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10.1 A Joint Internal Audit Review of those services shared between the two Houses reported in May 1997. It examined cost–sharing arrangements where a service was provided by the staff of one House for the benefit of both Houses or as a joint service to the public. It did not cover the Parliamentary Works Directorate (nor the Metropolitan Police).
10.2 The principal recommendations of the Review included
- the introduction of memoranda of understanding or service level agreements between the two Houses
- a review of sharing ratios at least every five years
- annual reviews of performance and of the service required in the next year (before the preparation of the Estimates), to be carried out by the service provider and the relevant budgetholder of the other House, and including any changes in the service level agreement or charges
- payments should be monthly on the basis of one–twelfth of the agreed Estimate for the year
- a review of the sharing ratios for various individual services
10.3 The recommendations — very much in the spirit of the Ibbs Report — were agreed on behalf of each House in 1997 and implemented in stages thereafter. Some memoranda of understanding or SLAs have still to be agreed; we hope that this process can be concluded soon. It will also be important to maintain the effectiveness of the annual reviews.
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