PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 05 JULY 2007
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr John O’Dowd (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn PurvisIn Attendance:
Mrs Cathie White (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Elaine Farrell (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Pauline Hunter (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Officer)Apologies:
Mr David HilditchThe meeting opened at 2.01 p.m. in public session.
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Apologies.
Apologies are detailed above.
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Minutes of the meeting on 21 June 2007.
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
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Matters arising.
2.03pm Mr Craig joined the meeting.
Members discussed the committee room in which they wished to hold meetings.
Agreed: Members agreed that future Committee briefing meetings would be held in Room 144.
2.06 p.m. Mr Simon Hamilton joined the meeting.
Members discussed the different approaches to questioning in oral evidence sessions.
Agreed: Members agreed that each member should be given ten minutes each for questioning with further questioning thereafter. Members agreed to operate a rota system for questioning.
Members noted that the Clerk had not received any requests from members for oral evidence sessions on the reports detailed on the NIAO paper entitled ‘Suitable Reports for Evidence’ discussed at the Committee meeting on 7 June 2007. Members discussed the paper further.
Agreed: Members agreed that oral evidence sessions should be held for the NIAO reports ‘Use of Consultants by Northern Ireland Government Departments’, ‘The PFI Contract for Northern Ireland’s New Vehicle Testing Facilities’ and ‘Into the West (Tyrone and Fermanagh) Ltd: Use of Agents’.
Agreed: Members agreed that the remaining reports would be dealt with in Committee Composite Reports.
Members noted the Dear Accounting Officer letter issued by the Treasury Officer of Accounts regarding the provision of supplementary written evidence to the Public Accounts Committee.
Members noted correspondence received from Dr Aideen McGinley, which provided additional information on the Springvale Educational Village Project. Members noted that a further request for information had been issued to Dr Aideen McGinley.
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Draft forward work programme.
Members discussed the draft forward work programme for the period September to December 2007. Mr John Dowdall, C&AG, briefed the members on an option to remove the NIAO report ‘The Fire and Rescue Service Training Centre’ and to insert the NIAO report ‘Internal Fraud in Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland’. Alternatively Ms Purvis suggested inserting the NIAO reports ‘Use of Consultants by Northern Ireland Government Departments’ and ‘Into the West (Tyrone and Fermanagh) Ltd: Use of Agents’.
The question proposed by Mr John Dallat was “that the NIAO report ‘Internal Fraud in Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland’ replace the NIAO report ‘The Fire and Rescue Service Training Centre’’’.
The vote was recorded as follows:
Ayes: Mr John Dallat, Mr Roy Beggs, Mr Jonathan Craig, Mr Simon Hamilton, Mr Trevor Lunn.
Noes: Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, Ms Dawn Purvis.
Abstain: Mr J O’Dowd.
The question proposed by Ms Dawn Purvis was “that the NIAO reports ‘Use of Consultants by Northern Ireland Government Departments’ and ‘Into the West (Tyrone and Fermanagh) Ltd: Use of Agents’ replace the NIAO report ‘The Fire and Rescue Service Training Centre’’’.
The vote was recorded as follows:
Ayes: Ms Dawn Purvis, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin.
Noes: Mr John Dallat, Mr Roy Beggs, Mr Jonathan Craig, Mr Simon Hamilton, Mr Trevor Lunn.
Abstain: Mr J O’Dowd.
Mr John Dowdall, C&AG, briefed the members on which Accounting Officers are responsible for which reports on the Committee’s forward work programme including who should be invited to give oral evidence.
Agreed: Members agreed who should be called to give oral evidence.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department of Education regarding road safety education for school children, which would inform the forthcoming report NIAO report ‘Improving Road Safety in Northern Ireland’.
Members discussed two Memoranda of Responses, namely The Use of Operating Theatres and Improving Literacy and Numeracy in Schools.
Agreed: Members agreed that a letter would be sent to the relevant Accounting Officer asking for an update report on The Use of Operating Theatres and agreed that the Improving Literacy and Numeracy in Schools would be deferred until January 2008.
Mr Beggs declared that his Father is chairperson of the North Eastern Education and Library Board.
Members discussed a memorandum of response, namely Department for Social Development: Housing the Homeless.
Agreed: Members agreed to defer this to September 2007.
Agreed: Members agreed, that if the accommodation was available and suitable, to hold a briefing or oral evidence session for the Private Finance Initiative: Transfer of Surplus Land in the PFI Pathfinder Projects, in Wellington College, Belfast.
Ms Purvis declared that her two sons attend Wellington College.
3.02pm The meeting went into closed session.
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Issues from oral evidence session on the Northern Ireland Audit Office Report ‘Outpatients: Missed Appointments and Public Appointments’
Members considered issues arising from the oral evidence session. Mr John Dowdall, C&AG, and Mr Sean McKay, Audit Manager, attended as witnesses.
Agreed: Members agreed to write and request further information from the Accounting Officer.
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Any other business.
Members noted correspondence received from Dolores Kelly and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.
Mr O’Dowd declared that he was a member of Craigavon Borough Council.
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Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 6 September 2007, at 2.00pm in Room 144 Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.16p.m.
John O’Dowd
Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee.
6 September 2007