HC Deb 02 November 1994 vol 248 c1215W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's progress in persuading the institutions of the EC to move to accruals and resource-based accounting systems.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

The Government are convinced of the advantages of resource accounting and budgeting for the United Kingdom public sector, along the lines of the outline proposals published in the Green Paper on resource accounting and budgeting, Cm 2626. We believe that the principles of resource accounting might usefully be applied to the finances of other institutions outside the United Kingdom, such as those of the European Community. The Government will be considering this issue further when the United Kingdom proposals have been worked out in more detail.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to apply his policy on accounting standards for stand-alone operating units within the public sector to the introduction of similar standards for units of the Commission of the European Communities, including agencies operated by Her Majesty's Government.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

The proposals in the Green Paper on resource accounting and budgeting, Cm 2626, will apply both to the centre of departments and to their agencies, although in many cases the latter are already putting the principles of resource accounting into practice.

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