Historic Child Abuse Enquiry: Reimbursement of Expenditure

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A decision made on 5 May 2010 to approve the transfer of funds for reimbursement of expenditure in relation to the historic child abuse enquiry

Decision Reference: MD-TR-2010-0070
Decision Summary Title:	Reimbursement of Historic Child Abuse Enquiry Expenditure (HCAE) for the First Quarter of 2010		Date of Decision Summary:	26th April 2010
Decision Summary Author:	Head of Decision Support		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Transfer of Historical Child Abuse Enquiry Funds to Law Officers’ and Home Affairs Departments for Actual Expenditure Incurred For the First Quarter of 2010		Date of Written Report:	26th April 2010
Written Report Author:	Finance Manager, Decision Support		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: The reimbursement of actual HCAE expenditure incurred in the first quarter of 2010.
Decision(s): The Minister approved the funding transfer of £71,568 to the Law Officers’ Department and £143,200 to the Home Affairs Department from the Treasury in respect of Historical Child Abuse Enquiry in the first quarter of 2010.
Reason(s) for Decision: The States approved Historical Child Abuse Enquiry funding in P.91/2008 and P.83/2009. This decision approves the drawdown of £214,768 against the remaining £1.52 million of funding. Article 15(1)(a) the Public Finance (Jersey) Law 2005 permits the Minister for Treasury and Resources to approve that a head of expenditure may be used for the purposes of another head of expenditure. Financial Direction 3.6, Variations to Heads of Expenditure states that transfers between revenue heads of expenditure above £100,000 require the approval of the Minister for Treasury and Resources.
Resource Implications: As detailed in the attached report.
Action required: Finance Manager, Decision Support to inform the Head of Financial Planning that the transfer has been approved.
Signature:		Position: Senator P F C Ozouf, Minister for Treasury and Resources
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

Historic Child Abuse Enquiry: Reimbursement of Expenditure

Treasury and Resources

Ministerial Decision Report

transfer of historical child abuse enquiry funds to law officers’ and home affairs departments for actual expenditure incurred for the first quarter of 2010

1. Purpose of Report

To inform the Minister for Treasury and Resources of the total States Historic Child Abuse Enquiry (HCAE) expenditure incurred between 1 January and 31 March 2010, and the forecast HCAE expenditure for 2010. To also recommend that the Minister approves requests made by the Law Officers’ and Home Affairs Departments for the release and reimbursement of HCAE funding from the Treasury and Resources contingency fund for expenditure incurred in the first quarter of 2010.

2. Background

Following the approval of P.91/2008 and P.83/2009, £5.64 million was available for HCAE expenditure in 2009 of which £4.12 million was actually spent:-

The table shows that a total of £1.52 million remains. This balance is held in the Treasury and Resources contingency fund and will be rolled forward to fund approved 2010 HCAE costs.

3. Actual and Forecast Positions at 31 March and 31 December 2010

The following table details the remaining P.83/2009 funds available, forecast expenditure for 2010 and actual expenditure for the first quarter of 2010:-

As at 31 March 2010, forecast expenditure for the year is £1.15 million and actual expenditure for the first quarter £214,768.

Law Officers’ Department

A memo sent to the Treasury and Resources Department signed off by the Chief Clerk of the Law Officers’ requests reimbursement for HCAE costs totalling £71,568 for the first quarter of 2010. The £71,568 represents expenditure over four separate cases including £23,078 for general expenses.

Home Affairs Department

The Minister for Home Affairs has requested the Minister for Treasury and Resources to reimburse £143,200 of its expenditure for the first quarter of 2010 in relation to the HCAE. First quarter actual and forecast expenditure details for 2010 are as follows:-

	Forecast Expenditure 2010	Actual Expenditure 1/1/10 – 31/3/10
	£	£
Staff	521,000	99,900
Other Costs including: Forensics, Travel and Accommodation	281,000	43,300

Total	802,000	143,200

In accordance with P.83/2009, Accounting Officers have confirmed to the Treasury and Resources Department that:-

· costs are essential to the Historic Child Abuse Enquiry;

· cost cannot be absorbed within existing cash limits;

· costs are additional to usual expenses;

· reimbursements of funds will only be used for the purposes intended;

· there are appropriate controls in place to ensure that funds are being spent appropriately and that value for money is being achieved; and that

· financial directions are being complied with in respect of this expenditure.

4. Recommendation

For the Minister to approve the transfer of £71,568 to the Law Officers’ Department and £143,200 to the Home Affairs Department from the Treasury and Resources contingency fund in order to cover actual expenditure incurred in the first quarter of 2010 in relation to the HCAE.

5. Reason for Decision

Article 15(1)(a) the Public Finance (Jersey) Law 2005 permits the Minister for Treasury and Resources to approve that a head of expenditure may be used for the purposes of another head of expenditure. Financial Direction 3.6, Variations to Heads of Expenditure states that transfers between revenue heads of expenditure above £100,000 require the approval of the Minister for Treasury and Resources.

6. Resource Implications

This Decision will require a transfer of £357,968 from the Treasury and Resources contingency fund to the Law Officers’ and Home Affairs Department revenue head of expenditure.