SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has been appointed to The Public Accounts Commission, a body which sets the budget for Parliament's powerful public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO).

Mr Bacon said: "I am honoured to have been appointed to the Commission. The National Audit Office does extremely important work in scrutinising public spending on behalf of Parliament. It is vital that they are supported in this task"

Mr Bacon added: "The job of The Public Accounts Commission is to safeguard the independence of the National Audit Office from Government and to make sure that this important watchdog has the resources it needs to carry out vital work on behalf of taxpayers".

 The National Audit Office is totally independent of government and audits the accounts of all government departments and agencies, as well as a wide range of other public sector bodies. The NAO is headed by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, who is an officer of the House of Commons.  He reports to Parliament through the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, of which Mr Bacon is also a member.

3 November 2005