PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Mr Simon Hamilton
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
In Attendance:
Mrs Cathie White (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Jim Beatty (Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Gillian Lewis (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mrs Nicola Shephard (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Thomas Burns
Mr Trevor Lunn
The meeting opened at 2.03pm in public session with the Deputy Chairperson in the Chair.
1. Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
2. Minutes of the meeting on 26 June 2008.
Agreed: The minutes were agreed.
3. Matters arising.
None.
4. Proposal to appoint the C&AG as External Auditor to the Colleges of Further Education.
Members considered the proposal from Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) to appoint the C&AG as external auditor to the Colleges of Further Education (FE). The witness attending was Mr David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts.
Agreed: Members agreed the proposal and to DFP proceeding to make the necessary Statutory Rule to provide for the C&AG to become the external auditor of the FE Colleges.
2.06pm Mr Craig joined the meeting.
5. Consideration of Committee Draft Forward Work Programme.
Members discussed the draft forward work programme for the period September to December 2008 and considered the updated list of reports provided by Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO). The witnesses were Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager, NIAO.
Agreed: Members agreed to bring forward the evidence session of the NIAO Report ‘Delivering Pathology Services: The PFI Laboratory and Pharmacy Centre at Altnagelvin’ to 2 October 2008, and that the Committee would take evidence at the site, if facilities are available.
Agreed: Members agreed to include a further evidence session on NIAO Report ‘Warm Homes: Tackling fuel poverty’ on 23 October 2008.
Agreed: Members agreed that the business included for the meeting of 25 September should instead be considered on 9 October 2008.
Members discussed the Memorandum of Response on Department of Environment: Northern Ireland’s Waste Management Strategy.
Agreed: Members agreed to ask for an update report on the Memorandum of Response Department of Environment: Northern Ireland’s Waste Management Strategy.
Members considered further NIAO reports which they wished to be included in the forward work programme for the period January to April 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed that the NIAO reports ‘Financial Auditing and Reporting 2006-07 Accountability of North/South Bodies 1999-2007’ and ‘The PFI Contract for Northern Ireland’s New Vehicle Testing Facilities’ should be included in the forward work programme for the period January to April 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed the draft forward work programme and for it to be placed on the internet.
2.36pm Mr Hamilton left the meeting.
6. Ministerial Direction – Bluetongue: Import Controls.
Mr John Dowdall CB, C&AG, Ms Louise Mason, Assistant Auditor General, and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager, briefed the Committee on the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Ministerial Direction in relation to the temporary suspension in March 2008 of the imports of certain classes of animals susceptible to Bluetongue.
Agreed: Members noted the Ministerial Direction.
2.37pm The meeting went into closed session.
7. Any other business.
Members considered a letter from the Accounting Officer, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI), providing an update on three ongoing investigations referred to in a previous House of Commons Committee on Good Governance in DETI’s former Local Enterprise Development Unit.
Agreed: Members agreed to ask the Accounting Officer, DETI, for a further update at the end of October 2008 if the investigations have not concluded.
Members noted correspondence from the Head of the Civil Service in relation to public appointments.
8. Date, time and place of next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 4 September 2008 at 2.00pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 2.55pm.