Expenses and accounts
12All expenditure incurred by or on behalf of the Agency—
(a)within the terms of any general authorisation in writing given by the Department and the Department of Finance; or
(b)with the approval of those Departments ;
may be defrayed as expenses of the Department.
13(1)The Agency shall keep proper accounts in such form as may be approved by the Department, and proper records in relation to the accounts, and shall prepare in respect of the period ending on 31st March 1977 and in respect of each subsequent financial year a statement of accounts in such form as the Department, with the approval of the Department of Finance may direct.
(2)The accounts of the Agency shall be audited by auditors appointed by the Agency with the approval of the Department and shall be vouched to the satisfaction of the auditors.
(3)The Agency shall, at such time in each year as the Department may direct, transmit to the Department and the Comptroller and Auditor-General copies, certified by the auditors, of the annual statement of accounts.
(4)The Comptroller and Auditor-General—
(a)shall examine a copy of each annual statement of accounts of the Agency;
(b)may, in connection with such examination, examine any accounts kept by the Agency and any records relating to the accounts ; and
(c)shall make a report on the copy of each annual statement of accounts and send the report to the Department.
(5)Subject to sub-paragraph (b), a copy of every annual statement of accounts of the Agency and a copy of the Comptroller and Auditor-General's report thereon shall be laid by the head of the Department before the Northern Ireland Assembly.
(6)During the interim period the copies mentioned in sub-paragraph (5) shall, instead, be sent by the Department to the Secretary of State and laid by him before Parliament.
(7)In this paragraph "the Comptroller and Auditor-General" means the Comptroller and Auditor-General for Northern Ireland.