PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE HOLDS ITS FIRST MEETING OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

The Northern Ireland Assembly Public Accounts Committee will meet for the first time outside Parliament Buildings on Thursday, 4 October 2007. The meeting will be held at Wellington College at 2.00pm.

The Committee will be taking evidence on the Northern Ireland Audit report ‘Transfer of Surplus Land in the PFI Education Pathfinder Projects’. The witnesses are Mr Will Haire, Accounting Officer, Department of Education, and his officials, with input from Valuation and Lands Service and Department of Employment and Learning.

Mr John O’Dowd MLA, the Committee Chairperson said: “The Public Accounts Committee is delighted to be able to hold this meeting for the first time in a location outside Parliament Buildings, especially at Wellington College which was built under Education PFI Pathfinder contract, the subject of this report. The Committee will be asking pertinent questions in relation to the way in which the contracts were set up, in relation to the transfer of the land as part payment for the schools and the clawback arrangements. ”

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

Standing Orders under Section 60(3) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 have provided for the establishment of the Public Accounts Committee (the Committee). The main statutory function of the Committee is to consider accounts, and the reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland (C&AG) laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The C&AG is head of the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) and is empowered to investigate any area of expenditure and has a statutory right of access to all files and papers in Departments and public bodies.

The Committee Membership is as follows:

Mr John O’Dowd, (Sinn Féin) Chairperson
Mr Roy Beggs, ( Ulster Unionist Party) Deputy Chairperson
Mr Trevor Lunn (Alliance Party)
Mr Jonathan Craig (Democratic Unionist Party)
Mr Simon Hamilton (Democratic Unionist Party)
Mr David Hilditch (Democratic Unionist Party)
Ms Dawn Purvis (Progressive Unionist Party)
Mr Willie Clarke (Sinn Féin)
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin (Sinn Féin)
Mr John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party)
Mr Patsy McGlone (Social Democratic and Labour Party)

Information about today’s meeting can be obtained from the Information Officer –

Kieran Dougan,
Information Office,
Parliament Buildings,
Belfast.
Tel. 028 90521642
Email: kieran.dougan@niassembly.gov.uk