Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979

Financial provisions

19 Finances of Council and Boards

(1) The Central Council and the National Boards may each charge such fees, in respect of such matters, as are determined by them respectively with the approval of the Secretary of State, including fees in connection with the training, qualification, examination and certification of nurses, midwives and health visitors.

(2) Subject to this section, fees received by the Council and Boards shall be applied to defray the expenses of the Council and Boards respectively.

(3) The Secretary of State may make grants to the Council and the Boards towards expenses incurred, or to be incurred, by them with the approval of the Secretary of State in connection with—

(a) the initial establishment of the Council and Boards;

(b) the promotion by the Council and Boards of improvements in the education and training of nurses, midwives and health visitors;

(c) the performance by the National Boards of their duties under paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 6(1) above.

(4) The Council shall reimburse the Boards in respect of expenditure incurred by them with the former's approval in so far as that expenditure is not defrayed by fees received by the Boards, or funded by the Secretary of State with grants under subsection (3).

(5) Any sums required by the Secretary of State for making grants under subsection (3) shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament.

20 Accounts of Council and Boards

(1) The Central Council and each of the National Boards shall—

(a) keep proper accounts, and such records in relation to the accounts, as the Secretary of State may direct; and

(b) in respect of each financial year, prepare a statement of accounts in such form as the Secretary of State may with the approval of the Treasury direct.

(2) The accounts of the Council and of each of the Boards shall be audited in such manner and by such persons (qualified in accordance with Schedule 4) as the Secretary of State may direct; and copies of the statements of account, together with the auditors' reports, shall be sent to the Secretary of State who shall send them to the Comptroller and Auditor General not later than 30th November in the year following that for which the accounts are made up.

(3) The Comptroller and Auditor General shall examine the statements of account and auditors' reports, certify the statements and prepare a report on the results of his examination.

(4) For the purposes of his examination, the Comptroller and Auditor General may inspect the accounts of the Council and Boards and any records relating to them.

(5) The Council and each of the Boards shall annually, within such time as may be limited by the Secretary of State, submit a report to him on the performance of their respective functions during the period since their last such report.

(6) The Secretary of State shall lay before each House of Parliament—

(a) copies of the statements of account certified by the Comptroller and Auditor General, and the auditors' reports in respect of the Council and each of the Boards, together with copies of the report made by the Comptroller and Auditor General under subsection (3); and

(b) copies of the reports submitted by the Council and each of the Boards under subsection (5).