Communities Committee, 10 Mar 2004
Meeting date: Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Official Report
250KB pdf
Budget Process 2005-06
We move on to discuss the budget process 2005-06: the highlight of the year.
Members are asked to consider the approach to the 2005-06 budget process. You will note that, this year, the Finance Committee's adviser has offered to draft several papers for the committee on the annual expenditure report and to give a presentation at the committee's meeting on 31 March. Are there any comments on the approach paper?
The approach paper provides an excellent suggestion for the way forward. Paragraph 4 contains several offers from Professor Midwinter. The one that resonates with me and that the Finance Committee has brought up time and time again is analysing trends in individual portfolios. I would be particularly interested if Arthur Midwinter were able to provide information about trends in the communities portfolio.
I am also interested in cross-cutting issues. It has not been possible to get information about how those are dealt with in the Executive's budget at a level at which I feel comfortable that I can see what is happening. I know that others feel the same way; for that matter, ministers often feel the same way.
I would value it if Professor Midwinter were able to address those two issues. As we know, child poverty indicators have been batted around considerably, and I am sure that they will continue to be so. I would also be interested in them, but the two other issues I mentioned would have considerable value, and they relate to previous parliamentary debates.
I welcome the fact that we will have an adviser, particularly if it is Arthur Midwinter. I have a couple of points to raise from last year. When I compared last year's budget with the previous year's, in one section of 10 group headings, five had changed, so it was difficult to track what had gone before. Should there be changes in particular headings? Can we be told under which headings certain issues were listed in previous years?
Apart from a definition of child poverty, I would like there to be a definition of social inclusion. If money is constantly going into social inclusion, can we ask Arthur Midwinter how the results can be measured and what we can take as signs of progress on social inclusion?
Are we agreeing the approach as being the recommendations that are identified in paragraph 6 of the approach paper?
Members indicated agreement.
Meeting closed at 12:20.