PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 27 NOVEMBER 2008
Room 144, Parliament Buildings, belfast
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:
Ms Alison Ross (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
Apologies: Mr Thomas Burns
Mr Jim Wells
The meeting opened at 2.02pm in public session.
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Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
2.04pm Mr Shannon joined the meeting.
2.05pm Mr Craig joined the meeting.
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Minutes of the meeting on 20 November 2008.
Agreed : The minutes were agreed.
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Matters arising.
Members noted the document entitled ‘Northern Ireland Civil Service – Code of Ethics’.
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Briefing on NIAO Report: ‘Brangam Bagnall & Co – Legal Practitioner Fraud Perpetrated against the Health and Personal Social Services’.
Mr Kieran Donnelly, Deputy C&AG, Mr Terry Woodhouse, Director, Ms Anu Kane, Audit Manager, and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager, briefed the Committee on the NIAO Report, ‘Brangam Bagnall & Co – Legal Practitioner Fraud Perpetrated against the Health and Personal Social Services’ and answered members’ questions.
2.07pm Ms Purvis joined the meeting.
2.17pm The meeting went into closed session.
3.17pm Ms Purvis left the meeting.
Agreed: Members agreed that the evidence session on 4 December 2008 would begin at 1.30pm, and a sandwich lunch would be provided for members from 1.00pm.
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Consideration of the Committee’s Draft Report on Warm Homes – Tackling Fuel Poverty.
Members considered the draft report paragraph by paragraph.
The Committee considered the main body of the report.
Paragraphs 1 – 10 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 11 and 12 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 13 – 16 read and agreed.
Paragraph 17 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 18 - 24 read and agreed.
Paragraph 25 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 26 read and agreed.
Paragraph 27 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 28 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 29 – 31 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 32 and 33 read and agreed.
Paragraph 34 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 35 read and agreed.
Paragraph 36 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 37 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 38 and 39 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraphs 40 and 41 read and agreed.
Paragraph 42 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 43 read and agreed.
Paragraph 44 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 45 read and agreed.
Paragraph 46 read, amended and agreed.The Committee considered the Executive Summary.
Paragraphs 1 – 14 read and agreed.
Paragraphs 15 and 16 read, amended and agreed.
Paragraph 17 read and agreed.
Paragraph 18 read, amended and agreed.Agreed: Members ordered the report to be printed.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Chairperson’s letters requesting further information to the Accounting Officer, Department for Social Development, and the Deputy Treasury Officer of Accounts, Department of Finance and Personnel and their responses would be included in the Committee’s report.
Agreed: Members agreed that the report would be embargoed until 00.01am on Thursday, 8 January 2009, when the report would be published.
Agreed: Members agreed that they would not hold a press conference to launch the report.
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Correspondence – Memorandum of Reply response.
Members considered the response from Mr David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts in relation to issues on which the Committee asked for further clarification on the Memorandum of Reply - Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland: A Case Study in financial management and the public appointment process. NIAO staff attending were Mr Kieran Donnelly, Deputy C&AG, Mr Robert Hutcheson, Director, and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to Treasury Officer of Accounts to clarify the Committee’s position on one of its recommendations.
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Any other business.
The Chairperson informed members that the C&AG had extended an invitation to hold the Committee meeting on 11 December 2008 at the Northern Ireland Audit Office.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Clerk would proceed with arrangements for the meeting on 11 December 2008 at the Northern Ireland Audit Office.
Members also noted a paper on privilege in proceedings of the Assembly.
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Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 4 December 2008 at 1.30pm in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.08pm.