§ Mr. BaconTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on(a) the circumstances in which an accounting officer should seek a direction from a Minister before authorising expenditure, (b) the number of occasions since 1 May 1997 that such directions have been sought by accounting officers and (c) the Department and sum involved and the purpose of the expenditure for which a direction was sought in each case. [54833]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithI have been asked to reply.
The circumstances in which an accounting officer should seek a direction from a Minister before authorising expenditure are set out in paragraphs 14—17 of the Treasury document, "The Responsibilities of an Accounting Officer", of July 2001. A copy of the document is available in the Library of the House. The number of occasions since 1 May 1997 that such directions have been sought by accounting officers is 13. The Departments concerned, together with the general subject matter of each direction, are as follows:
254W1998—DSS: Benefits Agency/Post Office Counters Ltd (BA/POCL Automation Ltd);1998—DSS: Benefits Agency/Post Office Counters Ltd (BA/POCL Automation Ltd);1998—Northern Ireland Court Service: an individual's personnel records;1998—MOD: sale of cadet property in Moffat;1998—DSS: benefits integrity project;1999—DSS: benefits integrity project;1999—DSS: benefits integrity project;1999—ECGD: cashmere exporters;1999—ECGD: ECGD cover Indonesia;2000—ECGD: ECGD cover Romania;2000—MOD: financial assistance to meet cost of flight to Croatia for member of public to attend trial of those accused of murder of his son, a British service man;2001—MOD: RoRo ferries;2001—DTLR: Silverstone bypass.The Treasury is advised when a ministerial direction is issued, but comprehensive information on the sums involved and the purpose of the expenditure related to the direction is not provided to the Treasury by Departments.