PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Room 144, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
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)
Ms Alison Ross (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Supervisor)
Apologies:
Mr Thomas Burns
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr Trevor Lunn
The meeting opened at 2.02pm in public session.
1. Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
2.04pm Mr Beggs joined the meeting.
2.05pm Ms Purvis joined the meeting.
2. Minutes of the meeting on 2 October 2008.
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
3. Matters arising.
(i) Members noted an update from the Accounting Officer, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, relating to incorrect claims for exemption from Health Service Charges, together with a briefing paper from the Assembly Research and Library Services on the abolition of prescription charges in Wales.
(ii) Members considered correspondence from Derry City Council relating to an overestimate of Estimated Penny Product for 2007/08.
Agreed: Members agreed that the issue raised by Derry City Council should be included in the Committee Report on Statement of Rate Levy and Collection 2006-07.
Agreed: Members agreed that Derry City Council should be informed of the Committee decision and that similar action should be taken if any other councils contact the Committee with similar concerns.
4. Update on Memorandum of Reply relating to House of Commons Committee on Public Accounts Report on Improving Literacy and Numeracy in Schools.
Members considered the response from the Accounting Officer, Department of Education. The Committee took briefing from Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Mr Sean McKay, Director, and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager.
2.12pm Mr Wells joined the meeting.
Agreed: Members agreed that C&AG would hold discussions, on behalf of the Committee, with the Accounting Officer, Department of Education, for further clarification on a number of issues, and report back to the Committee.
5. Update on Memorandum of Reply relating to House of Commons Committee on Public Accounts Report on Northern Ireland’s Waste Management Strategy.
Members considered the response from the Accounting Officer, Department of the Environment. The Committee took briefing from Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Ms Ursula Moyna, Audit Manager and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager.
Agreed: Members agreed that the NIAO should include some further work on this issue in its future work programme.
6. NIAO report ‘Brangam, Bagnall & Co: Legal Practitioner Fraud against the Health and Personal Social Services’.
Members considered correspondence from NIAO in relation to its report.
Agreed: Members agreed that representatives of the Law Society would be invited to give oral evidence to the Committee in relation to this report.
2.47pm Mr Wells left the meeting.
2.48pm The meeting went into closed session.
2.50pm Mr Wells rejoined the meeting.
7. Issues paper from the oral evidence session on NIAO report ‘Delivering Pathology Services: The PFI Laboratory and Pharmacy Centre at Altnagelvin’.
Members considered the issues paper.
3.11pm Mr Dallat left the meeting.
8. Any other business.
Members considered a letter from a member of the public raising some issues in recent NIAO reports.
Agreed: Members agreed that NIAO should include the issues, as appropriate, in its future work programme.
9. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 16 October 2008 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.22pm.