Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
THURSDAY, 15 APRIL 2010
ROOM 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Patsy McGlone
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Ms Dawn Purvis

Also In Attendance:
The Lord Browne

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 Jonathan Craig
Mr John Dallat
Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson MP
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Jim Shannon

2:06 pm The meeting opened in public session.

1. Apologies  

Apologies are listed above.

The Chairperson briefed the Committee on the proposed membership changes to the Public Accounts Committee.

Agreed: Members agreed to invite the Lord Browne to take part in the meeting and to attend the closed session of the meeting.

2. Minutes of meeting held on 25 March 2010

Agreed: The minutes of the last meeting were agreed. 

3. Matters arising

Correspondence from the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety providing an update to the Committee on the work it had done on the C&AG’s ‘General Report on the Health and Social Care Sector -2008’, which was referred to it as a pilot exercise by the Public Accounts Committee.

Agreed: Members acknowledged the success of the pilot and agreed that this mechanism would be an option in future in deciding its forward work programme.

Correspondence from DFP

Agreed: The Committee agreed its reply to a letter from Mr Stephen Peover, Accounting Officer, Department of Finance and Personnel relating to the Committee’s forthcoming evidence session on Combating Organised Crime on 22 April 2010.

Correspondence from DFP

Agreed: The Committee approved a request from Ms Fiona Hamill, Treasury Officer of Accounts, to attend the Committee’s forthcoming evidence session on Combating Organised Crime on 22 April 2010 on behalf of Mr Stephen Peover .

4. Briefing on the NIAO Memorandum on Combating Organised Crime.

2:20 pm The meeting went into closed session after initial remarks by the C&AG.

The Committee Clerk briefed the Committee on the background and content of legal advice contained in members’ packs.

Mr Kieran Donnelly, Comptroller & Auditor General; Mr Brandon McMaster, Director; Mrs Cathy Robinson, Senior Auditor; and Mr Joe Campbell, Audit Manager; briefed the Committee on the report.

The witnesses answered a number of questions put by members.

Agreed: Members agreed to refer the NIAO Memorandum to the Committee for Justice at the conclusion of the Committee’s inquiry.

2:53 pm Mr Lunn entered the meeting.

5. Consideration of the Draft Committee ‘Report on the Resettlement of Long-stay Patients from Learning Disability Hospitals’.

Paragraphs 1 – 10 read and agreed.

Paragraph 11 read, amended and agreed.

Paragraphs 12 – 13 read and agreed.

Paragraph 14 read, amended and agreed.

Paragraph 15 read and agreed.

Paragraph 16 read, amended and agreed.

Paragraphs 17 - 20 read and agreed.

Paragraphs 21 - 22 read, amended and agreed.

Paragraphs 23 – 26 read and agreed.

Paragraphs 27 - 28 read, amended and agreed.

Paragraph 29 read and agreed.

Paragraphs 30 - 32 read amended and agreed.

Paragraphs 33 – 37 read and agreed.

3:26 pm Mr McGlone left the meeting.

Paragraph 38 read, amended and agreed.

Consideration of the Executive Summary

Paragraphs 1 – 5 read and agreed.

Paragraph 6 read, amended and agreed.

Paragraphs 7 - 8 read and agreed.

Paragraph 9 read, amended and agreed.

Agreed: Members agreed the correspondence for inclusion in the report.

Agreed: Members ordered the report to be printed.

Agreed: Members agreed that the report would be embargoed until 00.01 am on Thursday, 13 May 2010.

Agreed: Members agreed to launch the report with a press release to be agreed at a later meeting, and to participate in a media pre-brief subject to gauging press interest in the matter.

10. Any other business

The Chairperson briefed the Committee on the discussion of the Chairperson’s Liaison Group about the Committee’s letter concerning the accuracy of answers to Assembly Questions.

The Committee noted that this correspondence had been referred to the Procedures Committee.

The Chairperson referred to the CLG decision that committee meetings should not take place during the week of the elections.

Agreed: Members agreed not to meet on 6 May 2010.

Agreed: Members further agreed not to cancel the meeting of 29 April 2010, and that the Committee team should ascertain availability of members for that meeting in advance.

The Chairperson briefed the Committee on the upcoming Balmoral Show at which the Northern Ireland Assembly has secured a stand.

Agreed: Members agreed to attend the show to raise awareness of the role of the Committee, subject to their availability.

11. Date, time and place of next meeting

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, 22 April 2010 at 2:00 pm in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 3:32 pm.

Mr Paul Maskey
Chairperson, Public Accounts Committee
22 April 2010

25 March 10 / Menu