§ Mr. Thurnhamasked the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what was the cost of the publication "National Audit Office" issued recently by the Comptroller and Auditor General; how many copies were produced; to whom they were circulated; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. du CannThe cost was £9,885 for 10,000 copies, of which 6,000 were distributed initially before the Commission began its work. Apart from Members of Parliament, the booklet has been sent to bodies with which the National Audit Office has a working relationship. This included Government Departments and other bodies audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General; national audit offices in other countries, including the Commonwealth; the European Court of Auditors; universities; professional accountancy institutes and the larger accountancy firms; and some newspapers and periodicals. It is also being used for internal and external training and recruitment purposes.
The creation of the National Audit Office is an important constitutional development designed to strengthen parliamentary control and supervision of public expenditures. It is very much in the interests of right hon. and hon. Members that the functions of the office should be widely understood.