mr Hussey returned to the meeting at 3.32 p.m.
5.3 The specialist advisers answered questions from the Committee.
5.4 The specialist advisers presented draft responses to the Committee on the key questions posed in the First Stage Report.
Mr Hussey left the meeting at 4.20 p.m.
5.5 The specialist advisers agreed to present a final report of their analysis of the Review's First Stage Report and responses to the key questions taking on board the comments made by the Committee.
The Chairman declared the meeting in open session at 4.45 p.m. Mr Maskey left the meeting at 4.45 p.m.
6. Budget 2002
6.1 Departmental officials Mr David Ferguson, Mr Michael Daly and Mr Colin McGaffin attended the meeting and briefed the Committee on the work in progress by the Department to assess and present its Departmental Position Report for the Budget 2002 process. The Committee was briefed on the arrangements for presenting the Departmental Position Report to the Committee and the timeframe for its response.
6.2 The officials detailed the extent of the reduced allocation for the Department from the Indicative Minimum for 2003/04 set by the Executive. The officials outlined the range of approaches open to the Department to identify what programmes or activities should be scaled back to allow the Department to live within its indicative allocation. The Committee was briefed on the Department's plans for delivering efficiencies including the formation of a Business Improvement Team to help it achieve that objective.
6.3 The Committee was briefed on the commitments in the Programme for Government, which could present the Department with additional resource pressures between 2003 and 2006 and would require bids in the Departmental Position Report.
6.4 The officials outlined other options under consideration by the Department including the extent to which it charged other Departments for its services.
6.5 The officials answered questions from the Committee.
7. Executive Programme Funds
7.1 The Committee noted the letter from the Minister and guidance from the Department on bids from the Executive Programme Fund for Infrastructure.
7.2 The Committee noted the correspondence from the Principal Clerk to the Clerks of the Statutory Committees advising them of the extended deadline to 22 April 2002 for responses by Committees on their consideration of bids.
8. Inquiry - European Structural Funds and Community Initiatives.
8.1 The Committee considered the Minutes of Evidence for the presentation by officials from the Department's European Division on 26 February 2002.
8.2 Resolved: The Committee agreed the Minutes of Evidence for 26 February 2002.
8.3 The Committee noted the submission by the Women's Information Group to its Inquiry.
9. Statutory Rule - 102 /2002- Pensions Increase (Review) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002.
9.1 The Committee formally considered the Statutory Rule on Pensions Increase (Review) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002.
9.2 Resolved: The Committee considered the Statutory Rule on Pensions Increase (Review) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002 and has no objection to the Rule.
10. Service Delivery Agreement
10.1 Departmental officials Ms Adrienne Brown and Ms Linda Kirkwood attended the Committee and provided briefing on the latest draft of the Department's Service Delivery Agreement.
10.2 The officials outlined further work required to improve user friendliness by removing acronyms, linkage of budgets and actions and indicating how targets support the Programme for Government.
10.3 The officials agreed to consider the comments made by the Committee and to provide a final version of the Service Delivery Agreement by the end of March 2002.
11. Correspondence
11.1 The Committee noted the press release regarding the visits by the Minister of Finance and Personnel to Local Strategy Partnerships.
11.2 The Committee considered the letters from Mr Des McConaghy regarding Budget Innovations.
11.3 Resolved: The Committee agreed to copy the letters to the Department for a response.
11.4 The Committee noted the press release and the Minutes of Evidence relating to the Committee's evidence to the Finance Committee of the Scottish Parliament on Public Private Partnerships.
11.5 The Committee noted the articles relating to the Aggregates Tax.
11.6 The Committee noted the letter from the Minister on the Aggregates Tax.
11.7 The Committee considered the letter from the Clerk of the Committee for Education regarding Monitoring Round bids for resources for Programmes where Departments had no statutory obligation for provision of particular services
11.8 Resolved: The Committee agreed to forward the letter to the Department of Finance and Personnel for a response.
11.9 The Committee noted the issue of the Government Office Accommodation Review interim report and associated questionnaire to the Statutory Committees.
12. Any other business.
12.1 The Committee discussed the starting pay scales for graduates recruited under the Graduate Recruitment Scheme.
12.2 Resolved: The Committee agreed to write to the Department for details of the pay scales under the Graduate Recruitment Scheme.
12.3 The Committee noted its updated business programme.
13. Next Meeting
13.1 The next meeting of the Committee was agreed as Tuesday 9 April 2002.
The Chairman declared the meeting closed at 5.53 p.m.
Francie Molloy
Chairman