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APPENDIX C
Statement by the Chief Secretary in the Legislative Council
on 20 November 1985
Sir, tabled in this Council today is the report of the Director of Audit on the accounts of the Government for the year ended 31 March 1985. Also tabled is a Government Paper in response to comments on certain policy issues in the Report. I would like briefly to explain the reasons for Government proceeding in this way.
2. The appropriate forum for considering policy issues, including any that may be raised in the Director of Audit's Annual Report, is this Council where they can be properly and fully debated. Moreover, from a practical point of view, Controlling Officers who are required to appear before the Public Accounts Committee, are rarely the Officers responsible for policy, and are not therefore usually in a position to respond authoritatively on matters of policy.
3. Sir, the Report is a thorough and highly professional piece of work. The point I make is one of principle regarding the procedures to be used for discussion of policy issues raised by the Report; but let me, at the same time, assure Members of this Council the Government will answer all the points raised in it.
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