Public Accounts Committee Regulations (Cth)

STATUTORY RULES.

1953. No. .91

REGULATIONS UNDER THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE ACT 1951.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Public Accounts Committee Act 1951.

Dated this  fourth

day of  November , 1953.

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

Prime Minister.

Public Accounts Committee Regulations.

Citation.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Public Accounts Committee Regulations.

Commencement.

2. These Regulations shall be deemed to have come into operation on the first day of October, 1952.

Definition.

3. In these Regulations, “the Act” means the Public Accounts Committee Act 1951.

Witnesses’ fees and expenses.

4. The scale in the Schedule to these Regulations is the prescribed scale for the purposes of section 20 of the Act.

Prescribed allowances.

5.—(1.) Subject to this regulation, the prescribed allowances for the purposes of section 22 of the Act are—

(a) in the case of the Chairman of the Committee—an allowance of Three pounds three shillings for each day upon which he attends a meeting of the Committee or of a Sectional Committee;

(b)in the case of the Vice-Chairman or a member of the Committee—an allowance of Two pounds ten shillings for each day on which he attends a meeting of the Committee or of a Sectional Committee; and

(c) in the case of the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman or a member of the Committee who travels in the course of his duties as a member of the Committee or of a Sectional Committee—such sum as is necessary to pay the expenses (if any) of his conveyance and a travelling allowance at the rate of Two pounds ten shillings per day.

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on , 1953.

5534.—Price 3d.  15/7.9.1953.

(2.) Where, in the absence of the Chairman of the Committee, the Vice-Chairman or a member of the Committee presides at a meeting of the Committee or a Sectional Committee, the allowance payable to the Vice-Chairman or the member in respect of the day on which the meeting is held shall be the allowance specified in paragraph (a) of the last preceding sub-regulation,

(3.) When the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman or a member of the Committee travels in the course of his duties as a member of the Committee or of a Sectional Committee—

(a)by ship or by railway, and the fare paid for the journey includes subsistence; or

(b) by air, and the fare paid for the journey, or a portion of the journey, includes meals and accommodation during an overnight stop,

a travelling allowance at the rate of Twelve shillings and sixpence per day is payable in respect of the journey or portion of a journey, as the case may be, in lieu of the travelling allowance at the rate specified in paragraph (c) of sub-regulation (1.) of this regulation.

(4.) A sum for expenses under paragraph (c) of sub-regulation (1.) of this regulation and a travelling allowance under that paragraph or under the last preceding sub-regulation is not payable in respect of a day, or a conveyance, for which the Chairman, Vice-Chairman or member of the Committee has received travelling allowance or the expenses of his conveyance, as the case requires, while travelling on any other business arising out of his duties as a member of the Parliament.

THE SCHEDULE.

Regulation 4.

SCALE OF FEES AND TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES PAYABLE TO WITNESSES.
£	s.		d.	£	s.	d.
1	Professional men, including—
Medical Practitioners ......................................................................
Legal Practitioners ..........................................................................
Architects ......................................................................................
Engineers or Surveyors ...................................................................	1		5	0	to	5	5	0
Dentists ..........................................................................................	per day.
Veterinary Surgeons .......................................................................
University Professors ...................................................................... .
Accountants (carrying on business as principals) ..............................
Patent Attorneys .............................................................................
If country witnesses, an additional daily allowance of........................	0		5	0	to	1	10	0
per day.
2	Graziers, merchants, bankers, accountants, auctioneers, and the like .........	0		10	6	to	3	3	0
per day.
If country witnesses, an additional daily allowance of .........................	0		5	0	to	1	5	0
per day.
3	Journalists, tradesmen, artisans, mechanics, master mariners, farmers, clerks, and the like .........................................................................................	0		7	6	to	2	10	0
per day.
If country witnesses, an additional daily allowance of .........................	0		5	0	to	1	5	0
per day.

 

The Schedule—continued.

4.	Apprentices, sailors, labourers and the like .............................................	0	5	0	to	1	10	0
per day.
If country witnesses, an additional daily allowance of .........................	0	5	0	to	1	5	0
per day.
5.	Female witnesses not engaged in business or a profession, and not in receipt of salary or wages ................................................................................	0	5	0	to	1	1	0
per day.
If country witnesses, an additional daily allowance of .........................	0	3	0	to	1	5	0
per day.
6.	Female witnesses engaged in business or a profession, or in receipt of salary or wages ..............................................................................................
Same as male witnesses of similar class.
7.	A witness shall be deemed to be a country witness if he does not reside within five miles of the place at which he gives evidence, or if he does not ordinarily proceed to an office or place of employment which is within five miles of that place.
8.	In addition to the above allowances, country witnesses may be allowed such sum as the Chairman or Vice-Chairman thinks reasonable to provide for actual expenses of conveyance to and from the place at which he gives evidence, excluding any charges for maintenance or sustenance.
9.	The Chairman or Vice-Chairman may also allow such amount as he thinks has been reasonably and properly incurred and paid to witnesses for qualifying to give skilled evidence.

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.