10. SELECT COMMITTEES
28. Public Accounts
The Committee was nominated on 25 July 1997.
It had 15 Members and held 46 meetings.
|
Members | Meetings
|
| attended
|
|
Davis, Mr David (Chairman) | 45
|
Campbell, Mr Alan | 32
|
Clifton-Brown, Mr Geoffrey (discharged 2.7.99)
| 24 |
Curry, Mr David (added 2.7.99) | 1
|
Davidson, Mr Ian | 18
|
Davies, Mr Geraint | 26
|
Eagle, Ms Maria | 26
|
Gardiner, Mr Barry (added 10.6.99) | 7
|
Griffiths, Ms Jane (discharged 21.10.99) |
31 |
Love, Mr Andrew | 29
|
Maclennan, Mr Robert (discharged 3.11.99) |
12 |
Page, Mr Richard | 41
|
*Primarolo, Ms Dawn (discharged, 12.1.99) |
0 |
Rendel, Mr David (added 3.11.99) | 0
|
*Roche, Mrs Barbara (added, 12.1.99) (discharged 3.11.99)
| 1 |
Steinberg, Mr Gerry | 33
|
*Timms, Stephen (added 3.11.99) | 0
|
Twigg, Mr Derek (discharged 10.6.99) | 30
|
Wardle, Mr Charles | 29
|
Williams, Mr Alan | 36
|
|
* held a Ministerial post while being a member of the Committee.
| |
| |
Overall attendance: | 61.0%
|
Number of Members added: | 5
|
Number of Members discharged: | 6
|
Turnover of membership during the Session: |
40% |
|
Staff
Committee Clerk: Mr Ken Brown OBE, Senior Clerk (Senior Structure
(Band A2).
Committee Assistant: Miss Susan Monaghan, Chief Office Clerk (Band
C).
Secretary: Miss Ronnie Jefferson, Secretary (Band D1).
Senior Office Clerk: Mr Michael Cruickshank (Band D1)
Specialist Advisers during the Session
None.
Witnesses | |
Oral evidence was given during the Session by the following categories of witnesses:
| |
Number of appearances by officials from, or representatives of:
| |
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
| 2 |
Cabinet Office
| 4 |
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
| 1 |
Ministry of Defence
| 10 |
Department for Education & Employment
| 2 |
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
| 4 |
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
| 3 |
Department of Health (NHS Executive)
| 4 |
Home Office
| 2 |
Lord Chancellor's Department
| 1 |
The Scottish Office Department of Health
| 3 |
Department of Social Security
| 5 |
Department of Trade & Industry
| 2 |
HM Treasury
| 42 |
Welsh Office
| 1 |
executive agencies
| 22 |
comprising: Benefits Agency
| 4 |
Contributions Agency
| 5 |
Health & Social Services Executive (NI)
| 2 |
HM Prison Service
| 4 |
Information Technology Services Agency
| 2 |
Intervention Board
| 1 |
National Savings
| 3 |
Public Trust Office
| 1 |
public bodies and non-Ministerial departments
| 75 |
comprising: Arts Council of England
| 1 |
Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils
| 2 |
H M Customs & Excise
| 4 |
The Further Education Funding Council for England
| 1 |
The Further Education Funding Council for Wales
| 2 |
Higher Education Funding Council for England
| 2 |
Housing Corporation
| 1 |
Inland Revenue
| 6 |
National Audit Office
| 44 |
Northern Ireland Audit Office
| 2 |
Office of Electricity Regulation & Gas Supply
| 6 |
Office of Telecommunications
| 2 |
Office of Water Regulation
| 2 |
Appearances by other witnesses
| 18 |
Overseas Visits
None.
Visits to European Institutions
Date | Destination
| Members | Staff
| Purpose | Cost
|
19-21.4.99
| European Commission, Brussels, andEuropean Court of Auditors, Luxembourg
| 13 |
2 | Meetings with European Commission Officials and European Court of Auditors Officials to discuss Fraud in the EU
| £14,394.02
|
UK Visits
None.
