Department of Infrastructure officials were questioned on financial assistance for bus and coach operators due to coronavirus
Officials gave a presentation on the Executive Office's spending plans
Junior ministers Gary Middleton and Declan Kearney appeared before the Executive Office Committee
Committee chair Colin McGrath thanks the junior ministers.
He takes the members through some more committee business before adjourning the meeting.
That's all from Stormont for today.
We'll be back at 09:30 tomorrow with live coverage of the Health Committee, including an update on the Covid vaccination programme.
Do join us then. And in the meantime, have a great evening.
Image source, NI AssemblyMartina Anderson of Sinn Féin says that people who opposed Brexit were accused of "Project Fear and of scaremongering, and unfortunately it has become Project fact".
"There was going to be a harder border somewhere on the island of Ireland after being dragged out of the EU," she says.
"I'm very mindful that we have a grace period that we can't waste," the Foyle MLA adds.
Image source, Ni AssemblyIndependent MLA Trevor Lunn refers to a recent Manufacturing NI survey of business attitudes.
He says it suggests that "over half are at least reasonably satisfied by the way things have panned out and some of them are making good progress".
Image source, NI AssemblyThe UUP's Doug Beattie notes that "about 15% of the point of entry certificates in the EU "goes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland yet we account for less that 1% of the trade".
He wants to know if the EU is applying its rules more strictly on the route between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
"It does seem quite a ridiculous position," says Junior Minister Gary Middleton.
Image source, NI AssemblyColin McGrath asks Mr Kearney about reports that delays in setting up the 26 common frameworks, external as part of the Brexit process are being caused by The Executive Office.
The frameworks were intended to ensure that coherent approaches to regulation were maintained across the UK at the end of the transition period.
Junior Minister Kearney says the joint ministers were asked to confirm 25 frameworks.
He says there is "a hazard" that the British, Scottish and Welsh governments may adopt three-country frameworks "rather than taking a four-administration approach".
Image source, NI AssemblyThe DUP's Gary Middleton is making his first appearance in front of the committee since his recent appointment as junior minister.
Mr Middleton acknowledges the parties' differences over the Protocol.
However, he adds: "We are committed to working together to get the best outcome for our citizens and for our businesses as well".
Image source, ReutersColin McGrath thanks the witnesses and moves on to the next item on the agenda.
It's a briefing from Junior Ministers Declan Kearney and Gary Middleton on Brexit issues.
Mr Kearney starts the briefing, unfortunately his video isn't working properly.
He says there have been a number of significant developments, including the appointment of Gary Middleton as junior minister replacing Gordon Lyons.
He says the emphasis since 31 December has been "very much on operational readiness".
Mr Kearney accepts that there have been differences over the Protocol.
He says there needs to be "clarity and support to work through issues as they emerge".
Image source, NI AssemblyAlso on the question of who's going to pay for the Troubles' pension, the DUP's Christopher Stalford says it's clear from what the secretary of state has been saying that the Northern Ireland Office "seemed pretty immovable on this subject".
Dr Browne says discussion on this matter "are still ongoing".
He says his ministers' view is that "there were significant decisions that were made by the secretary of state which, in turn, have implications for costs" and that a full business case was not prepared.
Image source, Ni AssemblyPat Sheehan sticks with the victims' pension scheme.
"What would the funding implications be in the first three to four years if people decided to take lump sums?" the Sinn Féin MLA asks.
Dr Browne explains how claimants can get payments backdated if they apply promptly.
"It is likely that a significant proportion of the costs will occur in the first period," he says.
"In terms of the costs, broadly around that we're talking in the matter of several hundred millions pounds," the official adds.
Image source, NI AssemblyUlster Unionist Doug Beattie asks about the Troubles' pension, which has an estimated cost of between £600m to £1.2bn.
He wants the committee to see the assumptions taken into account when calculating the estimated costs.
Dr Browne says he would need to clear this with ministers.
He says "a number of key things come into play".
The official says the department is "reasonably clear" about the numbers of severely physically disabled people.
"The big unknown is the psychological injuries," he adds.
Image source, Ni AssemblyAs committee chair, Colin McGrath has the first bite at the questions, and he criticises the department for not bringing a detailed document to the committee.
He says there needs to be a "drilling down into the detail" and this is not possible if the committee members do not have the details.
"This budget is going on to the floor of the assembly next week and we're not going to have had that level of detail because the paper hasn't been presented," Mr McGrath says.
Dr Browne says most of the information was in his briefing.
"There's nothing substantial that I haven't touched on," he says.
Image source, NI AssemblyWith the audio restored, Dr Browne can begin his briefing.
He apologises that the officials have not supplied the usual written briefing for the committee.
The official says the draft budget for 2021-22 "presents significant challenges for the executive and all departments".
He says that although the consultation document indicates a 24.3% increase in TEO's budget, "it's important that the draft budget doesn't actually give TEO any additional funding" for its "business-as-usual" activities.
Funding has been ring-fenced for schemes such as the implementation costs for victims' payments for permanent disablement and the historical institutional abuse redress scheme.
There's a problem with Dr Mark Browne's audio link and he can't start the briefing.
Colin McGrath orders a five-minute break while the techies get a look under the bonnet.
Image source, NI AssemblyCommittee chair Colin McGrath calls the members to order.
The SDLP MLA takes them through a number of committee housekeeping items before moving to the afternoon's first witness session.
It's a briefing from The Executive Office (TEO) officials on the department's spending plans.
The witnesses are:
• Dr Mark Browne, TEO• Ms Neelia Lloyd, TEO• Ms Tara Kennedy, TEO
We're back from lunch in time for the Executive Committee.
The members are joining this week by video-link in order to observe Covid regulations.
Image source, NI Assembly
The members agree to write to the minister expressing the concerns they have heard from the bus and coach sector.
Committee chair Michelle McIlveen then adjourns the meeting.
We'll be back at 14:00 with live coverage of the Executive Committee, including a briefing from Junior Ministers Declan Kearney and Gary Middleton on Brexit issues.
In the meantime, we're off to grab a coffee.
Image source, NI AssemblyUlster Unionist Roy Beggs asks if the department has looked at the possibility of reducing the amount of administration required for smaller operators running "a one or two coach business" when they apply for the scheme.
Ms Thompson says this is "an issue we would want to look at".
She says the department has learned a lot from the first scheme.
Image source, Ni AssemblyAndrew Muir of Alliance wants to know how many staff the department has working on the scheme and if it would be possible to add to them in order to get the payments out as quickly as possible.
Ms Thompson says that, at one stage, there were eight staff working on the scheme but "that's dropped down to about four".
She says this is because it is no longer about coping with volume but "working with the individual operators" on their claims.
Image source, NI AssemblyLiz Kimmins of Sinn Féin wants to know when the appeals process will begin for those who have had their application turned down.
"We are are starting to look at appeals, and there's at least one that's been successful," Ms Thompson replies.
She says this was due to additional information supplied by the applicant.
Martina Anderson says that she has listened to Ms Thompson and to the bus and coach operators on the radio this morning and "it is chalk and cheese".
The Sinn Féin MLA for Foyle says "these operators have had no income now for nearly a year".
She wants to know why the department has not improved the eligibility of the scheme, and says it only covers half of the sector.
Image source, NI AssemblyMs Thompson repeats what she said to Mr Buchanan, that three aspects are being considered in response to the operators' suggestions.
Ms Anderson says that operators have spent thousands on paying for accountants only to be told they are ineligible "so the scheme has actually cost them".