This Report presents for the House's approval a set of minor, but useful, changes to the system of scrutiny and approval of Estimates of public expenditure. The proposals are as follows:
- The March Consolidated Fund Bill would include provisions appropriating the expenditure of the financial year just ending (i.e. allocating it to the purposes set out in the Estimates). Appropriating this expenditure in March (rather than July, as at present) is intended to allow Resource Accounts to be audited and presented to the House earlier than currently, making them more useful.
- In certain limited circumstances, Supplementary Estimates should be able to reduce levels of expenditure already authorised.
- Supplementary Estimates to be approved in December or March would be required to be presented to the House at least fourteen days in advance (rather than eight), giving select committees longer to examine them.
- Technical changes would be made in the wording of motions to approve Estimates, and in the wording of Standing Order No. 55 (which governs the way in which these motions are approved).
- Supplementary Estimates should set out, in a standard way, details of the changes proposed; and Departments would also send to the relevant select committees memoranda about each set of Estimates.
Details are set out in the Conclusions and Recommendations on page 11.
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