Reports and Minutes of Evidence
Title |
HC No.
(1998-99)
| Date of
publication
| No. of
pages
| Sale price
| Government
reply
|
First Report: Ministry of Defence: Major Projects Report 1997
| 101 |
7.1.99 |
39 | £8.80
| Cm 4285, 113.99
|
Second Report: National Health Service (Scotland) Summarised Accounts (1996-97)
| 102 |
24.12.98 |
30 | £7.00
| Cm 4285, 11.3.99
|
Third Report: Obtaining Benefit for Electricity Customers from the Flotation of the National Grid
| 103 |
31.12.98 |
20 | £5.60
| Cm 4285, 11.3.99
|
Fourth Report: Treasury Controls
| 157 |
3.2.99 |
40 | £8.80
| Cm 4312, 31.3.99
|
Fifth Report: The Sale of British Energy
| 242 |
25.2.99 |
27 | £6.50
| Cm 4335, 06.5.99
|
Sixth Report: Excess Votes: Class I Vote 4 and Class IV Vote 3 (1997-98)
| 255 |
24.2.99 |
7 | £2.55
| Not applicable
|
Seventh Report: The Forensic Science Service
| 321 |
31.3.99 |
34 | £8.00
| Cm 4380, 24.6.99
|
Eighth Report: Ministry of Defence: Sales of the Royal Dockyards
| 96 |
1.4.99 |
43 | £8.80
| Cm 4380, 24.6.99
|
Ninth Report: Inland Revenue Special Compliance Office: Prevention of Corruption
| 77 |
14.4.99 |
40 | £8.80
| Cm 4380, 24.6.99
|
Tenth Report: Ministry of Defence: Identifying and Selling Surplus Property
| 104 |
29.4.99 |
45 | £8.80
| Cm 4381, 8.7.99
|
Eleventh Report: Northern Ireland: Controls to Prevent and Detect Fraud in Family Practitioner Service Payments
| 123 |
6.5.99 |
45 | £8.80
| Cm 4394, 6.7.99
|
Twelfth Report: The Office of Electricity Regulation: Improving Energy Efficiency Financed by a Charge on Customers
| 174 |
7.5.99 |
37 | £8.00
| Cm 4381, 8.7.99
|
Thirteenth Report: The Final Accounts of: the Chessington Computer Centre, the Recruitment Assessment Services, and the Occupational Health and Safety Agency
| 231 |
12.5.99 |
36 | £8.00
| Cm 4381, 8.7.99
|
Fourteenth Report: The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions: Grants to Voluntary Bodies
| 158 |
13.5.99 |
27 | £6.50
| Cm 4381, 8.7.99
|
Fifteenth Report: HM Customs and Excise: The Prevention of Drug Smuggling
| 35 |
19.5.99 |
41 | £8.80
| Cm 4408, 27.7.99
|
Sixteenth Report: National Savings: Developments in Financial Reporting
| 243 |
9.6.99 |
37 | £8.00
| Cm 4408, 27.7.99
|
Seventeenth Report: Ministry of Defence: Major Equipment Storage
| 266 |
10.6.99 |
30 | £7.00
| Cm 4408, 27.7.99
|
Eighteenth Report: Ministry of Defence: Appropriation Accounts 1997-98
| 207 |
16.6.99 |
33 | £8.00
| Cm 4456, 7.10.99
|
Nineteenth Report: BBC World Service: New Financial Arrangements
| 219 |
23.6.99 |
42 | £8.80
| Cm 4456, 7.10.99
|
Twentieth Report: Home Office: Handgun Surrender and Compensation
| 354 |
7.7.99 |
45 | £8.80
| Cm 4456, 7.10.99
|
Twenty-first Report: Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils: Accounts 1997-98
| 322 |
30.6.99 |
27 | £6.50
| Cm 4456, 7.10.99
|
Twenty-second Report: Delays to the New National Insurance Recording System
| 182 |
11.7.99 |
112 | £14.70
| Cm 4456, 7.10.99
|
Twenty-third Report: Getting Better Value for Money from the Private Finance Initiative
| 583 |
4.7.99 |
24 | £5.80
| Cm 4469, 28.10.99
|
Twenty-fourth Report: The Flotation of Railtrack
| 256 |
14.7.99 |
44 | £8.80
| Cm 4515, 18.11.99
|
Twenty-fifth Report: MAFF: Arable Area Payments Scheme
| 306 |
28.10.99 |
37 | 8.00
| Cm 4469, 28.10.99
|
