Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2009
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Patsy McGlone
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
Mr Jim Shannon

In Attendance:
Aoibhinn Treanor (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Phil Pateman (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Miss Danielle Best (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)

The meeting opened at 2.11 pm in public session.

1. Apologies.

There were no apologies.

2. Minutes of the meeting on 17 September 2009

Agreed: The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

2.15 pm Mr Hilditch entered the meeting.

3. Matters arising

HANI update - recommendation 37

Members noted correspondence from Gail McKibben, Departmental Assembly Liaison Officer providing an update on recommendation 37 from the Report on the Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland (HANI).

Agreed: Members agreed to request an update on the entire Memorandum of Reply to this report for completeness.

Housing Rights Service correspondence

Members noted correspondence from the Social Development Committee and Housing Rights Service about their work under the Preventing Possession Initiative (PPI).

Agreed: Members agreed to commend initiatives to contribute good practice learning to this area of work; members further agreed to publish the correspondence in the Committee’s forthcoming report.

Land and Property Services performance update

Members noted correspondence from the Committee of Finance and Personnel detailing Land & Property Services (LPS) performance for the first quarter of 2009-10 and an update on recommendations made by the Public Accounts Committee in a previous report.

United Kingdom Home Care Association correspondence

Members noted correspondence from Mr Colum Conway, Board representative for Northern Ireland from United Kingdom Home Care Association Limited following a survey of domiciliary care providers by the Community Information Branch at the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS).

Agreed: Members agreed to refer this item of correspondence to the statutory Health Committee for information.

SS Nomadic correspondence

Members noted correspondence from a member of the public providing information on the SS Nomadic.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request clarification from the Department of the points raised in the letter.

PAC Debate

Members discussed the Motion for Debate detailing the work of the Committee scheduled for plenary session on 29 September 2009.

4. Member Register of Interests

Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA declared that his registered interests, as published on the Assembly website, are up to date.

2.31 pm Mr Craig left the meeting

5. Memorandum of Reply on Committee Report ‘The Control of Bovine Tuberculosis’.

The Committee considered the Memorandum of Reply to the Committee Report ‘The Control of Bovine Tuberculosis’.

2.57 pm Ms Purvis left the meeting

3.11 pm Mr Dallat left the meeting.

3.16 pm Mr Donaldson left the meeting.

3.18 pm Mr McGlone entered the meeting.

3.21 pm Mr Donaldson entered the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request further clarification from the Department on some of the responses in the Memorandum of Reply.

3.26pm Mr Shannon left the meeting.

Memorandum of Reply on Committee Report ‘The Review of Financial Management in the FE Sector in NI from 1998 to 2007; and Governance Examination of Fermanagh College of Further and Higher Education’.

The Committee considered the Memorandum of Reply to the Committee Report ‘The Review of Financial Management in the FE Sector in NI from 1998 to 2007; and Governance Examination of Fermanagh College of Further and Higher Education’.

3.35 pm Mr Dallat entered the meeting.

3.41 pm Mr Shannon entered the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to request further clarification from the Department on some of the responses in the Memorandum of Reply.

3.42 pm The meeting went in to closed session.

3.43 pm Mr Lunn left the meeting

6. Issues Paper on evidence session ‘The Management of Social Housing Rent Collection and Arrears’.

Members considered an issues paper on this evidence session.

7. Issues Paper on evidence session ‘Bringing the SS Nomadic to Belfast – The Acquisition and Restoration of the SS Nomadic’.

Members considered an issues paper on this evidence session.

8. Any other business

Agreed: Members agreed the draft press release to accompany the launch of the Committee’s report into assistance to Valence Technology.

9. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 1 October 2009 at 2.00 pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.52 pm.

Paul Maskey
Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee.
1 October 2009

17 September 09 / Menu