CONCURRENT MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL AND COMMITTEE FOR ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND INVESTMENT

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
22 September 2010
Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings

Present:
Mr Alban Maginness MLA (Chairperson)
Ms Jennifer McCann MLA
Mr Leslie Cree MLA
Dr Stephen Farry MLA
Mr Paul Frew MLA
Mr Paul Givan MLA
Mr Paul Girvan MLA
Mr Simon Hamilton MLA
Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP MLA
Ms Claire McGill MLA
Mr Gerry McHugh MLA
Mr Daithí McKay MLA
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin MLA
Mr David McNarry MLA
Mr Declan O’Loan MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Shane McAteer (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Jim McManus (Assembly Clerk)
Miss Karen Jardine (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Kathy O’Hanlon (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Ms Sohui Yim (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr David McKee (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Dominic O’Farrell (Clerical Officer)
Miss Michelle McDowell (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr Paul Butler MLA
Mr Adrian McQuillain MLA
Mr Sean Neeson MLA
Ms Dawn Purvis MLA

The meeting commenced at 12.31pm in open session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are as detailed above.

Agreed: that the evidence sessions under agenda items 3, 4 and 5 are covered by Hansard and the Official Report is published on the Assembly website.

2. Chairperson’s Business

There were no interests to declare regarding the matters to be considered during the concurrent meeting.

Members noted the provisions in Standing Order 64B detailing the procedures for committees sitting concurrently.

Agreed: that if a further concurrent meeting is not required, the draft minutes of this meeting will be cleared by the chairpersons for each committee and, once cleared, will be published in the normal way.

Agreed: that if a further concurrent meeting is decided upon, the draft minutes of this meeting will be considered as an item at the next meeting and, once cleared by Members, will be published in the normal way.

3. Briefing on Church Leaders’ Statement

The church leaders’ representatives joined the meeting at 12.38pm.

Members received a briefing from the following church leaders’ representatives: Fr. Tim Bartlett, Advisor to Cardinal Brady; Reverend John McDowell, Honorary Secretary, Church of Ireland General Synod; and Reverend Donald Ker, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland.

The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.

Mr McLaughlin joined the meeting at 12.40pm.

Mr McHugh joined the meeting at 12.45pm.

Dr McDonnell left the meeting at 12.48pm.

Mr Hamilton joined the meeting at 12.51pm.

Mr O’Loan left the meeting at 12.54pm.

Mr McNarry left the meeting at 12.55pm.

Dr Farry left the meeting at 12.57pm.

Ms McCann left the meeting at 1.04pm.

Mr Frew left the meeting at 1.08pm.

Ms McCann rejoined the meeting at 1.15pm.

Agreed: to publish the statement from the church leaders’ representatives and other relevant papers on the NI Assembly website, subject to receipt of the appropriate permissions.

The church leaders’ representatives left the meeting at 1.19pm.

4. Briefing from Institute of Directors on IoD Business Banking Survey

Representatives from the Institute of Directors joined the meeting at 1.20pm.

Members received a briefing from the following members of the Institute of Directors on the IoD business banking survey: Ms Joanne Stuart, Chairman IoD NI and Director, Attrus Limited; and Mr Michael Murray, IoD Chair Economic Strategy Committee and Head of Business Transformation, BT.

The evidence session was recorded by Hansard.

Dr Farry joined the meeting at 1.25pm.

Mr McHugh joined the meeting at 1.30pm.

Mr Girvan left the meeting at 1.40pm.

Mr McLaughlin left the meeting at 1.41pm.

Mr McLaughlin returned to the meeting at 1.55pm.

Agreed: that the Institute of Directors will forward the IoD response to the UK Green Paper on Financing a Private Sector Recovery when it has been finalised.

Dr Farry left the meeting at 1.55pm.

Mr Frew joined the meeting at 1.57pm.

Mr Hamilton left the meeting at 1.58pm.

The meeting was adjourned at 1.58pm.

The meeting resumed at 2.31pm.

5. Evidence Session with Bank of Ireland, First Trust, Northern Bank and Ulster Bank

Banking representatives joined the meeting at 2.31pm.

Members held an evidence session with the following bank representatives: Mr Pat Byrne, Regional Manager Northern Ireland, Bank of Ireland; Mr John Kilty, General Manager, First Trust Bank; Mr Kevin Kingston, General Manager for Corporate and Markets, Northern Bank; and Mr Henry Elvin, Head of Business Banking NI, Ulster Bank.

Mr Hamilton joined the meeting at 2.33pm.

Dr McDonnell joined the meeting at 2.41pm.

Ms McCann left the meeting at 3.14pm.

Mr McNarry left the meeting at 3.28pm.

Ms McCann returned to the meeting at 3.36pm.

Mr Givan left the meeting at 4.12pm.

The banking representatives left the meeting at 4.25pm.

6. Consideration of evidence and next steps

Agreed: that the concurrent Committee notes the recommendations proposed by the Banking Focus Group and will take steps to explore these options further.

Agreed: that Assembly Research is asked to formulate questions arising from the Official Report of the concurrent meeting, identifying issues which have not been addressed, which can be issued to witnesses for a response. This should include a question on what form of independent credit review process exists in this region.

Agreed: that a further concurrent meeting of the Committee for Finance and Personnel and the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment is convened to take evidence from the British Bankers’ Association and to follow up on these issues.

The meeting ended at 4.31pm.

Alban Maginness MLA, Chairperson
Committee for Enterprise, Trade & Investment
2010

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