PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 04 MARCH 2010
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Patsy McGlone
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Mr Trevor Lunn
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:
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP
2:01 pm the meeting opened in public session.
1. Apologies
Apologies are listed above.
2:05 pm Ms Purvis entered the meeting.
2:06 pm Mr Craig entered the meeting.
2. Minutes of the meeting on 25 February 2010.
Agreed: The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.
2:08 pm Mr McLaughlin entered the meeting.
2:09 pm Mr Lunn entered the meeting.
3. Matters arising
Correspondence from The Northern Ireland Audit Office
Members noted correspondence from Mr Kieran Donnelly, Comptroller & Auditor General, Northern Ireland Audit Office relating to the interests of Board Members at Invest NI.
Agreed: Members agreed to explore Mr Donnelly’s findings at the Committee’s forthcoming evidence session on 20 May 2010.
Members noted correspondence from Mr Kieran Donnelly, Comptroller & Auditor General, Northern Ireland Audit Office relating to the Sports Council of Northern Ireland and the Ulster Camogie Council.
Correspondence from AQB Architectural Workshop Ltd
Members noted correspondence from Mr Alan Boyle, AQB Architectural Workshop Ltd in response to the Committee’s previous report on the ‘Performance of the Planning Service’.
Agreed: Members agreed to refer this matter to the Committee for the Environment for consideration.
Correspondence from the Department of Finance and Personnel
Members noted correspondence from Mr Stephen Peover, Accounting Officer, Department of Finance and Personnel relating to the a request for an additional witness to attend on the Committee’s forthcoming evidence session on 18 March 2010.
Agreed: Members agreed to the request .
4. Joint Memorandum of Reply
The Committee considered the Memorandum of Reply to the Committee Report on ‘Public Service Agreements – Measuring Performance’.
Members put a number of questions to Ms Fiona Hamill, Treasury Officer of Accounts.
Agreed: Members agreed to formally reject the response received.
The Committee considered the Memorandum of Reply to the Committee Report on ‘Irish Sport Horse Genetic Testing Ltd: Transfer and Disposal of Assets’.
Members put a number of questions to Ms Fiona Hamill, Treasury Officer of Accounts
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the TOA to ask for further clarification of some information in the response.
2:36 pm Mr Craig left the meeting.
2:36 pm Mr Shannon entered the meeting.
2:44 pm Mr Craig entered the meeting.
The Committee considered the Memorandum of Reply to the Committee Report on ‘Review of New Deal 25+’.
2:55 pm Mr Maskey left the meeting.
2:55pm Mr Beggs took the chair.
2:59 pm Mr Dallat left the meeting.
Members put a number of questions to Ms Fiona Hamill, Treasury Officer of Accounts.
Agreed: Members agreed to write to the TOA to supplement the Committee’s recommendation.
Agreed: Members agreed to refer recommendations 9 & 10 to the Committee for Employment and Learning and the Committee for Social Development for their consideration.
3:12 pm Mr Hilditch left the meeting.
3:16 pm Mr McGlone left the meeting.
3:19 pm Mr Hilditch entered the meeting.
Correspondence from Department of Finance and Personnel
Members noted correspondence from Ms Fiona Hamill, Treasury Officer of Accounts, Department of Finance and Personnel providing an update to the Committee on a previous Memorandum of Reply to the Committee Report on ‘The Review of Assistance to Valence Technology’.
Members noted correspondence from Ms Fiona Hamill, Treasury Officer of Accounts, Department of Finance and Personnel providing an update to the Committee on a previous Memorandum of Reply to the Committee Report on ‘Social Housing Rent Collection and Arrears’.
5. Data Sharing
The Committee received an oral briefing from an Assembly Research Officer on the subject of data sharing, which was commissioned by the Committee at a previous meeting.
Members put a number of questions to the Researcher on his findings.
Agreed: Members agreed to invite the Information Commissioner to a future meeting to discuss the code of conduct that is currently being drafted.
Members put a number of questions to Mr Kieran Donnelly, C&AG and Ms Fiona Hamill, TOA.
6. NIAO Estimate
Members were briefed by Mr Kieran Donnelly, C&AG, Northern Ireland Audit Office on the NIAO Estimate for 2010-11.
Members noted the Northern Ireland Audit Office Estimate for 2010-11.
3:41 pm Mr Shannon left the meeting.
3:44 pm the meeting went into closed session.
7. Committee Report on ‘The Review of the Gateway Process’ and the ‘Management of Personal Injury Claims’.
Members noted correspondence from Mr Paul Priestly, Accounting Officer, Department for Regional Development providing the further information requested by the Committee at the evidence session on 4 February 2010.
Members noted correspondence from Ms Fiona Hamill, Treasury Officer of Accounts, Department of Finance and Personnel providing the further information requested by the Committee at the evidence session on 4 February 2010.
8. Issues Paper on the ‘Resettlement of Long-stay Patients from Learning Disability Hospitals’.
Members considered an issues paper on this evidence session.
Members noted correspondence from the Friends of Muckamore in response to the evidence session on 25 February 2010.
9. Any other business
Agreed: Members agreed to seek legal advice relating to a forthcoming item on the Forward Work Programme.
10. Date, time and venue of the next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 11 March 2010 at 2:00 pm in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.
4:02 pm the Chairperson adjourned the meeting.