Page 1889 - Week 05 - Thursday, 5 May 2011
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Annual and financial reports for 2009-10 referred to the Standing Committee on Health, Community and Social Services were ACT Health and sections of the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services—namely, output class 1, disability services and therapy services; output class 3, community development and policy; and Housing ACT, output class 1, social housing services.
The committee held two public hearings—3 November and 24 November—and heard from the Minister for Health, the Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, the Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Women and relevant departmental officials.
Following the hearings the committee asked a further 59 supplementary questions to assist in its inquiry and received responses to 15 questions taken on notice. The committee made nine recommendations in response to its scrutiny of the annual reports and associated evidence. The committee was concerned with the overrepresentation of young Aboriginal people detained at Bimberi and recommended that diversion strategies to reduce custodial sentences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people be included in DHCS annual reports.
Recommendations pertaining to the inclusion of additional information in other program areas included more information regarding elective surgery waiting lists—ACT Health—and reporting against the direct actions and outcomes of the refugee, asylum seeker and humanitarian committee. The committee also recommended that the Chief Minister’s annual report directions be amended to require agencies to report on their progress against the relevant strategic directions set out in the ACT strategic plan for positive ageing 2010-14.
On behalf of the committee, I would like to thank all the ministers, departmental officials and agency representatives for their time and cooperation during the course of the inquiry. I would also like to thank my committee colleagues, Ms Bresnan and Ms Porter, for their contribution. On behalf of the committee, I would like to express our appreciation and thanks to the secretary of our committee, Ms Grace Concannon, and to the administrative assistant, Ms Lydia Chung, for their continued valued support to the Standing Committee on Health, Community and Social Services.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Public Accounts—Standing Committee
Report 16
MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo) (10.54): I present the following paper:
Public Accounts—Standing Committee—Report 16—Report on Annual and Financial Reports 2009-2010, dated 8 April 2011, together with a copy of the extracts of the relevant minutes of proceedings.
I move:
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