PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

THURSDAY, 07 JUNE 2007
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr John O Dowd (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr John Dallat
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Patsy McGlone

In Attendance:
Mrs Cathie White (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Pauline Hunter (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Officer)

Apologies:
Mr Willie Clarke
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis

The meeting opened at 2.02pm in public session.

1. Apologies.

Apologies are detailed above.

2.04pm Mr Dallat joined the meeting.

2. Chairperson’s business.

Agreed: Members agreed that the Chairperson and the Clerk should attend an international symposium in December to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the House of Commons Committee on Public Accounts.

The Chairperson informed members that he and the Clerk had met with the Director of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland and that they would forward a paper detailing their concerns. The Committee will deal with this matter at next week’s Committee meeting.

2.06pm Mr Dallat left the meeting.

3. Minutes of the meeting on 31 May 2007.

Agreed: The minutes were agreed.

2.07pm Mr Dallat rejoined the meeting.
2.08pm Mr McGlone joined the meeting.

4. Matters arising.

Mr John Dowdall, C&AG, briefed members on a paper giving information on whistleblowing and the role of the Public Accounts Committee.

Agreed: Members agreed that in future all such correspondence received either by members, the Chairperson or addressed to the Committee should be forwarded to the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) for consideration and reply, although members may receive correspondence in confidence which they may decide not to forward to NIAO.

Mr John Dowdall, C&AG, briefed the Committee on a paper giving details of previous NIAO reports, future NIAO reports and Memoranda of Response ( MORs). Members then considered each section of the paper.

Agreed: Existing Reports – Members agreed to take oral evidence on these reports from September until December 2007.

Agreed: Forthcoming Reports – Members agreed that these reports will be scheduled in the Committee’s forward work programme, starting in September 2007. The two reports agreed to be considered in September 2007 are ‘Improving Road Safety in Northern Ireland’ and ‘Private Finance Initiative: Transfer of Surplus Land in the PFI Pathfinder Projects’.

Agreed: Suitable Reports for evidence – Members agreed to inform the Clerk if there are any reports on which they think the Committee should take oral evidence and these will also be scheduled into the forward work programme.

Agreed: Possible Reports for evidence – Members agreed that these reports will be dealt with by Composite Reports. Members agreed to inform the Clerk if there are any reports on which they think the Committee should take oral evidence.

Agreed: MORs – Members agreed to schedule two MORs into the forward work programme, namely ‘Improving Literacy and Numeracy in Schools’ and ‘The Use of Operating Theatres’. Members further agreed to inform the Clerk on any other MORs they wished to take further evidence, and that these will also be scheduled in the Committee’s forward work programme from September until July 2008.

5. Briefing on the NIAO Report ‘Springvale Educational Village Project’.

Members noted that the C&AG has declared an interest in that, since 2002, he has held an honorary professorship in the Department of Management and Accounting in the University of Ulster. This is unremunerated and is listed the NIAO’s Register of Interests.

Mr Beggs declared an interest as a member of the Court of the University of Ulster.

Mr John Dowdall, C&AG, Mr Robert Hutcheson, Director of Value for Money, Mr Alan Orme, Audit Manager, and Ms Jacqueline O’Brien, Audit Manager, briefed the Committee on the NIAO Report, ‘Springvale Educational Village Project’, and answered members’ questions.

2.49pm the meeting went into closed session.
2.49pm Mr Hilditch left the meeting.

Agreed: Members agreed that the C&AG and his staff would remain for the closed session and agreed that they could remain for any future briefing sessions.

2.51pm Mr Hilditch rejoined the meeting.

Agreed: Members agreed that at next week’s oral evidence session each member would have ten minutes in which to question the officials with an opportunity to ask further questions towards the end of the session.

3.24pm Mr Hilditch left the meeting.
3.28pm Mr Beggs left the meeting.

6. Issues from oral evidence session on the NIAO Report ‘The Upgrade of the Belfast to Bangor Railway Line’

Agreed: Members agreed that five additional questions tabled at today’s meeting should be forwarded to Mr Gerry McGinn, Accounting Officer, Department for Regional Development.

Agreed: Members agreed that the Clerk should write to the Editor of Debates to enquire if the Official Report of proceedings for their oral evidence sessions could be made available any earlier.

Agreed: Members agreed to inform the Clerk of the email address to which the Official Report of proceedings (Hansard) should be sent.

3.52pm the NIAO officials left the meeting.

7. Any other business.

Members noted a letter which the Chairperson received from the University and College Union NI.

Agreed: Members agreed that the letter should be forwarded to the C&AG for follow up and to report back to the Committee.

The Committee noted a letter received by Mr Patsy McGlone MLA relating to a complaint covering a number of Departments.

Agreed: Members agreed that the letter should be passed to the C&AG for follow up and to report back to the Committee.

8. Date, time and place of next meeting.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 14 June 2007 at 2.00pm in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.54pm.

John O Dowd
Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee.
14 June 2007

 

31 May 07 / MENU / 14 June 07