Minutes of Proceedings
Session: 2008/2009
Date: 04 February 2009
COMMITTEE FOR FINANCE AND PERSONNEL
Minutes of Proceedings
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Room 152, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Mitchel McLaughlin MLA (Chairperson)
Simon Hamilton MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Dr Stephen Farry MLA
Fra McCann 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:
none
The meeting commenced at 10.01 am in open session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
Agreed : that the evidence from Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) officials on the forthcoming Financial Provisions Bill; the Budget Bill 2009 and the DFP February 2009 Monitoring Round position will be covered by Hansard and the finalised transcripts published on the website.
2. Draft Minutes of Proceedings of 28 January 2009
Agreed as amended: for publication on the Assembly website.
3. Matters Arising
The Committee noted the outstanding requests for information from DFP.
Members noted further correspondence from the Quarry Products Association.
Agreed: that the Committee will consider this matter further once a response from the Minister of Finance and Personnel is received by the Committee. It was noted that this response was due today and will therefore be considered at next week’s meeting.
Agreed : that the most recent DFP briefing papers relating to the Civil Registration Bill will be forwarded to the genealogical organisations which had previously given oral evidence to the Committee.
4. Pre-Introduction Briefing on Financial Provisions Bill: Evidence from DFP
The Committee took evidence from the following DFP officials: David Thomson, Treasury Officer Head of Accounts, Central Finance Group; Michael Daly, Head of Central Expenditure Division, Central Finance Group and Deborah McNeilly, Head of Finance Branch, Corporate Services Group. The session was recorded by Hansard.
Members noted that copies of the Draft Bill had been sent to the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment; the Public Accounts Committee and the Audit Committee for scrutiny, as there were clauses in the Bill within their respective remits.
Members noted the responses from the respective committees, stating that they had no issues to raise in relation to the Bill.
Mr Hamilton declared an interest as a member of Ards Borough Council.
Agreed: that DFP officials will add further explanation to the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum relating to the Bill to clarify Clause 5 – the Repeal of requirement to prepare Finance Accounts.
5. Correspondence
The Committee noted the following correspondence:
- DFP: Information on the implications for the Department arising from the Financial Assistance Bill;
Mr McQuillan joined the meeting at 10.14 am.
- DFP: Response to Committee query in relation to NICS recruitment policy;
Agreed: that the relevant extracts from DFP’s response will be copied to Mr McNeill, who had originally raised this issue with the Committee;
Agreed: that information will be sought from DFP on the review of the decision to remove the requirement for GCSE qualifications for administrative positions on a pilot basis.
6. Budget Bill 2009: Spring Supplementary Estimates 2008/09 and Vote on Account 2009/10: Evidence from DFP
Mr Paisley Jnr joined the meeting at 10.20 am.
The Committee took evidence from the following DFP officials: Michael Daly, Head of Central Expenditure Division, Central Finance Group and Agnes Lennon, Central Expenditure Division, Central Finance Group. The session was recorded by Hansard.
Members noted the respective embargoes on the Budget Bill 2009, the Explanatory and Financial Memorandum and the Spring Supplementary Estimates for 2008/09.
Agreed : that further evidence from DFP officials, provisionally scheduled for next week’s meeting, was unnecessary.
Question put: That the Committee for Finance and Personnel is satisfied that there has been appropriate consultation with it on the public expenditure proposals contained in the Budget Bill 2009 and is content to grant accelerated passage to the Bill in accordance with Standing Order 42(2).
The Committee divided: Ayes 8; Noes 1; Abstentions 1.
AYES
Dr Farry, Mr Hamilton, Mr McCann, Ms McCann, Mr McQuillan, Mr Paisley, Ms Purvis, Mr Weir
NOES
Mr O’Loan
ABSTENTIONS
Mr McNarry
Question accordingly agreed to.
The Committee considered draft correspondence to the Speaker, informing him of the Committee’s decision in relation to accelerated passage for the Budget Bill 2009.
Agreed : that the correspondence will issue to the Speaker as drafted.
