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MINUTES OF FOURTH MEETING OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AT THE NORTHERN IRELAND AUDIT OFFICE, UNIVERSITY STREET, BELFAST ON TUESDAY 5 DECEMBER 2000 AT 3:00PM.

1. Apologies
2. Draft Minutes of Meeting of 22 September 2000
3. Matters Arising
4. Chairman's Business
5. AOB

Present:Mr John Dallat (Chairman)
Mr Billy Hutchinson (Deputy Chairman)
Mr Derek Hussey
Mr Gerry McHugh

In Attendance:Mrs E Sung (Clerk)
Mr C Jones (Deputy Clerk)
John Savage, Director of Personnel, NIAO.

1. Apologies

Mark Robinson.

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2. Draft minutes of meeting on 22 September 2000

Agreed. Proposed: Billy Hutchinson. Seconded: John Dallat.

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3. Matters Arising

3.1. Scope of the Audit Committee

Noted and agreed.

Members had briefly considered at a previous meeting, whether the Committee could increase their remit, and the ramifications of doing so. As requested, the Clerk will prepare a paper for the next meeting in January detailing:

3.2 Comptroller & Auditor General's Salary

Noted.

The Chairman had submitted a motion for consideration by the Business Office today. This had not been taken and would be reconsidered on Tuesday 12 December 2000. It would be scheduled for Monday 18 December, at the earliest.

Minister Durkan had written to the Chairman, indicating that for this year, his Department would calculate and pay any arrears due to the C&AG separately, as an ex-gratia payment, to overcome the problem of retrospection.

Noted and agreed.

Members had previously decided that Westminster should pay for the salary arrears due for the period prior to devolution and that this should not come from the Consolidated Fund. Mr Savage informed the Committee that the amount of money involved was not material (under £1000). As the DFP Minister had indicated that an ex gratia payment was proper procedure, the NIAO would deem this as being sufficient authority for the payment to be made.

Chairman to write to the Minister, indicating that the Committee is content to proceed along the lines which he has proposed.

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4. Chairman's Business

4.1 Government Resources and Accounts Bill

Noted.

Following the joint meeting with the Public Accounts Committee on 7 November, which Minister Durkan attended, the Chairman wrote to the Minister setting out the Committee's concerns on the scope of the C&AG. Whilst the Minister is in broad agreement with the issues raised, he is concerned that amendments proposed to the Bill may delay the introduction of the Resource Accounting procedures.

Agreed.

The Deputy Chair will appear before the Finance and Personnel Committee on Thursday 7 December to reflect the Audit Committee's views on GRAB.

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5. AOB

5.1 Role of the Audit Committee

Agreed.

Clerk to contact the appropriate bodies in both Westminster and the Dáil, to determine the most appropriate way for Members to learn more of how the equivalent bodies there operate.

5.2 Date of Next Meeting

Agreed.

The fifth meeting was set for Wednesday 17 January 2001 at 2:00pm, to consider the NIAO's Estimates for the financial year 2001/02. In considering the Estimates, the Committee had to take account of the views of both the Public Accounts Committee and the Department of Finance and Personnel. Mr Savage informed the Committee that the NIAO would arrange the appropriate meetings in advance, to ensure that the views of both parties were forwarded to the Audit Committee in advance of their meeting.

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Meeting closed at 3:55pm.

JOHN DALLAT

Chairman


22 September 2000 / Menu / 17 January 2001