PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 1 May 2008
Senate Chamber, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
In Attendance:
Mrs Patricia Casey (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Nicola Shepherd (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Supervisor)
Apologies:
Mr John O’Dowd (Chairperson)
Mr John Dallat
Mr Ian McCrea
The meeting opened at 2.00pm in public session, with the Deputy Chairperson in the Chair.
1. The Deputy Chairperson welcomed members of the Tynwald Public Accounts Committee who were on a visit to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
2. Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
2.02pm Mr Hamilton joined the meeting.
3. Evidence on the NIAO Report ‘ Northern Ireland Tourist Board – Contract to Manage the Trading Activities of Rural Cottage Holidays Ltd’.
The Committee took oral evidence on the NIAO report ‘Northern Ireland Tourist Board – Contract to Manage the Trading Activities of Rural Cottage Holidays Ltd’ from Mr Stephen Quinn, Accounting Officer, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Mr Alan Clarke, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), and Ms Kathryn Thomson, Chief Operating Officer, NITB.
The witnesses answered a number of questions put by the Committee.
2.27pm Mr Craig left the meeting.
Members requested that the witnesses should provide additional information to the Clerk on some issues raised as a result of the evidence session.
3.35pm The evidence session finished and the witnesses left the meeting.
4. Minutes of the meeting on 24 April 2008.
Agreed: The minutes were agreed, with a minor amendment.
Matters arising.
None.
5. Press Release.
Members considered a draft press release relating to the launch of the Committee report on Good Governance – Effective Relationships between Departments and their Arm’s Length Bodies, which will be launched on 15 May 2008.
Agreed: Members agreed the press release with a minor amendment.
6. Any other business.
None.
7. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 15 May 2008 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.40pm.