PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 17 April 2008
SENATE CHAMBER, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr John O’Dowd (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Thomas Burns
Mr John Dallat
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Ian McCrea
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
In Attendance:
Mr Jim Beatty (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Nicola Shephard (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr John Lunny (Clerical Supervisor)
Apologies: Mr Jonathan Craig
The meeting opened at 2.00pm in public session.
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Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
- The Chairperson welcomed Mr John Dowdall CB, Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG), and Mr David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts (TOA) to the meeting.
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Evidence on the NIAO Report ‘Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland’.
(a)The Committee took oral evidence on the NIAO report ‘Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland’, from Dr Aideen McGinley, Accounting Officer, Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), Mr Greg McConnell, Deputy Secretary, DEL, and Mr Edgar Jardine, Deputy Secretary, Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
Dr McGinley declared an interest in that she was a SOLACE representative of the Tourism and Hospitality Council for six months in 1997, and she was Accounting Officer of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure from November 1999 until February 2006.
The witnesses answered a number of questions put by the Committee.
2.49pm Mr Burns left the meeting.
3.41pm Mr Hilditch left the meeting.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 4.00pm.
4.00pm The Chairperson and Mr McCrea left the meeting.
4.11pm The meeting reconvened with the Deputy Chairperson in the Chair.
Members requested that the witnesses should provide additional information to the Clerk on some issues raised as a result of the evidence session.
4.42pm The evidence session finished and the witnesses left the meeting .
(b) The Committee then took oral evidence from Mrs Felicity Huston, Commissioner for Public Appointments. Mrs Huston answered a number of questions put by the Committee.
5.15pm The evidence session finished and Mrs Huston left the meeting..
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Minutes of the meeting on 10 April 2008.
Agreed: The minutes were agreed, with a minor amendment.
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Matters arising.
None.
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Press Releases.
Members considered draft press releases relating to the launch of the following Committee reports:
(a) Further Report on The Use of Operating Theatres in the Northern Ireland Health and Personal Social Services; and
(b) Social Security Benefit Fraud and Error
Agreed: Members agreed the press releases.
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Any other business.
A member provided correspondence referred to in the evidence session for the information of the Committee.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Clerk should forward further questions to the witnesses for written answer.
Agreed: Members agreed to invite Northern Ireland Certification Officer to a future meeting of the Committee.
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Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 24 April 2008 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 5.20pm.