PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 18 September 2008
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Thomas Burns
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
Mr George Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
Mr Jim Wells
In Attendance:
Mr Jim Beatty (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Supervisor)
Apologies:
Mr Trevor Lunn
The meeting opened at 2.04pm in public session.
1. The Chairperson welcomed Mr George Robinson and Mr Jim Shannon as members of the Committee. Mr Shannon confirmed that his interests are as listed in the Register of Members’ Interests, and Mr Robinson’s declaration of interests will be circulated to members.
2. Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
The Chairperson welcomed Mr Kieran Donnelly, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) and Mr David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts (TOA) to the meeting.
3. Matters arising
The Chairperson informed members that the debate on the Committee Motion will take place in the House on Tuesday, 30 September 2008, at 10.45pm for two hours.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Clerk would contact them to select which report(s), if any, on which they wish to speak.
4. Evidence on the NIAO Report ‘Statement of Rate Levy and Collection 2006-07’.
The Committee took oral evidence on the NIAO report ‘Statement of Rate Levy and Collection 2006-07’ from Mr Leo O’Reilly, Accounting Officer, Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP), Mr John Wilkinson, Chief Executive, Land and Property Services (LPS), Mr Arthur Scott, Director of Operations, LPS, and Ms Anne Johnston, Programme Manager for the Rating Reform and Modernisation Programme, LPS.
Mr Beggs, Mr Burns, Mr Craig, Mr Dallat, Mr Robinson and Mr Shannon declared an interest as they are councillors in local government.
2.14pm Mr Wells joined the meeting.
2.15pm Ms Purvis joined the meeting.
The witnesses answered a number of questions put by the Committee.
3.50pm Mr McLaughlin left the meeting.
4.10pm Mr Burns left the meeting.
4.15pm Ms Purvis left the meeting.
Members requested that the witnesses should provide additional information to the Clerk on some issues raised as a result of the evidence session.
4.38pm The evidence session finished and the witnesses left the meeting.
5. Minutes of the meeting on 11 September 2008.
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
6. Press Release relating to launch of the First Composite Report on Issues Dealt with by Correspondence.
Members considered whether or not to issue a press release to launch the First Composite Report on Issues Dealt with by Correspondence.
Agreed: Members agreed not to issue a press release for the launch of this report.
7. Any other business.
Members considered a letter from the Clerk to the Committee for Finance and Personnel (CFP) relating to the CFP’s scrutiny of the work of the Land and Property Services.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Clerk would write to the Clerk of the Committee for Finance and Personnel to inform him that CFP should await the Public Accounts Committee’s report and consideration of the Memorandum of Reply before taking forward further scrutiny.
8. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 25 September 2008 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.40pm.