EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997, Section 31
Agreements for “Net Appropriations”
The instrument to which this explanatory statement relates
This explanatory statement relates to an instrument (the instrument) made under section 31 of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (FMA Act), which is entitled Financial Management and Accountability Net Appropriation Agreement (Office of National Assessments) Variation, commencing 30 September 2005.
The legislative authority under which the instrument is made
Section 31 of the FMA Act enables the Minister for Finance and Administration (the Finance Minister) to enter into agreements with other Ministers for the purposes of items in Appropriation Acts that are marked “net appropriation”.
Section 31 of the FMA Act, together with certain standard provisions of the annual Appropriation Acts, (for example, section 10 of Appropriation Act (No.1) 2004-2005), allows departmental (and in select cases, administered) appropriation items to be increased by amounts received by an agency as specified in the agreement.
Subsection 31(3) of the FMA Act provides that an agreement may be for any period (that is, it need not relate to a particular Appropriation Act or Acts), including a period longer than a financial year. Generally agreements continue until circumstances require their renewal.
Subsection 31(4) of the FMA Act enables the Finance Minister to cancel or vary an agreement at any time without the consent of the other party.
Purpose and operation of the instrument
The instrument varies the existing Office of National Assessment section 31 agreement, which commenced on 14 June 2005. The instrument adds receipts received on or after 14 June 2005 from the transfer of annual leave entitlements between agencies to the list of eligible receipts.
The effect of the instrument will be to provide the Office of National Assessment with an appropriation authority to spend amounts equivalent to receipts from the transfer of annual leave entitlements received on or after 14 June 2005. The instrument authorises only future spending of past receipts. The instrument will bring the Office of National Assessment section 31 agreement into line with the agreements entered by other agencies across the Commonwealth.
Notes on the instrument
Specific provisions within the annual Appropriation Acts give effect to the instrument. Therefore, the instrument only has effect while the relevant specific provisions exist in the annual Appropriation Acts.
Consultation
The Office of National Assessments is the agency affected by this instrument. The agency was consulted in the drafting of the instrument. As the instrument is for internal machinery of government purposes only, no consultation was considered necessary with other persons (see sections 17 and 18 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003).
Additional Information
Agreements made under section 31 of the FMA Act are not subject to the parliamentary disallowance and sunsetting provisions of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003: see item 19 in subsection 44(2) and item 17 in subsection 54(2) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.