§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish details of the spending powers devolved by the National Consumer Council to the Welsh Consumer Council; and what authority is devolved to officers of the Welsh Consumer Council.
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe Welsh Consumer Council's budget is set at a level agreed between the national and the Scottish and Welsh Consumer Councils from the grant in aid that the National Consumer Council receives from the Department of Trade and Industry. The Welsh Consumer Council has established procedures for controlling and monitoring its own expenditure within the agreed limit. Decisions on incurring actual expenditure are taken by council, but authority for payment of goods and services received is delegated to its director. The director of the National Consumer Council, as accounting officer, is responsible, under the grant in aid conditions, for ensuring that expenditure by all three councils is properly authorised and contained within the agreed allocation.