§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 6 April 2001,Official Report, columns 300–02W, on what date each of the resource accounts for 1999–2000 were published; what the (a) greatest, (b) median and (c) least number of days that elapsed was between each of the resource accounts being laid upon the table and being made generally available to the public; and if he will make a statement. [158540]
§ Mr. TimmsThe dates that Departments' resource accounts were published are shown in the table.
295W
Departments Date published DFEE 22 March 2001 Teachers Pension Scheme 22 March 2001 Ofsted 15 February 2001 NHS Pension Scheme (England and Wales) 1— Department of Health 22 March 2001 Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions 29 March 2001
Departments Date published Ofwat 31 January 2001 ORR 21 March 2001 Home Office 1— Charity Commission 28 March 2001 Lord Chancellors Department 1— Treasury Solicitors 1— Crown Prosecution Service 30 March 2001 Public Records Office 25 January 2001 Serious Fraud Office 7 March 2001 Northern Ireland Court Service 30 March 2001 Armed Forces Pension Scheme—MOD 13 December 2000 Defence—MOD Consolidated 1 February 2001 FCO 30 March 2001 DfID 1— DfID—Superannuation Pensions 1— DTI—Main 31 January 2001 ECGD 20 December 2000 OFGEM 20 December 2000 OFT 31 January 2001 Oftel 31 January 2001 UK Atomic Energy Authority—DTI 31 January 2001 MAFF 1— Forestry Commission 1— Forestry Commission Pension Scheme 22 March 2001 Intervention Board Executive Agency 9 November 2000 DCMS 31 January 2001 DSS 16 February 2001 Scotland Office 1— Wales Office 24 January 2001 Northern Ireland Office 1— HM Treasury 1— Crown Estate 19 April 2001 Customs and Excise 31 January 2001 Department of National Savings 3 November 2000 GAD 31 January 2001 Inland Revenue 24 January 2001 National Investment and Loans Office 22 November 2000 Office for National Statistics 2 April 2001 Cabinet Office 1— Security and Intelligence Agencies 12 April 2001 Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation 30 March 2001 Central Office for Information 19 April 2001 Privy Council Office 9 February 2001 1Where no date is shown the accounts were not published by 24 April 2001 As at 24 April 2001, the greatest, median and least number of working days between the laying and publication of departmental resource accounts were as follows:
Number of days Greatest 54 Median 6 Least1 -1 1 DETR's non-statutory resource account was published the day before it was presented to Parliament Fourteen Departments arranged for this statutory resource account to be published on the same day that they were laid by the Treasury, as did one Department for its non-statutory resource account.
This is the first year that Departments have had to organise the printing and subsequent publication of statutory accounts. The National Audit Office undertakes publication of appropriation accounts. The Treasury has informed Departments of the need to publish their resource accounts promptly after laying. Work is in hand to improve Departments' performance in respect of publication of 2000–01 resource accounts.