Getting the Economy Committee under way after members received legal advice ahead of the session, Steve Aiken welcomes Dr Andrew McCormick, the permanent secretary, as well as two other senior civil servants from the Department for the Economy, Shane Murphy and Stephen McMurray.

Committee clerk Peter Hall says "Dr McCormick had a very long session at the PAC yesterday" and he emphasises to members that this meeting focuses solely on the cost mitigation plan for the RHI scheme.

Mr McMurray is the department's RHI taskforce leader, and Mr Aiken tells him: "You must have the most unthankful task of anyone in Northern Ireland."

We kicked off this week's live coverage of events at Stormont with a meeting of the Economy Committee convened to consider the minister's proposals to mitigate the worst effects of the RHI scandal.

This afternoon, the week draws to a close with... a meeting of the Economy Committee convened to consider the minister's proposals - yes, it's Groundhog Day on the hill.

This afternoon's star witness is the familiar figure of Dr Andrew McCormick, who added to scandal with his testimony to the Public Accounts Committee yesterday (above).

Be sure to rejoin us this afternoon at 15:00 for the latest episode in the RHI scandal.

Dr Andrew McCormick, who attained minor celebrity status after his evidence at yesterday's meeting of the Public Accounts Committee returns for a specially-convened meeting of the Economy Committee.

Image source, AFP

He'll be taking question on the economy department's proposals to mitigate the projected £490m additional cost of the disastrous initiative.

The committee will also be hearing from the Renewable Heat Association on the cost rescue plan, which represents the interests of claimants of the RHI scheme... should be intriguing.

Chair Paula Bradley turns to the forward work programme, which is the Health Committee's agenda for upcoming weeks.

"This went out before the secretary of state's announcement [of the dissolution of the assembly]." she explains.

A similar fate befalls the usual announcement of "date, time and place of next meeting" - there won't be any, "unless we have an emergency one".

Ms Bradley thanks the members and the plug is pulled on the committee for the truncated 2016-17 assembly mandate.

The effect Brexit could have on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications is raised by Health Committee chair Paula Bradley.

Image source, AFP

Peter Barbour says it is "early days", but "we know the objective" that the executive set out over Brexit in its hope that "there would be no impact in terms of movement of individuals across the island of Ireland".

"Clearly we have a specific interest interest here in terms of the land border," he says, citing Northern Ireland's use of clinical academics and nurses from the Republic of Ireland, and the importance of training across the island.

Enda McClafferty
BBC News NI Political Correspondent

Sinn Féin is threatening to pull out of the Joint Ministerial Council over concerns about the UK's Brexit negotiations.

Image source, Reuters

The party's Chris Hazzard and John O'Dowd and the DUP minister Alastair Ross are in London for the latest council meeting with Brexit Secretary David Davis.

Sinn Féin accused the government of treating the council as a "talking shop", with Mr O'Dowd (above) adding that the party is reassessing its involvement.

Department of Health officials Peter Barbour and Kieran McAteer begin their briefing on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

Mr Barbour explains that in the health sphere these are the regulations that allow doctors and other medical professionals to work across the European Union.

He outlines some changes being introduced to the regulations.

They include an "alert mechanism", whereby national regulating bodies must inform other countries if a medical professional has been restricted or prohibited in their practice.

Many parents of children with autism "believe we have failed them", Health Committee chair Paula Bradley says.

The DUP says politicians have not "progressed [the autism] strategy at the speed it needed", but she says people should have "hope" that concerns of parents will be alleviated.

Health department official Chris Matthews says the strategy is about "helping people living full lives" and reassuring people that autism "doesn't have to hold you back one bit".

"That has to be part of the solution here and that's much more broadly based than a medical or clinical solution," he adds.

"It's hard to convince me that all of a sudden there's a spike in autism just because that's the way people are born," the DUP's Trevor Clarke says.

Chris Matthews takes it that Mr Clarke is suggesting there may be environmental conditions that lead to autism in children and again says there's "no evidence" to suggest that is the case. 

Image source, SPL

Committee chair Paula Bradley says a greater awareness of autism could explain to a rise in diagnoses.  

But Mr Clarke says he is "misconstrued quite often" and explains his viewpoint further: "We all live different lifestyles than we did 30 years ago, our habits are different, all sorts of different things happening that didn't happen 30, 40, 50 years ago.

