§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which non-departmental public bodies are sponsored by his Department; which of these are audited by the National Audit Office; which firms of private accountants audits each of the others; by what method of tendering contracts to such firms are awarded; and for what duration.
§ Mr. HowardThe Comptroller and Auditor General, who is head of the National Audit Office, has statutory responsibility for auditing the accounts of the Audit Commission, the Countryside Commission, the Nature Conservancy Council for England—English Nature—and the Rural Development Commission. The external auditors of the other executive NDPBs sponsored by the Department are:
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Executive NDPB External Auditor National Rivers Authority Coopers and Lybrand Urban development corporations: Black Country Touche Ross and Co. Bristol Touche Ross and Co. Central Manchester Touche Ross and Co. Leeds Kidsons Impey London Docklands Ernst and Young Merseyside Price Waterhouse Sheffield Price Waterhouse Teesside Price Waterhouse Trafford Park Price Waterhouse Tyne and Wear Coopers and Lybrand These appointments are made annually and are renewed subject to satisfactory performance. Formal reviews, involving competitive tendering, are held at least every six years.