Twenty-sixth Report: Overseas Operations, Governance and Management at Southampton Institute
| 345 |
21.7.99 |
48 | £9.70
| Cm 4469, 28.10.99
|
Twenty-seventh Report: HM Customs and Excise: The Red Channel
| 439 |
22.7.99 |
37 | £8.00
| Cm 4469, 28.10.99
|
Twenty-eighth Report: Department of Health: Cost Over-Runs, Funding Problems and Delays on Guy's Hospital Phase III Development
| 289 |
2.9.99 |
36 | £8.00
| Cm 4471, 4.11.99
|
Twenty-ninth Report: Financial Management and Control in the European Union
| 690 |
25.8.99 |
26 | £6.50
| Cm 4471, 4.11.99
|
Thirtieth Report: How the Utility Regulators are Addressing the Year 2000 Problem in the Utilities
| 449 |
28.7.99 |
55 | £9.70
| Cm 4469, 28.10.99
|
Thirty-first Report: The Sale of Residual Loans to Housing Associations
| 431 |
20.8.99 |
37 | £8.00
| Cm 4471, 4.11.99
|
Thirty-second Report: Ministry of Defence: Modifying Defence Equipment
| 300 |
27.8.99 |
40 | £8.80
| Cm 4471. 4.11.99
|
Thirty-third Report: Managing Sickness Absence in the Prison Service
| 453 |
26.8.99 |
53 | £9.70
| Cm 4471, 4.11.99
|
Thirty-fourth Report: BSE: The Cost of a Crisis
| 790 |
19.8.99 |
59 | £10.60
| Cm 4471, 4.11.99
|
Thirty-fifth Report: Public Trust Office: Protecting the Financial Welfare of People with Mental Incapacity
| 278 |
1.9.99 |
57 | £9.80
| Cm 4515, 18.11.99
|
Thirty-sixth Report: The Millennium Threat
| 517 |
18.8.99 |
35 | £8.00
| Cm 4515, 18.11.99
|
Thirty-seventh Report: Investigation of Alleged Irregularities at Halton College
| 413 |
3.9.99 |
51 | £9.40
| Cm 4515, 18.11.99
|
Thirty-eighth Report: Inheritance Tax: A Progress Report
| 474 |
23.9.99 |
34 | £7.70
| Cm 4515, 18.11.99
|
Thirty-ninth Report: The NHS in Scotland: Making the Most of the Estate and Other Issues
| 323 |
24.9.99 |
61 | £10.60
| Awaiting Treasury Response
|
Fortieth Report: The Sale of Railfreight Distribution
| 601 |
10.11.99 |
42 | £8.80
| Awaiting Treasury response
|
Forty-first Report: The PRIME Project: The Transfer of the Department of Social Security to the Private Sector
| 548 |
2.12.99 |
36 | £8.00
| Awaiting Treasury response
|
Minutes of Evidence: Benefits Agency: Appropriation Accounts
| 419-i |
10.11.99 |
31 | £8.00
| Not applicable
|
Minutes of Evidence: Financial Management and Governance at Gwent Tertiary College
| 531-i |
10.11.99 |
28 | £7.00
| Not applicable
|
Minutes of Evidence: NAO Estimates
| 68-i |
11.11.99 |
9 | £3.40
| Not applicable
|
Minutes of Evidence: NIAO Estimates
| 69-i |
11.11.99 |
6 | £2.25
| Not applicable
|
Minutes of Evidence: The Immigration & Nationality Directorate's Casework Programme
| 584-i |
11.11.99 |
41 | £8.80
| Not applicable
|
Minutes of Evidence: Arts Council of England: Monitoring Major Capital Projects Funded by the National Lottery
| 563-i |
17.11.99 |
24 | £6.20
| Not applicable
|
Minutes of Evidence: NHS Executive: NHS (England) Summarised Accounts 1997-98
| 619-i |
23.11.99 |
23 | £6.20
| Not applicable
|
Minutes of Evidence: Giving Customers a Choice - The Introduction of Competition into the Domestic Gas Market
| 691-i |
3.12.99 |
16 | £4.75
| Not applicable
|
Minutes of Proceedings
The Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee for Session 1997-98
were published on 12.7.99 as HC 1173, Session 1997-98. The Minutes
of Proceedings of the Committee for Session 1998-99 were published
on 29.11.99 as HC 912, Session 1998-99.