"No-one can convince me that [it's] just routine, just luck of the draw - there is a root cause of all of this."

DUP MLA Trevor Clarke, who tells the committee he has three nephews with autism, feels not enough time is being spent focusing on "what the root cause" of the condition is.

He asks: "What work is being done to actually get to the cause of the issue first?"

Chris Matthews says there is "no evidence that there is a cause of autism other than natural biology" and therefore it is "probably not something you can prevent".

Instead, being able to help children at as early a stage in their life as possible will give them a better chance of "functioning in the world", the Department of Health official says.

Paula Bradshaw of the Alliance Party is concerned about disruption to the introduction of the new model for autism services caused by the breakdown in government and the elections.

"This will be very much delayed in terms of delivering on what you're talking about if the programme for government is going to be renegotiated," she says.

Mr Matthews is reluctant to comment on political developments.

He says they can work on the review, but he adds: "You are right, there are limits to how far we can take this without a functioning executive."

Mark Devenport
BBC News NI Political Editor

March's assembly election has been ignited by the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, but will the battle ahead be a referendum on the scandal as the Stormont opposition wants?

For different reasons, both the DUP and Sinn Féin are keen on widening the battleground.

Image source, Pacemaker

The DUP is framing the contest as an attempt to take Arlene Foster down.

And Sinn Féin says it's all about the DUP's arrogance and the failure of both the DUP and the Westminster government to deliver on their commitments.

Read more of Mark's blog here.

Ulster Unionist Jo-Anne Dobson asks why there has been such an increase in referrals for autism assessment.

Rodney Morton refers to "complexity" around changes to "diagnostic parameters".

This means that some children who would not have had a specific autism diagnosis despite having "related behaviours"  are now "more likely to receive a diagnosis of autism".

Mark Devenport
BBC News NI Political Editor

Northern Ireland Executive ministers Chris Hazzard of Sinn Féin and DUP's Alastair Ross have met Brexit Secretary David Davis (below) in London.

Image source, AFP

They were joined by ministers from Scotland and Wales for discussions that were expected to focus on Prime Minister Theresa May's speech on Tuesday.

Mrs May has said Brexit means leaving the European Customs Union.

Clodagh Rice
BBC News NI Business Reporter

Signs of an economic slowdown in Northern Ireland can be seen in the latest economic data.

The NI Composite Economic Index, the equivalent of GDP, showed a dip in economic activity for the third quarter of last year.

Image source, Thinkstock

Economic output decreased by 0.9% over the quarter, driven by falls in the services and production sectors.

That is seen in both the private and public sector, and a 0.7% fall in the public sector jobs index reflects the impact of the civil service voluntary exit scheme.

Rodney Morton of the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) says that when more funding was allocated for autism services in 2016 they needed to "take a real hard look at why we were starting to see unprecedented demands on autism services".

He says the number of children being referred for assessment has risen from 1,500 in 2010 to 3,300 this year.

Mr Morton outlines the subsequent review of services and the new model the HSCB has adopted.

"There is a strong emphasis in the new model on creating an integrated service for children and young people with developmental, emotional and mental health problems."

Two officials from the of the Department of Health (DoH) arrive for a briefing on its autism strategy.

Chris Matthews says the committee members will be aware that "waiting times for autism assessments are unacceptably long".

He says there needs to be "a more fundamental change to the way we deliver autism services".

"Our aim is to achieve sustainable improvements," Mr Matthews adds.

The top adviser to Stormont's economy minister is stepping aside from any future involvement in the flawed RHI scheme after failing to declare a family link.

Image source, Pacemaker

John Robinson's father-in-law receives payment from the energy scheme for two boilers.

In a statement obtained by the News Letter, external, the DUP said Mr Robinson had no role in his father-in-law's business but he was stepping aside to avoid the "accusation or perception of a conflict of interest".

BBC News Northern Ireland

GPs in Northern Ireland have written an open letter to Stormont politicians to warn them that services are on the verge of collapse.

Image source, PA

The letter from the Royal College of General Practitioners says many practices are struggling to recruit and retain family doctors and urgent funding is needed to stop practices closing.

In December, hundreds of doctors signed undated resignation letters because of funding concerns and workforce strain.