HC Deb 18 June 1984 vol 62 cc57-8W
Mr. Eggar

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of (a) civil servants and (b) secondees, who are engaged in internal audit within his Department and the grades and qualifications of each individual; and to what extent the establishment and work carried out by the unit deviates from the nine primary standards listed in "Government Accounting 9/82".

Mr. John Patten

The following staff (who include no secondees) were engaged on internal audit work within the Department of Health and Social Security as at 4 June 1984:

Social security Health
Assistant secretary 1 *1
Senior principal 3
Principal 10 1
Senior executive officer (SEO) 23 3
Higher executive officer (HEO) 72 1
Executive officer (EO) 141 1
Clerical officer (CO) 16
* This officer is also Director of Audit (external) for National Health Service authorities.

The staff have the following relevant qualifications:

Social Security Health
Assistant secretary 1: FCCA
Principal 1: Dip. IIA 1: FCCA, FCMA, BSc (Econ)
SEO 1: ACA, 1:IPFA
HEO 1.BSc (Computing)
EO 1: BA (PPE)

The audit standards listed in "Government Accounting" have been adopted by the Department and are largely achieved. Considerable effort is devoted, particularly through training, to increasing skills. Formal training geared to the following professional examinations is currently being undertaken:

  • ACCA 1 HEO, 2EOS
  • IPFA 1 HEO
  • Dip IIA 3 principals, 10 SEOs, 34 HEOs, 34 Eos
  • ACCT 1EO

Consultants from the private sector have begun an assignment with the social security internal audit staff with objectives which include assessing the effectiveness of existing audit methods and, where appropriate, making recommendations for improvement.