Present: Dr J Hendron (Chairman)
Mr P Berry
Rev R Coulter
Ms C Hanna
Mr T Gallagher (Deputy Chairman)
Mr A McFarland
Mrs I Robinson

In Attendance:Mr G Martin (Committee Clerk)
Mr D Harkin (Assistant Clerk)
Mrs V Artt (Executive Support)
Mrs K McFerran (Administrative Support)

Dr Hendron took the Chair at 2:05 pm.

1. Executive Programme Funds

The Chairman advised that the extra meeting had been scheduled specifically to consider the Department's bids on the Executive Programme Funds for the next three years.

Agreed: The Clerk will write to the Department on the following points:

• to express the Committee's concern at the inadequate time afforded to it to consider the Department's bids; and to seek reasons why reasonable advance notice could not have been given.

• to convey members' disquiet at the lack of detail to support some of the bids, for example, £10m to replace unspecified critical hospital equipment.

• as it appeared that many of the bids, if successful, would entail substantial ongoing revenue costs, the Committee was concerned as to whether the necessary funds would be available.

• members were under the impression that the Executive Programme Funds were designed to meet the costs of innovative policies and programmes with particular regard to the Executive's priorities as set out in the Programme for Government. It was felt that some of the bids had a fairly tenuous link with the objectives of the Fund and were, perhaps, more to do with gaps in mainstream funding.

2. Date and Time of Next Meeting

The next Committee meeting will be at 1:45 pm on Wednesday, 21 March 2001 in Room 135, Parliament Buildings.

The meeting ended at 2:40 pm.

DR J HENDRON
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

March 2001
28 February 2001 / Menu / 21 March 2001