§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list contingent liabilities accepted by the Government since 1 May 1997. [26131]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithThe Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund supplementary statements list, on an annual basis, reportable contingent and actual liabilities which have been taken on by Departments during the financial year and which are outstanding from previous years. They are also noted in departmental estimates and appropriation accounts.
Contingent liabilities may be classified as 'reportable' under rules set out in chapter 26 of "Government Accounting". Under these rules, Departments are required to report contingent liabilities only when they are statutory or, in the case of non statutory liabilities are not incurred in the normal course of departmental business and they are over £100,000.
Information on contingent liabilities is not collected in the way requested and could be done so only at disproportionate cost.