PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 25 September 2008
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
Mr George Robinson
Mr Jim Shannon
In Attendance:
Mr Jim Beatty (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Alison Ross (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
Apologies: Mr Jim Wells
The meeting opened at 2.00pm in public session.
- The Chairperson welcomed Mrs Alison Ross who will take over as Clerk to the Committee in the near future.
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Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
2.03pm Mr Shannon left the meeting.
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Minutes of the meeting on 18 September 2008.
Agreed : The minutes were agreed.
2 .04pm Mr Shannon rejoined the meeting.
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Matters arising.
Members considered a number of questions for the Committee’s Second Composite Report on Issues Dealt with by Correspondence.
Agreed: Members agreed to forward the questions to the relevant Accounting Officer.
Members considered the visit to Altnagelvin Hospital which will take place on 2 October 2008.
Agreed : Members who have not indicated whether they are attending agreed to inform the Clerk of their intentions by close of play on Friday, 26 September 2008.
Members discussed whether to consider the Memorandum of Reply (MOR): Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland: A Case Study in financial management and the public appointments process in closed session.
Agreed: Members agreed to consider the MOR in closed session.
2.11pmThe meeting went into closed session.
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Consideration of Memorandum of Reply (MOR) on the Committee’s Report on Northern Ireland Hospitality Association – A Case Study in financial management and the public appointments process.
Members considered the response to the Committee’s Report on Northern Ireland Hospitality Association: A Case Study in financial management and the public appointments process. The witnesses attending were Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Mr Kieran Donnelly, Deputy C&AG, Mr Alan Orme, Audit Manager, and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager.
2.20pm Mr Dallat left the meeting.
2.45pm Mr Dallat rejoined the meeting.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Department of Finance and Personnel about some issues which members raised in the MOR.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister about some issues which members raised in the MOR.
Agreed: Members agreed to obtain an update on the progress against the Department’s response to the Committee’s recommendations in 12 months’ time.
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Issues arising from the oral evidence session on the NIAO report ‘Statement of Rate Levy and Collection 2006-07’.
Members discussed issues relating to the evidence session. The witnesses attending were Mr Kieran Donnelly, Deputy C&AG, Mr Stephen McCormick, Director, and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager.
Agreed: Members agreed to look at the way in which the House of Commons Committee on Public Accounts conducts its oral evidence sessions.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the Accounting Officer, Department of Finance and Personnel, in relation to witnesses’ responses to members’ questions in oral evidence sessions.
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Briefing on the NIAO report ‘Delivering Pathology Services: The PFI Laboratory and Pharmacy Centre at Altnagelvin’.
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, ‘Delivering Pathology Services: The PFI Laboratory and Pharmacy Centre at Altnagelvin’, and answered members’ questions.
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Press release.
Members considered the press release in relation to the launch of the Committee’s Report on Sea Fisheries: Vessel Modernising and Decommissioning Schemes.
Agreed: Members agreed the press release with a minor amendment.
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Any other business.
None.
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Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 2 October 2008 at 2.00pm in the Denis Desmond Room, Trust Headquarters, Altnagelvin Hospital.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.43pm.