Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2007/2008
Date: 17 June 2008
COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY, 18 June 2008
Room 152, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Simon Hamilton MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Roy Beggs MLA
Dr Stephen Farry MLA
Fra McCann MLA
Jennifer McCann MLA
Adrian McQuillan MLA
Declan O’Loan MLA
Peter Weir MLA
In Attendance: Shane McAteer (Assembly Clerk)
Vivien Ireland (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Colin Jones (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Paula Sandford (Clerical Supervisor)
Chris McCreery (Clerical Officer)
Jodie Carson (Assembly Research)
Apologies: Mitchel McLaughlin MLA (Chairperson)
Dawn Purvis MLA
Mervyn Storey MLA
The meeting commenced at 10.02 am in open session.
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Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
Agreed : that the sessions with Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) officials on Workplace 2010 and on performance against targets in DFP’s Business Plan 2007/08will be recorded by Hansard and the Official Reports will be published on the Assembly website; in the case of the Workplace 2010 session, once the evidence is no longer commercially sensitive.
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Draft Minutes of Proceedings of 11 June 2008
Agreed: for publication on the Assembly website.
Members noted that, as agreed last week, the Chairperson had approved the relevant extract of the minutes of proceedings for inclusion in the Committee Report on the Building Regulations (Amendment) Bill.
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Matters Arising
The Committee noted the outstanding requests for information from DFP.
The Committee considered DFP’s assessment of the outline business case for the Maze/Long Kesh regeneration site.
Agreed: that an oral briefing will be requested from DFP officials.
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Workplace 2010 – Evidence from DFP
Members were informed that DFP officials had requested that their evidence is heard in closed session, due to the commercially sensitive nature of the information being discussed.
The meeting continued in closed session at 10.08 am.
Dr Farry joined the meeting at 10.09 am.
The Committee took evidence from David Orr, Director of Corporate Services Group, DFP and Philip Irwin, Head of Properties Division, DFP. The session was recorded by Hansard.
Agreed : that the Committee will write to DFP seeking further assurances on how the public interest will be protected during the procurement of Workplace 2010.
Mr Weir left the meeting at 10.45 am.
The meeting continued in open session at 10.47 am.
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Performance Against Targets in DFP Business Plan 2007/08 - Evidence from DFP
The Committee took evidence from David Orr, Director of Corporate Services Group, DFP; Jim O'Hagan, Finance Director, DFP and Colm Doran, Business Planning & Performance Management Co-Ordinator, DFP. The session was recorded by Hansard.
Agreed : that a written response to issues raised during the session will be requested from DFP.
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Assembly Research Briefing on Potential Inquiry into Budget Process and Scrutiny
The Committee was briefed by Assembly Research on a potential Committee inquiry into budget process and scrutiny.
Agreed : that the Committee will conduct a short, timebound inquiry and aim to report in early autumn to inform the Executive’s deliberations.
Agreed : that the terms of reference will be considered at the meeting on 2 July, in conjunction with the Committee’s work programme from September 2008.
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Subordinate Legislation
Members considered SR 2008 No.241: the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008, together with the accompanying explanatory memorandum and the relevant report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules.
Members noted that the Rule amended the original Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008, which the Examiner had found to contain minor drafting defects and which had been passed by the Committee on 4 June, subject to these defects being corrected by way of amending legislation.
The Committee considered correspondence from DFP, which stated that an amendment to the original Statutory Rule, relating to enforcement duties to be undertaken by district councils, was still outstanding and will be corrected by further amending subordinate legislation. This action had been endorsed by the Examiner of Statutory Rules.
Agreed : that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered theEnergy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (Amendment) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008 and has no objection to the Rule.
Members considered SR 2008 No.226: the Valuation (Water Undertaking) Regulations ( Northern Ireland) 2008, together with the accompanying explanatory memorandum and the relevant report from the Examiner of Statutory Rules.
Agreed : that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered theValuation (Water Undertaking) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and has no objection to the Rule.
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Correspondence
The Committee noted the following correspondence
- DFP: Response to the Committee on Departmental Monitoring Round Submissions;
Agreed : that this will be forwarded to the other statutory committees.
- DFP: Response to the Committee on Consumer Council proposals and Departmental bids to counteract fuel poverty;
Agreed : that a further response will be requested on what consideration is being given to measures to address ongoing cost of living increases;
- Committee for Regional Development: Single Billing for Rates and Water;
Agreed : that this will be forwarded to DFP as requested and the response forwarded directly to the Committee for Regional Development on receipt.
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Committee Work Programme
Members considered the latest draft of the Committee work programme for the period up to summer recess and noted that a draft programme from September 2008 onwards will be considered before summer recess.
Agreed : that the latest draft of the programme will be published on the Assembly website.
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Any Other Business
Members noted that a freedom of information request had been received for the evidence given to the Committee by Sir David Varney on 4 June. As Sir David Varney had not provided a written submission, a finalised Official Report of the evidence, which will be published on the Assembly website in any case, will be provided to the applicant.
Agreed : that the critiques of the Varney reports provided to the Committee by key stakeholders will be published on the website and drawn to the attention of the other statutory committees.
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Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 25 June 2008 at 10.00 am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.41am.
