Official Report: Minutes of Evidence
Committee for The Executive Office, meeting on Wednesday, 4 June 2025
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Ms Paula Bradshaw (Chairperson)
Mr Stewart Dickson (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Timothy Gaston
Mr Harry Harvey
Mr Brian Kingston
Miss Áine Murphy
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín
Strategic Investment Board — Retention and Disposal Schedule
The Chairperson (Ms Bradshaw): The Committee will now consider the most recent retention and disposal schedule for the Strategic Investment Board (SIB). The Committee agreed last week to ask the SIB whether commercially sensitive information is included in the schedule, and, if so, whether it is retained or disposed of. I ask the Committee Clerk to speak to the schedule.
The Committee Clerk: Thank you, Chair. As the Chair said, the Committee now has to consider any retention and disposal schedule that falls within its remit. I remind Committee members that schedules are now subject to the negative resolution procedure. If any member or Committee wishes to object to a particular part of the schedule, that will need to happen by way of a motion within either 30 working days or 10 Assembly sitting days, whichever period is longer, of the strategy period.
At last week's meeting, the Committee heard about the process that the SIB used in order to agree its retention and disposal schedule with the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). In particular, the SIB asked that the Committee be made aware of section 2 of the schedule. That is the only part of it that is unique and specific to the SIB. I remind members that, following discussion, the Committee asked that we obtain further information on how specific commercially sensitive material was dealt with under the schedule. If members open the tabled pack, they will see that, as part of the brief, I had a further conversation with the Strategic Investment Board, and it provided much more information about sensitivity assessments. I quote paragraph 11 of the Clerk's brief:
"public bodies must complete a sensitivity review form for each file, detailing any proposed closures or redactions. These forms accompany the records during transfer and are reviewed by PRONI's Appraisal and Sensitivity Panel."
"If the information SIB holds was for a client (e.g. an Executive Department), it would also seek the client's view on need for redaction or remaining sensitivity issues. When completing the"
"form for transfer, SIB must specify under what regulation/exemption they are using and also complete a public interest test."
Paragraph 13 then states:
"SIB have stated that this two-stage process ensures transparency, legal compliance, and the protection of sensitive information while safeguarding the historical SIB record."
I hope that that clarifies for members the fact that the SIB is treating all its information and records as needing to be reviewed via PRONI's appraisal and sensitivity panel. The SIB will also go back to clients and ask them whether they feel that there is any sensitivity around commercial information etc.
Ms Ní Chuilín: I believe that commercial sensitivity is still being used in the wrong way. The SIB does not need to ask clients. Tender documents should be public. Saying that they are still commercially sensitive even after five years does not wash.
Members indicated assent.