19Accountable officerS
(1)The Parliamentary corporation must designate [F1the Commissioner] or a member of the [F2Commissioner’s] staff as the accountable officer for the purposes of this section.
(2)The functions of the accountable officer are—
(a)signing the accounts of the expenditure and receipts of the [F3Commissioner],
(b)ensuring the propriety and regularity of the finances of the [F3Commissioner],
(c)ensuring that the resources of the [F3Commissioner] are used economically, efficiently and effectively, and
(d)the duty in subsection (3).
(3)Where the accountable officer[F4is not the Commissioner and] is required to act in some way but considers that to do so would be inconsistent with the proper performance of a function set out in subsection (2)(a) to (c), the accountable officer must—
(a)obtain written authority from the [F5Commissioner] before taking the action, and
(b)as soon as possible, send a copy of the authority to the Auditor General for Scotland.
(4)The accountable officer is answerable to the Parliament for the performance of the functions in subsection (2).
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 19(1) substituted (1.7.2013) by The Public Services Reform (Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland etc.) Order 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/197), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 21(a)(i)
F2Word in s. 19(1) substituted (1.7.2013) by The Public Services Reform (Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland etc.) Order 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/197), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 21(a)(ii)
F3Word in s. 19(2) substituted (1.7.2013) by The Public Services Reform (Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland etc.) Order 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/197), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 21(b)
F4Words in s. 19(3) inserted (1.7.2013) by The Public Services Reform (Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland etc.) Order 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/197), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 21(c)(i)
F5Word in s. 19(3)(a) substituted (1.7.2013) by The Public Services Reform (Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland etc.) Order 2013 (S.S.I. 2013/197), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 21(c)(ii)