PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 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 David Hilditch
Mr Patsy McGlone
Mr Trevor Lunn
Ms Dawn Purvis
In Attendance: Mrs Cathie White (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Nicola Shephard (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Officer)
Apologies: Mr Willie Clarke
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
The meeting opened at 2.00pm in public session.
The Chairperson informed members that Mrs Pauline Hunter has given birth to a baby boy named Noah Elijah, and members wished to forward their congratulations to the parents.
1. Apologies.
2.01pm Mr Beggs and Ms Purvis joined the meeting.
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Minutes of the meeting on 20 September 2007.
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
2.02pm Mr Hamilton joined the meeting.
3. Matters arising.
None.
4. Briefing on the NIAO report ‘Transfer of Surplus Land in the PFI Education Pathfinder Projects’.
Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Mr Brandon McMaster, Director of Value for Money, Mr Sean Beattie, Audit Manager and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager, briefed the Committee on the NIAO report ‘Transfer of Surplus Land in the PFI Education Pathfinder Projects’, and answered members’ questions.
Ms Purvis declared an interest in this issue as her son attends Wellington College, and Mr McMaster declared an interest as he is a parent representative on the Board of Governors of Wellington College and is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Governors.
2.15pm The meeting went into closed session.
2.38pm Mr McGlone joined the meeting.
Agreed: Members agreed a press release to inform the press of the Committee’s meeting on 4 October 2007 at Wellington College.
Agreed: Members agreed the list of relevant press organisations to which the press release should issue and agreed that in future the Clerk should decide to whom press releases should issue.
Members noted a map of the location of Wellington College.
3.11pm The witnesses left the meeting.
5. Any other business.
Members noted the final copy of the Committee Report on Springvale Educational Village Project.
Agreed: Members agreed that in future final copies of Committee reports should be e-mailed to them.
Members noted legal advice regarding whether this Committee can investigate complaints made regarding the work of the NIAO.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the C&AG and Mr David Lyle, Lyle Bailie International Ltd, informing them of the legal advice.
Members noted information from the Assembly’s Deputy Information Officer regarding the embargo time of Committee reports.
Agreed: Members agreed to change the embargo time to 00.01am on day of publication in order to obtain more press coverage.
Agreed: Members agreed to consider alternative ways of launching Committee reports, and asked for a paper to be provided for their consideration.
A member raised the issue of whether questions which had not been asked at a previous evidence session should be forwarded to the Accounting Officer. Members discussed this issue.
Agreed: The Committee agreed not to forward such questions to the Accounting Officer.
A member raised the issue of a report which NIAO had provided for members’ information. The Clerk will inquire from NIAO whether they intend to publish a report on this issue and report back to the Committee
6. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 4 October 2007 at 2.00pm in the Lecture Theatre, Wellington College.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.20pm.