Divisions
None.
Debates
The following Reports were the subject of a debate in the
House:
On a Motion to take note, 14.1.99:
First to Sixty-seventh Reports of Session 1997-98, and of the
Treasury Minutes and Northern Ireland Department of Finance and
Personnel Memoranda on these Reports (Cm 3880, 3893, 3894, 3936,
3955, 3973, 4004, 4015, 4021, 4041, 4055, 4060, 4069, 4075) with
particular reference to the following Reports:
Twenty-seventh Report, Measures to Combat Housing Benefit Fraud
(HC 366);
Thirty-second Report, Cataract Surgery in Scotland (HC 546);
Thirty-fourth Report, Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Irregular
Payments at the British Embassy in Amman, Jordan (HC 553);
Forty-fourth Report, Northern Ireland Social Security Agency:
The Administration of the Disability Living
Allowance (HC 527);
Forty-sixth Report, The Contract to Develop and Update the Replacement
National Insurance Recording
System (HC 472);
Sixty-first Report, Getting Value for Money in Privatisations
(HC 992); and
Sixty-seventh Report, HM Treasury: Resource Accounting and Resource-Based
Supply (HC 731).
Evidence
Oral evidence was taken at 44 of the Committee's 46 meetings.
On 2 of these occasions evidence was taken partly in private.
Inquiry
| No. of oral evidence sessions
| No. of memoranda received
| No. of memoranda received from
| No. of memoranda published
| No. of memoranda made available in the Record Office for public use and placed in the Library
|
|
| | Govt. Departments
| executive agencies |
public bodies |
| |
Forensic Science Service
| 1 |
4 | 0
| 3 |
1 | 2
| 0 |
DTI: The Sale of British Energy
| 1 |
1 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 1
| 0 |
HMC&E: The Prevention of Drug Smuggling
| 1 |
3 | 0
| 2 |
1 | 3
| 0 |
BSE: The Cost of a Crisis
| 1 |
6 | 1
| 3 |
2 | 5
| 0 |
NAO Estimates | 1
| 1 |
0 | 0
| 1 |
1 | 0
|
NIAO Estimates | 1
| 1 |
0 | 0
| 1 |
1 | 0
|
Special Compliance Office: Prevention of Corruption
| 1 |
4 | 1
| 1 |
1 | 2
| 0 |
MoD: Sale of the Royal Dockyards
| 1 |
3 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 1
| 0 |
MoD: Identifying and Selling Surplus Property
| 1 |
2 | 2
| 0 |
0 | 2
| 0 |
Health & Personnel Social Services NI: Controls to Prevent & Detect Fraud in Family Practitioner Service Payments
| 1 |
2 | 0
| 2 |
0 | 2
| 0 |
DETR: Grants to Voluntary Bodies
| 1 |
2 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 1
| 0 |
Office of Electricity Regulation: Improving Energy Efficiency Financed by a Charge on Customers
| 1 |
2 | 0
| 0 |
2 | 2
| 0 |
National Insurance Recording System
| 2 |
14 | 4
| 3 |
4 | 9
| 0 |
MoD: Appropriation Accounts 1997-98
| 1 |
2 | 2
| 0 |
0 | 2
| 0 |
BBC World Service | 1
| 3 |
0 | 0
| 1 |
2 | 0
|
Cabinet Office: The Final Accounts of Chessington Computer Centre, Recruitment & Assessment Agencies & the Occupational Health & Safety Agency
| 1 |
1 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 1
| 0 |
National Savings: Developments in Financial Reporting
| 1 |
3 | 0
| 3 |
0 | 2
| 0 |
DETR: The Flotation of Railtrack
| 1 |
