Vote Bundle Text (900225-02)

Amendments proposed to the Government Resources and Accounts Bill, As Amended - continued	House of Commons

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British Broadcasting Corporation: scrutiny

Mr Matthew Taylor
Mr Edward Davey
Norman Baker
Mr David Rendel

NC5

*To move the following Clause:—

' .—(1) Copies of the accounts prepared pursuant to section 18 of the Royal Charter for the Continuance of the British Broadcasting Corporation shall be sent to the Comptroller and Auditor General.

(2) The Comptroller and Auditor General shall examine accounts sent to him under section (1) above with a view to satisfying himself—

(a) that the accounts present a true and fair view, and

(b) that any monies collected by the British Broadcasting Corporation from the issue or renewal of television licences or provided by Parliament have been spent in accordance with the broadcasting responsibilities of the British Broadcasting Corporation, as set out in the British Broadcasting Corporation's Royal Charter and Agreement, as approved by Parliament.

(3) When the Comptroller and Auditor General has conducted an examination of accounts under subsection (2) he shall—

(a) certify them and issue a report,

(b) send the certified accounts and the report to the Treasury, and

(c) if he is not satisfied of the matters set out in subsection (2)(a) and (b), he shall report accordingly to the House of Commons.

(4) The Treasury shall lay accounts and reports received under subsection (3)(b) before the House of Commons.

(5) For the purposes of this section, the meaning of "policy objectives" in section 6(2) of the National Audit Act 1983 shall be taken to include, amongst other issues, programming and matters of editorial or artistic judgement.'.

Resource Estimates Commission

Mr Matthew Taylor
Mr Edward Davey
Norman Baker
Mr David Rendel

NC6

*To move the following Clause:—

'.—(1) There shall be a body named the Resource Estimates Commission (in this section referred to as "the Commission") consisting of—

(a) the Commissioner for the Resource Estimates, who shall be the head of that Commission; and

(b) the staff appointed by him under this section.

(2) The Commissioner for the Resource Estimates shall appoint such staff for the Commission as he considers necessary for assisting him in the discharge of his functions.

(3) The staff shall be appointed at such renumeration and on such other terms and conditions as the Commissioner for the Resource Estimates may determine.

(4) The Resource Estimates Commission will—

(a) examine all Estimates laid before the House of Commons by Departments of Her Majesty's Government;

(b) report to the House of Commons on all Estimates laid before the House of Commons no less than thirty days before any individual Estimate is voted upon;

(c) regularly review the form of the Estimates laid before the House of Commons, and, where appropriate, make recommendations for change;

(d) regularly review the House of Commons' procedures for debating and voting on the Estimates and, where appropriate, make recommendations for change.

(5) The Commissioner for the Resource Estimates shall be appointed by Her Majesty following an address presented by the House of Commons, and no motion for such an address shall be made except by the Prime Minister acting with the agreement of the Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee.

(6) The Commissioner for the Resource Estimates shall by virtue of his office be an officer of the House of Commons.

(7) The Commissioner for the Resource Estimates shall have a right of access at all reasonable times to all such documents as he may reasonably require for carrying out any examination under subsection (4)(a) above.

(8) The Commissioner for the Resource Estimates shall have the right to consult the Comptroller and Auditor General and his staff for information and advice, in the conduct of any of his duties under subsection (4) above.

(9) The expenses of the Resource Estimates Commission shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament, following a report by the Public Accounts Commission on estimates for those expenses for the forthcoming financial year made by the Commissioner for the Resouce Estimates.

(10) The Comptroller and Auditor General shall be the auditor of the accounts of the Resource Estimates Commission.

(11) The Commissioner for the Resource Estimates may be removed from office only by a motion seeking his removal which is passed in both Houses of Parliament.'.

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

*Page 2 [Clause 3], leave out lines 15 to 24 and insert—

'(1) Subsection (2) applies to a requisition or order under—

(a) section 13 or 15 of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1866 (payments out of the Consolidated Fund), or

(b) section 1(3) of the National Loans Act 1968 (payments out of the National Loans Fund).

(2) A requisition or order to which this subsection applies—

(a) may be produced, authenticated and transmitted in any manner which the Treasury, with the approval of the Comptroller and Auditor General, decide to adopt, but

(b) shall be accompanied by evidence of the approval of two officers of the Treasury appointed for that purpose.

(3) A request or order under section 20 of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1866 (government stock and annuities) may be produced, authenticated and transmitted in any manner which the Treasury decide to adopt.'.

Mr Michael Portillo
Mr Oliver Letwin
Mr Howard Flight
Mr Matthew Taylor
Mr Edward Davey
Mr David Rendel

Page 2, line 41 [Clause 5], leave out 'the Treasury' and insert 'the Independent Body'.

Mr Michael Portillo
Mr Oliver Letwin
Mr Howard Flight
Mr Matthew Taylor
Mr Edward Davey
Mr David Rendel

Page 3, line 1 [Clause 5], leave out 'the Treasury' and insert 'the Independent Body'.

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

*Page 3, line 2 [Clause 5], after 'accounts', insert—

'(a) present a true and fair view,

(b)''.

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

*Page 3, line 4 [Clause 5], at end insert—

', and

(c) accord with guidance issued by the Treasury about the inclusion of an explanation of the difference between an item appearing in a department's estimate and a corresponding item appearing in or reflected in the department's resource accounts.'.

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

*Page 4, line 24 [Clause 7], at end insert—

'() The Comptroller and Auditor General shall carry out his examination of accounts under subsection (3)(b) with a view to satisfying himself—

(a) that money provided by Parliament has been expended for the purposes intended by Parliament,

(b) that resources authorised by Parliament to be used have been used for the purposes in relation to which the use was authorised, and

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

*Page 4 [Clause 8], leave out lines 32 to 38 and insert—

'(1) For the purposes of an examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General of a government department's accounts—

(a) he shall have a right of access at all reasonable times to any of the documents relating to the department's accounts, and

(b) a person who holds or has control of any of those documents shall give the Comptroller and Auditor General any assistance, information or explanation which he requires in relation to any of those documents.

(2) Subsection (1) applies only in relation to documents which are held or controlled—

(a) by a government department, or

(b) in pursuance of arrangements made by a government department for the compiling or handling of any of its financial records.'.

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

*Page 5, line 5 [Clause 9], at end insert—

'() Accounts prepared under this section may include information referring wholly or partly to activities which—

(a) are not activities of bodies falling within subsection (1), but

(b) appear to the Treasury to be activities of a public nature.'.

Mr Michael Portillo
Mr Oliver Letwin
Mr Howard Flight
Mr Matthew Taylor
Mr Edward Davey
Mr David Rendel

Page 5, line 7 [Clause 9], leave out 'the Treasury' and insert 'the Independent Body'.

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

*Page 5, line 11 [Clause 10], after 'body' insert 'which falls within section 9(1)'.

Mr Michael Portillo
Mr Oliver Letwin
Mr Howard Flight
Mr Matthew Taylor
Mr Edward Davey
Mr David Rendel

Page 5, line 15 [Clause 10], leave out 'the Treasury' and insert 'the Independent Body'.

Mr Michael Portillo
Mr Oliver Letwin
Mr Howard Flight
Mr Matthew Taylor
Mr Edward Davey
Mr David Rendel

Page 5, line 17 [Clause 10], leave out 'the Treasury' and insert 'the Independent Body'.

Mr Michael Portillo
Mr Oliver Letwin
Mr Howard Flight
Mr Matthew Taylor
Mr Edward Davey
Mr David Rendel

Page 5, line 19 [Clause 10], leave out subsection (2)(d) and insert—

'(d) publish the information.'.