Accountability
Section 16 (Annual report)
41.Section 16 requires South of Scotland Enterprise to report to the Scottish Ministers after each financial year on what it has done in that year. The section further requires that the Scottish Ministers lay the annual reports before the Scottish Parliament.
42.The phrase “financial year” is defined in schedule 1 of the Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.
43.The reporting obligation under section 16 is in addition to the following other reporting obligations:
South of Scotland Enterprise’s duty under section 32 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 to publish a statement after each financial year about (amongst other things) what it has done in that financial year to promote and increase sustainable economic growth. South of Scotland Enterprise is subject to that duty by reason of the amendment made to the Public Services Reform Act by paragraph 6(3) of schedule 2.
South of Scotland Enterprise’s duty under the Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Order 2015 to report annually on its compliance with its duties under section 44 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. South of Scotland Enterprise is subject to that duty by reason of the amendment made to the Order by paragraph 10 of schedule 2.