1 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 1
| 0 |
MoD: Major Equipment Storage
| 1 |
1 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 1
| 0 |
Protecting the Financial Welfare of the Mentally Incapacitated
| 1 |
4 | 1
| 3 |
0 | 3
| 0 |
Cost Over-Runs, Funding Problems & Delays on Guy's Hospital Phase III Development
| 1 |
2 | 1
| 0 |
1 | 2
| 0 |
MoD: Modifying Defence Equipment
| 1 |
1 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 1
| 0 |
MAFF: Arable Area Payments Scheme
| 1 |
1 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 1
| 0 |
Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils Accounts 1997-98
| 1 |
0 | 0
| 0 |
0 | 0
| 0 |
Scottish Office Dept. of Health: Making the Most of the Scottish Health Service Estate
| 1 |
2 | 2
| 0 |
0 | 2
| 0 |
Overseas Activities, Governance & Management at Southampton Institute
| 1 |
3 | 1
| 0 |
1 | 3
| 0 |
Home Office: Handgun Surrender & Compensation
| 1 |
3 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 3
| 0 |
Investigation of Alleged Irregularities at Halton College
| 1 |
7 | 1
| 0 |
5 | 4
| 0 |
Benefits Agency: Appropriation Accounts 1997-98
| 1 |
5 | 0
| 4 |
1 | 2
| 0 |
DETR & the Welsh Office: Sale of Residual Loans to Housing Associations
| 1 |
1 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 0
| 0 |
HMC&E: The Red Channel
| 1 |
3 | 0
| 2 |
1 | 2
| 0 |
The Year 2000 Problems in the Utilities
| 1 |
7 | 0
| 0 |
5 | 6
| 0 |
Managing Sickness Absence in the Prison Service
| 1 |
5 | 0
| 3 |
1 | 3
| 0 |
Inland Revenue: The Administration of Inheritance Tax
| 1 |
1 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 1
| 0 |
Cabinet Office & Action 2000: The Millennium Threat: 221 Days & Counting
| 1 |
2 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 2
| 0 |
Financial Management & Governance at Gwent Tertiary College
| 1 |
2 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 2
| 0 |
The PRIME project: The transfer of the Department of Social Security estate to the private sector
| 1 |
2 | 1
| 0 |
0 | 2
| 0 |
Arts Council for England: Monitoring major capital projects funded by the National Lottery
| 1 |
5 | 0
| 0 |
3 | 2
| 0 |
The Immigration & Nationality Directorate's Casework Programme
| 1 |
8 | 4
| 0 |
0 | 5
| 0 |
The Sale of Railfreight Distribution
| 1 |
2 | 2
| 0 |
0 | 2
| 0 |
NHS Executive: NHS (England) Summarised Accounts 1997-98
| 1 |
3 | 2
| 0 |
1 | 3
| 0 |
DSS: Progress on measures to combat Housing Benefit fraud
| 1 |
5 | 4
| 0 |
1 | 5
| 0 |
Giving Customers a Choice - The Introduction of Competition into the Domestic Gas Market
| 1 |
2 | 0
| 0 |
2 | 2
| 0 |
NHS Executive: The 1992 & 1998 Information Management & Technology Strategies *
| 1 |
2 | 2
| 0 |
0 | 0
| 0 |
Total | 44
| 134 |
43 | 29
| 38 |
99 | 0
|
Includes non-Ministerial Departments.
*The Committee did not complete its inquiry on this subject in
Session 1998-99; these figures are therefore incomplete
The Committee took oral
evidence and received memoranda for this inquiry in Session 1997-98;
these figures are therefore incomplete
|