Background and Policy Objectives
3.A Financial Provisions Act is normally required at intervals of every two or three years to deal with routine financial matters, including non-controversial amendments to financial legislation or to regularise an existing practice. On this occasion the Act contains a number of miscellaneous financial provisions authorising expenditure for which there is no other suitable legislative vehicle at present and a repeal of a redundant statutory obligation.
The Bill contains provisions
Conferring absolute privilege for reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General;
Authorising expenditure for consumer purposes; expenditure relating to social economy enterprises; expenditure for purposes of children and young persons; and expenditure for purposes of sustainable development; and
Repealing a requirement to prepare Finance Accounts.