|
Accountability
|
| 4.1 The Secretary of State for Northern
Ireland is accountable to Parliament for the agency. He has designated the Minister for
the Environment to assist him in the discharge of his responsibilities. |
| Accounting Officer
Responsibilities |
| 4.2 The Permanent Secretary is the
principal Accounting Officer and as such is responsible for ensuring a high standard of
financial management in the Department as a whole. The Permanent Secretary has designated
the Chief Executive as Agency Accounting Officer. |
| 4.3 The Chief Executive as Agency
Accounting Officer, is accountable for the effective, efficient, and economic use of
resources provided to the agency, for the regularity and propriety of its expenditure, and
for ensuring the requirements of Government Accounting Northern Ireland are met. The Chief
Executive is also responsible for establishing proper systems for these purposes. The
Chief Executive follows any relevant guidance issued by the Department of Finance and
Personnel and puts into effect any relevant recommendations accepted by Government, of the
Public Accounts Committee, other Parliamentary Select Committees and any other
Parliamentary authority. |
| Parliamentary Select Committees |
| 4.4 The principal Accounting Officer and
the Agency Accounting Officer may be required to appear before the Public Accounts
Committee at hearings relating to the agency. The Minister will decide who should attend
other Parliamentary Select Committee hearings. Where a Committee’s interest is in the
day to day operations of the agency, the Minister will normally regard the Chief Executive
as the person best placed to appear. |
| Parliamentary and other Enquiries |
| 4.5 Members of Parliament, Members of the
European Parliament, public representatives and the general public are encouraged to deal
directly with the Chief Executive or other agency managers on matters which are the
responsibility of the agency. The Minister will normally ask the Chief Executive to reply
to Members of Parliament who ask Parliamentary Questions about matters delegated to the
agency. The Chief Executive’s reply will be published in the Official Report. Other
parliamentary business, and enquiries on matters not delegated to the agency, will be
dealt with by the Minister. The Chief Executive will advise the Minister on such matters
as requested. |
| Parliamentary Commissioner for
Administration |
| 4.6 The activities of the agency fall
within the jurisdiction of the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Commissioner for
Administration. The Permanent Secretary remains the principal officer of the Department
for this purpose, but has delegated to the Chief Executive responsibility for replying
where the complaint relates to matters within the Chief Executive’s area of
authority. |
|
 |
