§ 30. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Health whether, in the event of the Local Government Bill becoming law, the accounts of local authorities administering the public health, maternity, and child welfare and other social services, will be subject to audit by public auditors appointed by the Government in the same manner as guardians' expenditure is audited at the present time?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of HEALTH (Sir Kingsley Wood)Broadly, the Bill makes no difference to the audit of the accounts of local authorities relating to these services. The hon. Member may, however, have in mind the class of cases dealt with in Clause of the Bill, where these services could be rendered either under the Acts specially relating to them or under the Poor Law. In these cases, if the local authority decide to proceed exclusively under the special Acts, the audit will be that (whether district audit or other) which at present applies. If, on the other hand, they decide to proceed under the Poor Law in cases to which the Poor Law is applicable, the audit will be district audit as at present applying to the guardians' expenditure.