PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Minutes of Proceedings
THursday, 6 November 2008
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Thomas Burns
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Mr Trevor Lunn
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)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
The meeting opened at 2.01pm in public session.
1. Apologies.
None.
2. Minutes of the meeting on 23 October 2008.
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
3. Matters arising.
Members noted that correspondence to Accounting Officers had been issued as agreed.
2.05pm Mr Craig joined the meeting.
4. Forward Work Programme.
Members discussed the draft forward work programme for the period January to April 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed the forward work programme for the period January to April 2009
5. Assembly Commission Report.
Members considered the draft Committee entry for the Assembly Commission Report.
Agreed: Members agreed the entry without amendments.
6. Retirement of the C&AG
Members noted that the C&AG will retire in September 2009 and that the appointment of his replacement is being taken forward by the Director General’s office.
2.10 Mr Dallat joined the meeting.
7. NIAO Draft Corporate Plan
Mr John Dowdall, C&AG; Mr Kieran Donnelly, Deputy C&AG and Louise Mason, AAG spoke to the Draft Corporate Plan and answered Member’s questions.
8. Briefing on the NIAO Report: ‘Shared Services for Efficiency – A Progress Report’
Mr John Dowdall, 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, ‘Shared Services for Efficiency – A Progress Report’, and answered members’ questions.
2.36pm The meeting went into closed session.
2.50pm Mr Burns left the meeting.
9. Issues from Oral Evidence Session on NIAO Report: ‘Warm Homes: Tackling Fuel Poverty’
Members considered the Issues Paper.
Agreed: Members agreed the Issues Paper.
10. Consideration of the Committee’s ‘Delivering Pathology Services: The PFI Laboratory and Pharmacy Centre at Altnagelvin’
Members considered the draft report paragraph by paragraph.
The Committee considered the main body of the report.
2.59pm Mr Burns returned to the meeting
Paragraphs 1 – 3 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 4 - read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 5 - read and agreed.
Paragraph 6 - read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 7 - 13 read and agreed.
Paragraph 14 - read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 15 – 17 read and agreed.
Paragraph 18 – read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 19 – read and agreed.
Paragraphs 20 – 21 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 22 – read and agreed.
Paragraphs 23 – 24 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 25 – 26 read and agreed.
Paragraph 27 – 29 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 30 – read and agreed
3.12pm Mr Lunn left the meeting.
The Committee considered the Executive Summary.
Paragraphs 1 - read and agreed.
Paragraph 2 - read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 3 - read and agreed.
Paragraphs 4 - read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 5 – 7 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 8 - read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 9 – 10 read and agreed.
Paragraph 11 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 12 - 14 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 15 - read, amended and agreed.
Agreed: Members ordered the report to be printed.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Chairperson’s letter to the Accounting Officer, Department of Health, Social Services & Public Safety, requesting further information, and the Accounting Officer’s response should be included in the report.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Post Project Evaluation Report would be laid in the Assembly Library and published on the Committee website.
Agreed: Members agreed an embargo date of 00h01 on 27 November 2008 for the report.
Agreed: It was agreed that the Clerk would take the issue of publicity surrounding the Report forward with the Assembly’s Press Officer.
11. Any other business.
Members were informed that a number delegates from the BIFHE ‘Get on Board’ Programme will be attending the meeting of 13 November 2008.
John Dowdall, C&AG briefed the Members on a memorandum relating to an upcoming report that the NIAO will be addressing to the Committee.
Agreed: It was agreed that the Clerk will write to the Accounting Officer to inform him of the inclusion of this memorandum in the upcoming evidence session.
12. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 13 November 2008 at 2.00pm in Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings, Belfast.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.36pm.