§ 56. Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General in the Appropriation Account, volume 8, clases XI-XII, 1984, dealing with financial discrepancies arising from industrial action at the Newcastle central office of his Department.
§ Mr. NewtonCertain computer analyses breaking down total expenditure between different types of benefit were not produced during the dispute. As a result, some of the individual figures quoted in the appropriation accounts may be less precise than usual. The report from the Comptroller and Auditor General drew attention to this, but did not suggest any impropriety or irregularity in accounting. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the report until it has been considered by the Public Accounts Committee in the usual way.