Fisheries Act 1981

11 Accounts and reports

(1) it shall be the duty of the Authority—

(a) to keep proper accounts and proper records in relation to the accounts ; and

(b) to prepare a statement of accounts in respect of each financial year.

(2) The statement of accounts shall give a true and fair view of the state of the Authority's affairs at the end of the financial year and of the Authority's income and expenditure in the financial year, and shall comply with any directions given by the Ministers with the consent of the Treasury as to the information to be contained in the statement or the manner in which it is to be presented or as to the methods and principles according to which the statement is to be prepared.

(3) Separate accounts shall be kept by the Authority in respect of services provided as mentioned in section 3(5) above and of such other matters as the Ministers may direct.

(4) The accounts shall be audited by persons to be appointed in respect of each financial year by the Ministers, and the auditors shall be furnished by the Authority with copies of the statement of accounts.

(5) The auditors shall complete the audit of the accounts and send the Ministers copies of the statement of accounts and of their report on the accounts and the statement as soon as possible after the end of the financial year to which they relate and in any event not later than 30th September following the end of that year.

(6) No person shall be qualified to be appointed auditor under this section unless he is a member of one or more of the following bodies—

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales;

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland ;

• The Association of Certified Accountants ;

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland ;

but a Scottish firm may be appointed under this section if each of the partners is qualified to be so appointed.

(7) As soon as possible after the end of any financial year and in any event not later than 30th September following the end of that year the Authority shall prepare and submit to the Ministers a report of its proceedings in that year.

(8) The Ministers shall lay before Parliament copies of the Authority's report for any financial year together with copies of the statement of accounts and of the auditors' report for that year.

(9) The Ministers and the Comptroller and Auditor General shall be entitled to inspect all books, papers and other records of the Authority relating to, or to matters dealt with in, the accounts required to be kept pursuant to this section.