Allocation of 2012 Net Revenue Expenditure to Accounting Officers
Home Affairs Department
Report for Minister
Subject: Allocation of Home Affairs 2012 Net Revenue Expenditure to Accounting Officers
Exempt Category: n/a Date: 3 January 2012
Author: Finance Director
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to seek the Minister’s approval of the allocation of the Home Affairs Department’s 2012 Net Revenue Expenditure to the Home Affairs Accounting Officers.
Background
The Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 provides for the administration of the public finances of Jersey and for related purposes. Article 37 requires ‘each States funded body to have an accounting officer
(1) The chief officer of a States funded body is also its accounting officer.
(2) If the Minister [Treasury and Resources] is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances that justify doing so, the Minister may –
(a) appoint a person other than its chief officer to be the accounting officer of a States funded body; or
(b) appoint an additional accounting officer for a States funded body.’
As the Minister is aware, following issues highlighted by the HCAE conducted by the States of Jersey Police, discussions were undertaken with the Treasurer of the States on how to improve the level of assurance the Chief Officer, Home Affairs, was able to give relating to the States of Jersey Police expenditure given that he is the Accounting Officer for the Home Affairs Department but has no line management responsibility or operational control over the States of Jersey Police. No formal solution has been agreed; however, since 2009, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been place in relation to the ‘Management of Finance and Exceptional Areas of Expenditure’ with the Chief Officer of the States of Jersey Police. The MOU gives a shared understanding of how to discharge financial management responsibilities under the current accounting officer framework.
After considerable time in its development in February 2011 the States approved the Minister’s proposition (P192/2010) seeking approval of certain principles that should apply to the establishment of a Police Authority. Part (a) (8) of P192/2010 states that ‘The Chief Officer shall have the command, direction and control of the States of Jersey Police Force and each of its police officers and shall be the Accounting Officer in relation thereto.’
Moreover, Article 17(5) of the draft States of Jersey Police Force Law 201- states that The Chief Officer……………….shall be the sole accounting officer of the States Police Force for the purposes of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005’.
The Treasurer of the States and Minister for Treasury and Resources have agreed that the Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police, should be appointed as an accounting officer with effect from 1 January 2012 and so it is necessary to agree the allocation of the Home Affairs Department’s 2012 Net Revenue Expenditure between the Home Affairs Accounting Officers – Chief Officer, Home Affairs and Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police.
Allocation of Home Affairs 2012 Net Revenue Expenditure
The Department’s 2012 Net Revenue Expenditure as amended by the States in the 2012 Draft Annual Business Plan is £47,991,200, excluding Annually Managed Expenditure (AME). This amount has been allocated to Service Areas based on previous years allocations adjusted for:
- CSR savings and growth;
- Departmental Transfers;
- capital to revenue transfers;
- additional funding for non staff inflation and increased social security costs;
- amendments to the Draft 2012 Annual Business Plan.
The allocation between accounting officers for 2012 (excluding AME) is as follows:
Chief Officer, Home Affairs £24,343,400
Chief Officer, States of Jersey Police £23,647,800
This amount will change following the confirmation of any carry forward balances from 2011 and may change during 2012 to reflect changes in priorities and service requirements.
Monitoring of Home Affairs 2012 Net Revenue Expenditure
The Minister will continue to receive a quarterly financial report for the Home Affairs Department. The report will bring any funding issues to the Minister’s attention and make recommendations if an adjustment between accounting officers is required.
An adjustment may be made between accounting officers at any time with Ministerial approval, or in accordance with delegated powers agreed in MD-HA-2012-xx.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Minister approves the allocation of the Home Affairs Department’s 2012 Net Revenue Expenditure to the Home Affairs Accounting Officers.