§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish for each of the last available five years the total budget of the Welsh Consumer Council, together with the outturn spending for those years; and if he will make a statement on the limits placed on spending decisions authorised by the chief executive.
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe total income and expenditure figures1 of the Welsh Consumer Council in each of the previous five years, taken from the National Consumer Council annual reports, are:
Year — Sterling Income for Year 1989–90 183,921 1990–91 209,431 1991–92 237,428 1992–93 249,869 1993–94 290,845 Expenditure for Year 1989–90 184,383 1990–91 212,929 1991–92 240,499 1992–93 238,198 1993–94 271,627 1 Figures show only direct expenditure incurred by the Welsh Consumer Council which receives its share of Government grant-in-aid from the NCC. Central costs, such as staff salaries, are borne by the NCC. Where expenditure exceeds income this is funded either by reduced expenditure elsewhere in the NCC's budget or by any accumulated surplus permitted under the grant-in-aid conditions. It is for the Welsh Consumer Council to decide upon suitable spending limits, although the director of the National Consumer Council, as accounting officer is responsible to the Department for ensuring expenditure is properly authorised and that expenditure is contained within the agreed allocation.