Home
Local News
Parliament
Articles
Speeches
Richard
Media
South Norfolk
Expenses
Contact

RSS

The rare step of issuing a disclaimer of opinion is taken by the Comptroller and Auditor General when there are such fundamental problems with the accounts, due to the lack of audit evidence, that he is unable to reach an opinion on the truth and fairness of the accounts.

Mr Bacon said:  “The Home Office is currently driving forward plans for ID cards and the merger of local police forces.  Both these schemes, no matter how ill-conceived, are going to cost huge amounts of money.  How can taxpayers possibly have any confidence in the proper use of their money if the Home Office cannot even reconcile its cash? It is simply unacceptable that we have been left in the dark over how the Home Office is using our money”.

Mr Bacon said responsibility for the situation rested with Sir John Gieve, former permanent secretary at the Home Office but now Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, and that he should be called back to explain himself to Parliament.

“The Accounting Officer, Sir John Gieve, failed in his duty to Parliament and to taxpayers and he should be called back to explain the mess”. 

Mr Bacon also praised the work of the National Audit Office, adding:  “I would like to thank Sir John Bourn and his team for their tireless work in monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of how government departments use taxpayers’ money.  They do an excellent job on behalf of all taxpayers”.

31 March 2006

See also:
NAO REPORT: Sir John Bourn's General Report
PARLIAMENT: Home Office accounts 'are a national disgrace' 
PARLIAMENT: MP urges Home Office to get accounts in order

---

Printable Version

Go to Top

Back to Parliament

---