Audit Committee, 23 Nov 2004

Meeting date: Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Official Report 202KB pdf

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Subordinate Legislation

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Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 (Economy, efficiency and effectiveness examinations) (Specified bodies etc) Order 2004 (SSI 2004/482)

I remind everyone to switch off their mobile phones and pagers, if they have not already done so. Agenda item 4 is subordinate legislation. We will consider under the negative procedure a Scottish statutory instrument that has been made under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. Full details on content and parliamentary procedures are included in the accompanying papers.

It will probably help members and the public if I inform them that the instrument was laid on 9 November 2004 and that the deadline by which the Parliament must deal with it is 18 December 2004—in other words, no later than 40 days after the laying of the instrument. If any member wished to lodge a motion to annul, that would be debated at the committee meeting on 7 December. If the committee wished to recommend that the instrument be annulled, it would have to report by 13 December. Members now have the opportunity to comment on the instrument, although it is entirely likely that it will be on the agenda again at a later date. I think that Robin Harper has a query.

I want to clarify whether we can find out what are the selection criteria for the bodies that will come under the legislation.

I think that that is referred to in the fourth paragraph of the accompanying Executive note. I invite the Auditor General to add to what is in the paper.

I have the power to undertake value-for-money studies of any bodies for which I appoint the auditors or for which I am the auditor. The SSI relates to bodies for which I am not the auditor, but which are dependent on the public purse—through the funds of the Scottish Parliament—for significant sums of money. It is permissible for an order to be made that allows me to undertake value-for-money studies of any body that receives more than £500,000, or more than a quarter of its income, from the public purse.

A previous similar instrument contained a long list of bodies; the instrument that is under consideration seeks to add more bodies to that list. I am sure that it would be perfectly possible to provide the committee with the full list for its next meeting, to give members a context within which to consider the matter.

That will be quite a long list.

Yes, it is quite a long list. Some of the obvious organisations are not escaping—let me put it in those terms. They are already captured by a previous instrument.

How will the instrument impact on Audit Scotland's workload and budget?

When we consider our forward work programme of studies, it will be possible for me to embrace those bodies, and indeed the bodies on the earlier list, in considering where we should apply our resources. The instrument will allow Audit Scotland to cover a wider range of bodies. It means that the selection of studies will, to ensure that we address priorities, need to be made more carefully.

The Subordinate Legislation Committee will report formally on the instrument on 28 November. We will consider its report at the next meeting of the Audit Committee, on 7 December. I propose that we note the instrument and agree to consider it further on 7 December. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.