PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 2009
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present: Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis
Mr Jim Shannon
In Attendance: Ms Aoibhinn Treanor (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Phil Pateman (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Miss Danielle Best (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Darren Weir (Clerical Officer)
Apologies: Mr John Dallat
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Patsy McGlone
The meeting opened at 2.04 pm in public session.
1. Apologies.
Apologies are listed above.
2.05pm Mr Donaldson entered the meeting.
2. Minutes of the meeting on 22 October 2009
Agreed: The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.
3. Matters arising:
MOR Update – Northern Ireland’s Road Safety Strategy
Members noted the MOR update from Leo O’Reilly, Accounting Officer, Department of the Environment.
Further information on MOR – The Review of Financial Management in the Further Education Sector in Northern Ireland
Members noted correspondence from David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts, Department of Finance and Personnel.
Further information on MOR – The Control of Bovine TB in Northern Ireland
Members noted correspondence from David Thomson, Treasury Officer of Accounts, Department of Finance and Personnel.
Agreed: Members agreed to request further information from the Department on this matter.
2.16 pm Mr Hilditch entered the meeting.
Correspondence received from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Members considered and noted correspondence received from Dr Malcolm McKibbin, Accounting Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, detailing the Department’s internal audit on the procurement of the NI badger population survey 2007/2008.
Agreed: Members agreed to refer this matter to the Northern Ireland Audit Office for further analysis.
Correspondence received from the Department of Finance and Personnel
Members noted correspondence from Mr Stephen Peover, Accounting Officer, Department of Finance and Personnel providing the information requested by the Committee at a previous evidence session.
2.19 pm Mr Craig left the meeting.
2.20 pm Mr McLaughlin left the meeting.
2.20 pm The Committee went into closed session.
4. Fourth Composite Report.
Response from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
Members noted the response from Dr Andrew McCormick, Accounting Officer, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety relating to information requested by the Committee for its forthcoming report.
2.22 pm Mr McLaughlin entered the meeting.
Response from the Department of Finance and Personnel
Members noted the response from Mr Stephen Peover, Accounting Officer, Department of Finance and Personnel relating to information requested by the Committee for its forthcoming report.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to forward this response to the Committee for Finance and Personnel for information.
Agreed: The Committee also agreed to reply to the Department requesting further information.
Response from the Department of Education
Members noted the response from Mr Will Haire, Accounting Officer, Department of Education relating to information requested by the Committee for its forthcoming report.
5. PAC Business Planning
Members considered the report summary of the recent business planning meetings.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that the secretariat should bring firm proposals for next steps to an upcoming meeting.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule full briefing by NIAO for forward work planning on 19 November beginning at 1 pm.
6. Briefing on NIAO Report ‘The Performance of the Health Service in Northern Ireland’.
2.30 pm Mr Craig entered the meeting.
Mr Kieran Donnelly, C&AG, Mr Sean McKay, Director; and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager; briefed the Committee on the report.
The witnesses answered a number of questions put by members.
2.57 pm Ms Purvis left the meeting.
7. Issues Paper on the evidence session on NIAO report ‘Review of New Deal 25+’.
Members considered an issues paper on this evidence session.
8. Consideration of Draft Committee Report on Public Service Agreements – Measuring Performance
Agreed: Members ordered the report to be printed.
Agreed: Members agreed that the report would be embargoed until 00.01 am on Thursday, 26 November 2009.
Agreed: Members agreed to launch the report with a press release to be agreed at a later meeting and to participate in a Committee launch at a relevant venue.
9. NIAO Corporate Plan
Members noted the Northern Ireland Audit Office corporate plan.
10. Any other business
Mr Craig commented on feedback he had received from his constituency relating to the ‘Warm Homes’ scheme which the Committee had previously reported on.
Agreed: Members agreed to request an update on the Memorandum of Response received from the Committee’s report on ‘Warm Homes: Tackling Fuel Poverty’.
11. Date, time and venue of the next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 12 November 2009 at 2.00 pm in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3.34 pm.