Accounts of NHS foundation trusts
17(1)Monitor must prepare in respect of each financial year a set of accounts which consolidates the annual accounts of all NHS foundation trusts.
(2)The Secretary of State may, with the approval of the Treasury, direct Monitor to prepare a set of accounts in respect of such period as may be specified in the direction which consolidates any accounts prepared by NHS foundation trusts by virtue of paragraph 25(1A) of Schedule 7 to the National Health Service Act 2006 in respect of that period.
(3)In preparing any consolidated accounts under this paragraph, Monitor must comply with directions given by the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury as to—
(a)the content and form of the consolidated accounts;
(b)the methods and principles according to which the consolidated accounts should be prepared.
(4)Monitor must send a copy of any consolidated accounts under this paragraph to the Secretary of State and, if the Secretary of State so directs, the Comptroller and Auditor General—
(a)accompanied by such other reports or information as the Secretary of State may direct, and
(b)within the relevant period.
(5)In sub-paragraph (4)(b), the relevant period is—
(a)in relation to consolidated accounts under sub-paragraph (1), such period after the end of the financial year concerned as the Secretary of State may direct;
(b)in relation to consolidated accounts under sub-paragraph (2), such period as the Secretary of State may direct.
(6)Before giving a direction under sub-paragraph (5), the Secretary of State must consult Monitor.
(7)The Comptroller and Auditor General must—
(a)examine, certify and report on any consolidated accounts sent under this paragraph,
(b)if the Secretary of State so directs, send a copy of the report on the accounts to the Secretary of State, and
(c)if the Secretary of State so directs, lay copies of the accounts and the report on them before Parliament.
(8)Monitor must act with a view to securing that NHS foundation trusts—
(a)comply promptly with requests from it or the Secretary of State for information relating to their accounts, and
(b)otherwise act so as to facilitate the preparation of accounts by the Secretary of State.
(9)This paragraph does not apply to the financial year specified for the purposes of section 155(7) (which provides for the order that commences section 155, which itself relates to the preparation of the accounts of NHS foundation trusts, to specify the first financial year to which that section will apply) or to the subsequent financial years.