Public sector Dallas, Michael
Accountancy age,
01/1994
Journal Article
Arrangements for contracting between purchasers and providers in the NHS have been operating for almost 3 years. The initially crude market mechanisms for costing and pricing systems are becoming ...more effective. In an attempt to establish good practice, the NHS Management Executive has set up the National Steering Group on Costing to ensure that providers have a reasonably consistent approach to costing to support the prices they put forward and ensure that purchasers can compare the prices offered by providers confident that they are on a broadly consistent basis. The timetable for the review of England's local government structure by the Local Government Commission (LGC) has been speeded up. In the 9 counties where the LGC has already made proposals, it appears that the government may establish the new authorities to begin on April 1, 1995.
Public sector Dallas, Michael
Accountancy age,
11/1993
Journal Article
The public sector issues of hospital league tables, management buyouts, and problems for charities are discussed. The Secretary of State for Health has decided to publish a league table of provider's ...performance, based on standards set out in the Patient's Charter. Only 6 indicators will be published for England, 4 relating to waiting times and the other 2 relating to speed of response by ambulance crews and the percentage of 4 common operations treated as day case surgery. In light of the impending implementation of the government's proposals on white collar compulsory competitive tendering, an increasing number of local authorities are investigating alternative methods of providing support services. These alternatives include management buyouts and partnership arrangements with private sector firms. Services most commonly being examined include legal, finance, architects and engineers. As a result of harsh scrutiny of the regulation of charities, there have been 2 new Charities Acts introducing many new requirements, such as the need to appoint properly qualified auditors, produce annual accounts, and give greater powers to the Charity Commissioners.
Public sector Dallas, Michael
Accountancy age,
10/1993
Journal Article
In early 1993, the NHS Management Executive introduced new arrangements to increase the delegated freedom for NHS bodies to use private sector finance without Treasury approval. The new arrangements ...still seek to control the use of private finance because, in some cases, it can be more expensive than using public capital. The aim is to minimize the cost to the NHS of acquiring assets over the long term as well as the short term. Good progress is being made in developing and tailoring accounting standards so that they address the specific issues that arise in public sector organizations. The code of practice on local authority accounting in Great Britain has been given the necessary negative assurance by the Accounting Standards Board to be recognized as a Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP).
Public sector Dallas, Michael
Accountancy age,
09/1993
Journal Article
The Department of Environment has issued significant further material affecting compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) in local authorities. These include: 1. a consultation paper on housing ...management CCT, and 2. DoE Circular 10/93. The number of housing management functions intended to be exposed to competition has been reduced significantly from earlier proposals. Housing benefit administration, right to buy, and homelessness functions have been removed from the CCT requirements. In other news, although Business Expansion Schemes (BES) may not immediately spring to mind as being relevant to the public sector, many housing associations and higher education bodies have used BES to finance rented accommodation for those in housing need and for students.
Until the late 1980s, housing associations were virtually entirely government funded, but now they are being forced to raise an increasing proportion of their capital funding requirements from the ...private sector - perhaps over 40% in the near future. The National Federation of Housing Associations is developing a SORP to provide more specific guidance concerning the form of housing associations' accounts. The proposed SORP allows associations to include properties in their balance sheets either at cost or at a valuation. There has been considerable debate as to the most appropriate basis of valuation.
Many National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and other units operate charitable trust funds. These charitable trust funds should not be confused with the new NHS Trusts. The NHS Trusts are not ...charities, and it might be less confusing if trust funds were referred to as charitable funds. Historically, the Department of Health has prescribed a standard format for the accounts of NHS charitable trust funds and the accounts have been audited by the auditors appointed by the Audit Commission. The Department of Health and the Commission are making strong representations to the Charity Commission for these arrangements to continue, suitably adapted to provide for the 1992 Charities Act's additional reporting requirements.
Public sector Dallas, Michael
Accountancy age,
06/1993
Journal Article
Pressures on local authorities to change their ways are discussed. Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to publish their accounts by December 31 each year. Although the majority of ...authorities meet this requirement, a number do not. There has been increasing criticism of delays by some authorities. In other news, many public sector bodies are under increasing legislative pressure to devolve management and financial responsibility to smaller units and lower tiers of management.
Public sector Dallas, Michael
Accountancy age,
05/1993
Journal Article
Issues affecting accountants working in the public sector, including funding pension costs and performance indicators for local authority services, are discussed.
