The instrument to which this explanatory statement relates

Determination to Reduce Appropriations Upon Request (No.1 of 2009-2010)

Date instrument was made

8 February 2010

The legislative authority under which the instrument is made

Subsection 10(2) of annual appropriation Acts for ordinary annual services (eg. No. 1 and No. 3) enable the Minister for Finance and Deregulation (Finance Minister) to make a determination reducing a departmental item.

A determination made under subsection 10(2) must be in accordance with a written request made to the Finance Minister by the responsible Minister for the entity.

A determination made under subsection 10(2) is a Legislative Instrument and is disallowable.

Purpose and effect of the instrument

Schedule 1, Item 1 of the instrument determines that the departmental item for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) in Appropriation Act (No.1) 2009-2010 be reduced by $2,406,823.

Background

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister wrote to the Finance Minister on 19 January 2010 requesting a determination to reduce PM&C’s departmental item under Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2009-2010.

The reductions relate to:

(a) An unspent appropriation balance of $1,592,397 for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Taskforce, which was funded on a “no win / no loss” basis.

(b) An unspent appropriation balance of $814,426 for the Community Cabinets measure, which was also funded on a “no win / no loss” basis.

Notes on the Instrument

Schedule 1 to the instrument contains a table listing the affected agency in column 1, the appropriation Act and appropriation item in column 2, the legislative authority in column 3, which through the request by the responsible Minister in column 4, is reduced by the amount in column 5.

In accordance with the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, PM&C was consulted in the preparation of this Instrument.