Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2008/2009
Date: 21 January 2009
COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
Minutes of Proceedings
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Room 152, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Mitchel McLaughlin MLA (Chairperson)
Simon Hamilton MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Dr Stephen Farry MLA
Jennifer McCann MLA
David McNarry MLA
Adrian McQuillan MLA
Declan O’Loan MLA
Ian Paisley Jnr MLA
Dawn Purvis MLA
Peter Weir MLA
In Attendance:
Shane McAteer (Assembly Clerk)
Colin Jones (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Vivien Ireland (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Paula Sandford (Clerical Supervisor)
Chris McCreery (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Fra McCann MLA
The meeting commenced at 10.06 am in open session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
Agreed : that the evidence sessions on the Outcome of the Strategic Stocktake at Item 4; the Monitoring of Post Project Evaluations at Item 5, and the Civil Registration Bill at Item 6 will be recorded by Hansard and the finalised transcripts published on the website.
2. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of 14 January 2009
Agreed: for publication on the Assembly website.
3. Matters Arising
The Committee noted the outstanding requests for information from the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP).
Members noted an Assembly Research paper, requested by the Committee, on Income Tax Refunds for Construction Workers.
Members noted that the information requested from DFP on the incremental effect of the 2008/09 Monitoring Rounds was due today and will be considered at next week’s meeting.
Agreed : that following the evidence taken from local banking representatives at last week’s meeting, a briefing will be arranged with representatives from local building societies and the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
Mr McQuillan joined the meeting at 10.07 am.
Mr O’Loan joined the meeting at 10.08 am.
Dr Farry joined the meeting at 10.10 am.
4. Outcome of Strategic Stocktake: Evidence from DFP
Mr Paisley Jnr joined the meeting at 10.42 am.
The Committee took evidence from Richard Pengelly, Budget Director, Central Finance Group, DFP; Michael Daly, Head of Central Expenditure Division, Central Finance Group, DFP; and Paul Montgomery, Central Expenditure Division, Central Finance Group, DFP . The session was recorded by Hansard.
Agreed: that the DFPofficials will provide further information requested by the Committee during the evidence session.
Agreed : that Hansard will be contacted to determine when the draft Official Report will be available to Committee members.
5. Monitoring of Post Project Evaluations (PPEs): Evidence from DFP
The Committee took evidence from David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts, Central Finance Group, DFP. The session was recorded by Hansard.
Mr McNarry left the meeting at 11.25 am.
Agreed : that draft correspondence to DFP on this policy area will be considered at next week’s meeting.
Mr Paisley Jnr left the meeting at 12.03 pm.
6. Civil Registration Bill Committee Stage: Consideration of Issues arising from Evidence
The Committee took evidence from Dr Norman Caven, Registrar General, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), DFP and Mrs Annette Gilkeson, Deputy Registrar General, NISRA, DFP. The session was recorded by Hansard.
Mr McNarry joined the meeting at 12.06 pm.
Mr Paisley Jnr joined the meeting at 12.17 pm.
Dr Farry left the meeting at 12.35 pm.
Ms Purvis left the meeting at 12.39 pm.
Agreed: that the DFP officials will provide further information requested by the Committee during the evidence session, in time for next week’s meeting, when the Committee will commence clause-by-clause scrutiny of the Bill.
7. Subordinate Legislation
The Committee considered SR 2009 No 7: the Rates (Social Sector Value) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2009, which had been laid in the Business Office by DFP. Members noted that the Committee had previously considered the draft proposal for this Statutory Rule on 3 December 2008 and was content with the policy implications of the proposed legislation.
The Committee noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules had considered the Statutory Rule and had raised no issues from his technical scrutiny.
Agreed : that the Committee for Finance and Personnel has considered the Rates (Social Sector Value) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2009 and recommends that it be affirmed by the Assembly.
8. Correspondence
The Committee noted the following correspondence:
- Committee for Employment and Learning: Public Procurement Policy;
Agreed: that this will be forwarded to the Minister of Finance and Personnel as requested;
- Public Accounts Committee: Report on Shared Services for Efficiency;
- Committee for Employment and Learning: Request for future updates on PPEs;
Agreed : that the latest correspondence from DFP will be forwarded to the Committee for Employment and Learning, together with the Official Report of today’s evidence session;
- Committee for Employment and Learning: Correspondence with Mr Seamus McNeill regarding ‘Degreeism;’
Agreed: that the response from DFP will be forwarded to the Committee for Employment and Learning on receipt;
- Quarry Products Association NI: ‘Industry offers finance solution to Government;’
Agreed: that the Committee will write to the Minister of Finance and Personnel, seeking details of his meeting with the Quarry Products Association NI and of how the organisation’s proposal for roads maintenance schemes to be brought forward could be facilitated. The correspondence will be copied to the Committee for Regional Development for forwarding on to the Department for Regional Development;
- Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister: Correspondence to the Minister of Finance and Personnel on the NISRA Report on Sick Absence;
Agreed: that this will be forwarded to the Minister of Finance and Personnel as requested;
- Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister: Clawback of European Grants;
Agreed: that this will be forwarded to DFP as requested;
Mr Paisley Jnr left the meeting at 12.53 pm.
- DFP: Update on the draft Disclosure of Information clause in the Presumption of Death Bill;
Mr McNarry left the meeting at 12.55 pm.
- Western Innovations Network: Written submission to the Committee’s Inquiry into Public Procurement Policy and Practice in Northern Ireland;
- Minister of Finance and Personnel : Announcement on Package of Assistance for Councils;
- DFP News Release: Dodds Unveils Rates Package for Councils;
- DFP: Response on Regional Economic Strategy in Strategic Policy Division’s balanced scorecard;
- Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety: Committee Inquiry into Obesity;
Agreed : that the Committee for Finance and Personnel will not make a direct submission to this Inquiry, but will forward the invitation to DFP as requested and subsequently consider any submission made by DFP;
- DFP: Memorandum on the Third Report from the Public Accounts Committee Session 2008-2009 – Statement of Rate Levy and Collection 2006-07;
Agreed : that quarterly progress reports will be requested from DFP on the implementation of the PAC recommendations;
Agreed : that a written submission will be requested from DFP on the work of the Performance and Efficiency Delivery Unit in Land and Property Services;
- Minister of Finance and Personnel: Response on Support for the Local Construction Industry;
- Minister of Finance and Personnel: Response on Senior Civil Service Bonuses;
Agreed: that a response to the Minister will be considered at next week’s meeting;
Agreed: that a briefing from DFP officials on the Department’s analysis of the recent Whitehall Review of Senior Civil Service Pay and Reward will be included on the Committee’s work programme.
9. Committee Work Programme
Members considered the current draft of the Committee work programme until summer recess.
Members considered a request from DFP to postpone the briefing on the evaluation of Workplace 2010 options, as the bidders had come under common ownership.
Agreed : that the briefing will be postponed until 25 February 2009.
Agreed: that the work programme, as amended, will be published on the website.
10. Any Other Business
None.
11. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 28 January 2009 at 10.00 am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 1.06 pm.