7. DFP February 2009 Monitoring Round Position: Evidence from DFP
The Committee took evidence from the following DFP officials: Deborah McNeilly, Head of Finance Branch, Corporate Services Group and Adrian Doherty, Finance Branch, Corporate Services Group. The session was recorded by Hansard.
Agreed: that DFP officials will provide further information to the Committee as requested during the evidence session.
8. Correspondence (continued)
The Committee noted the following correspondence:
- Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (COFMDFM): Request for extension to the deadline for receipt of submissions on the Public Procurement Inquiry;
Agreed: that the deadline will be extended to 13 March 2009 as requested and that COFMDFM will be informed;
- Audit Committee: International Financial Reporting Systems (IFRS);
Agreed: that the request for DFP officials to attend the next meeting of the Audit Committee will be forwarded to DFP;
Agreed: that a written submission on the proposed implementation of IFRS across Northern Ireland departments will be requested from DFP to allow the Committee for Finance and Personnel to respond to the Audit Committee by 23 February 2009;
- Audit Committee: Appointment of Auditors to the Northern Ireland Audit Office;
Agreed: that the correspondence will be forwarded to DFP as requested;
- COFMDFM: Executive’s Response to the Committee’s Report on Child Poverty;
Agreed: that DFP will be asked to provide twice-yearly updates to the Committee for Finance and Personnel on the implementation of those recommendations in the Report which are within the Department’s remit;
- COFMDFM: Executive’s Response to the Barroso Taskforce Report;
Agreed: that written and oral briefings will be requested from DFP on the actions in the Executive’s Response for which DFP has responsibility and that the Committee will subsequently respond to COFMDFM by 28 February 2009;
- Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure: Inquiry into the Funding of the Arts in Northern Ireland;
Agreed: that the invitation will be forwarded to DFP as requested and that the Committee will also write to the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure highlighting concerns that a proportion of the funding allocated to arts development in Northern Ireland may potentially be spent in Eastern Europe;
- DFP: Response on collection of rates arrears;
- DFP: Further information on the inspection of vacant properties;
- Independent Review of Economic Policy: Call for Evidence;
Agreed : that DFP will be asked whether it intends to respond to the Review and, if so, will be asked to consult with the Committee on the preparation of the response;
- House of Lords Select Committee on the Barnett Formula: Call for Evidence;
Agreed : that DFP will be asked whether it intends to respond to the Inquiry and, if so, will be asked to consult with the Committee on the preparation of the response;
- DFP: Response to issues raised on the December Forecast Outturn Data and the Funding of the Farm Nutrient Scheme;
- Trish Cathcart: Ballymena Hope Centre;
Agreed: that the Committee will write to the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety to determine the funding streams which would potentially be available to the Centre;
- DFP: Update on the Progress of the Performance and Efficiency Delivery Unit (PEDU);
Agreed: that a briefing from DFP officials will be scheduled in the Committee’s work programme and that further information will be sought from DFP on the outcomes from PEDU’s assessment of the arrangements in place for delivery of Public Service Agreement targets;
- DFP: Response to COFMDFM on sickness absence of industrial staff in the Northern Ireland Civil Service;
Agreed: that the response will be forwarded to COFMDFM as requested;
- DFP: Information on measures to raise financial management within DFP.
9. Committee Work Programme
Members considered the current draft of the Committee work programme until summer recess.
Members considered the potential for a briefing from representatives from the Strategic Investment Board in relation to the funding arrangements for the Executive’s Investment Strategy.
Agreed : that this will be considered at a future meeting.
Members considered a request from DFP to postpone the briefing on the outcome of the Review of the Executive’s Budget Process .
Agreed: that the briefing will be postponed until mid-March 2009.
Members noted press coverage relating to problems with the HR Connect system. It was noted that a briefing from DFP officials on HR Connect had been scheduled for 25 February 2009 and that information on end-user experience had been requested from the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance. Members noted that DFP had not conducted any research to date in this area.
Members noted that a briefing from BankCheck had been scheduled for 18 February 2009.
Agreed: that the submission from the British Bankers’ Association and the Official Report of the evidence from the local banking representatives will be forwarded to BankCheck.
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, 11 February 2009 at 10.00 am in Room 152, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.52am.
