§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the accounts of the Crown Colonies are still audited by the Treasury and Audit Department; if not, by what Department are they audited, and when did the change take place?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)The detailed audit of the accounts of certain Crown Colonies and Protectorates which was formerly undertaken by the Exchequer and Audit Department is now performed by the Colonial Audit Department. A full description of the scheme is to be found in Appendix No. 9 to the third Report of the Committee of Public Accounts, 1910. The Department was constituted in the course of last year.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether there are any other spending Departments at all which are not audited by the Treasury and Audit Department? Is the Colonial Office the only one?
§ Mr. HARCOURTI think I had better confine my answer to my own Department.
§ Mr. WEDGWOODWill the right hon. Gentleman state when the change was made; whether it was made without consulting Parliament; and whether that does not involve the withdrawal of any public check upon the expenditure?
§ Mr. HARCOURTI think the change was made last year—certainly before I came to the Colonial Office. I believe it was made in accordance with the recommendation of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee.