Employment Subsidies Act 1978

2 Parliamentary control of expenditure.

(1) The Secretary of State shall not, after 30th June 1978—

(a) set up any new scheme whose expected cost exceeds £10 million a year; or

(b) alter or extend any existing scheme, set up after that date and not so far costing more than £10 million a year, in such a way that the expected cost of the scheme as altered or extended exceeds that amount,

unless he has previously been authorised to do so by a resolution of the House of Commons.

(2) If the expected cost of a new scheme proposed to be set up, or of an existing scheme as proposed to be altered or extended, exceeds those limits, the Secretary of State shall, with a view to obtaining such a resolution, lay before the House of Commons a statement explaining the proposal.

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) above do not apply where the Secretary of State is satisfied that compliance would involve unacceptable delay in the taking of urgent essential measures against unemployment; but if he proceeds without a resolution of the House he shall lay before the House a statement of the action he has taken and his reasons for so proceeding.