PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr John O’Dowd (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Mickey Brady
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Patsy McGlone
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
In Attendance:
Mrs Cathie White (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Nicola Shephard (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Michael Johnston (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Trevor Lunn
The meeting opened at 2.00pm in public session.
1. Apologies.
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Chairperson’s business.
The Chairperson informed members of a symposium which he and the Clerk attended to mark the 150 th anniversary of the House of Commons Committee on Public Accounts.
3. Minutes of the meeting on 29 November 2007.
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
2.05pm Ms Purvis joined the meeting.
4. Matters arising.
Members discussed an issue arising from the NIAO report ‘Job Evaluation in the Education and Library Boards’ evidence session .
Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, briefed the members on a further witness for the proposed evidence session on NIAO report ‘Good Governance – Effective Relationships between Departments and their Arm’s Length Bodies’ .
Agreed: Members agreed to invite the Accounting Officer from Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) to the evidence session.
2.19pm Mr McGlone left the meeting.
5. Consideration of Memorandum of Response on Committee’s Report on Outpatients: Missed Appointments and Cancelled Clinics.
Members considered the response to the Committee’s Report on Outpatients: Missed Appointments and Cancelled Clinics.
Agreed: Members agreed to obtain an update on the progress against the Department's responses to the Committee’s recommendations in twelve months.
2.23pm The meeting went into closed session.
6. Consideration of the Accounting Officers’ update on the Memorandum of Response: Control of River Pollution in Northern Ireland.
Members noted the updates from Dr Malcolm McKibbin, Accounting Officer, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), and Mr Stephen Peover, Accounting Officer, Department of the Environment (DOE). Members received briefing on the updates from Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Mr Eddie Bradley, Director of Value for Money, Ms Ursula Moyna, Audit Manager and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager.
Agreed: Members agreed that Mr Stephen Peover, Accounting Officer, DOE, would be asked to provide further information.
7. Consideration of the Accounting Officer’s update on the Memorandum of Response: Northern Ireland: The management of industrial sickness absence.
Members noted the update from Mr David Sterling, Accounting Officer, Department for Regional Development. Members received briefing on the update from Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Mr Eddie Bradley, Director of Value for Money, Mr Paul Craig, Audit Manager and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Accounting Officer would be asked to attend an evidence session at a later date.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Accounting Officer would be asked to provide details of the Department’s governance arrangements with Northern Ireland Water.
8. Composite Report
Members considered responses to the Committee’s questions received from Accounting Officers in relation to NIAO reports on which it would not be taking oral evidence.
Agreed: Members agreed to ask for further information from the Accounting Officer, DARD, in relation to the NIAO report ‘Failure of Processing and Marketing grant applicants to follow procurement rules’.
Agreed: Members agreed that the response from the Accounting Officer, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, would be included in the Committee’s report.
Agreed: Members agreed to ask for further information from the Accounting Officer, DCAL, in relation to the NIAO report ‘Electronic Libraries for Northern Ireland’.
9. Issues arising from oral evidence on NIAO report ‘Job Evaluation in the Education and Library Boards’.
Members discussed issues relating to the evidence session.
10. Consideration of Draft Committee Report on Tackling Public Sector Fraud.
Members considered the draft report paragraph by paragraph. The witnesses attending were Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Mr Eddie Bradley, Director of Value for Money, Mr Patrick O’Neill, Audit Manager, and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager.
The Committee considered the main body of the report.
Paragraphs 1 – 10 read and agreed.
Paragraph 11read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 12 – 13 read and agreed.
Paragraph 14 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 15 read and agreed.
Paragraph 16 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 17 – 18 read and agreed.
Paragraph 19 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 20 – 21 read and agreed.
Paragraph 22 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 23 – 27 read and agreed.
Paragraph 28 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 29 read and agreed.
Paragraph 30 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 31 – 41 read and agreed.
Paragraph 42 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 43 – 50 read and agreed.
Paragraph 51 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 52 – 54 read and agreed.
The Committee considered the Executive Summary of the report.
Paragraph 1 read and agreed.
Paragraph 2 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 3 – 5 read and agreed.
Paragraph 6 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 7 – 14 read and agreed.
Agreed: Members ordered the report to be printed.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Chairperson’s letters requesting additional information to Mr Paul Sweeney and Mr Bruce Robinson, and the responses would be included in the Committee’s report. The Committee agreed that further correspondence would be treated under the Osmotherly rules.
Agreed: Members agreed to embargo the report until 00.01am on 24 January 2008, when the report would be officially released.
Agreed: Members agreed not to hold a press conference to launch this report.
11. Any other business.
None.
12. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 10 January 2008 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.26pm.