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PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2009
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr John Dallat
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP
Mr Patsy McGlone
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Mr Jim Shannon

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

Apologies:
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Trevor Lunn
Ms Dawn Purvis

The meeting opened at 2.03 pm in public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are listed above.

2. Minutes of the meeting on 3 December 2009

Agreed: The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

3. Matters arising

Correspondence from Mr David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts, DFP

Member noted correspondence from Mr David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts, Department of Finance and Personnel relating to a previous request by the Committee for information on PFI contracts currently without open book accounting arrangements.

Correspondence from Mr Alan Shannon, Accounting Officer, DSD

Members agreed to return to this item under the agenda item of any other business.

Issues Paper on the Performance of the Planning System

Members considered an issues paper on this evidence session.

2:30 pm Mr Dallat left the meeting

4. MOR on ‘The Review of Assistance to Valence Technology’.

The Committee considered the Memorandum of Reply to the Committee Report on ‘The Review of Assistance to Valence Technology’.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to respond to the Treasury Officer of Accounts regarding the response to recommendation 20.

2:44 pm Mr Dallat entered the meeting

2:50 pm Mr McGlone left the meeting

2:55 pm Mr Maskey left the meeting

2:55 pm Mr Beggs chaired the meeting

2:56 pm the meeting went into closed session

5. Consideration of the Draft Committee Report on ‘The Performance of the Health Service’.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to defer the consideration of the draft report until 7 January 2010, to permit the Committee Clerk to liaise with the Health Committee Clerk and the Northern Ireland Audit Office to discuss recent developments.

3:27 pm Mr McGlone entered the meeting

3:30 pm Mr McGlone left the meeting

6. Any other business

Members noted correspondence from Mr Alan Shannon, Accounting Officer, DSD relating to the launch of the Committee’s report on ‘Bringing the SS Nomadic to Belfast – The Acquisition and Restoration of the SS Nomadic’.

Agreed: Members agreed that the Chairperson would seek informal reassurances about media protocols from EIS in liaison with TOA.

7. Date, time and venue of the next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 07 January 2010 at 2:00 pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3:42 pm.

Paul Maskey
Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee
7 January 2010

03 December 09 / Menu