Senator HERRON (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs) —I present the following government response to a committee report: Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee—Report on annual reports tabled January 1995—June 1995. I seek leave to incorporate the document in Hansard .

Leave granted.

The document read as follows—

Government Final Response to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee's "Report on Annual Reports Tabled January 1995-June 1995".

1. The Committee recommends that an unclassified annual report by the Office of National Assessments be presented to Parliament.

After careful consideration, the Government has decided not to proceed with an unclassified annual report by the Office of National Assessments. There are already extensive accountability arrangements in place, and there would be difficulty in producing a report that provided meaningful information.

2. The Committee recommends that the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, in conjunction with the Joint Committee of Public Accounts, develop appropriate guidelines to govern reporting to Parliament by Commonwealth/State bodies with a high level of ex-officio membership, including in this category those bodies which have New Zealand as a member.

As the Committee notes, the requirements for reporting on non-statutory bodies (drawn up in 1987) do not apply to Commonwealth-State consultative bodies with high level ex-officio membership only. These are councils or committees, of ministers or senior officials, which provide a forum for discussion and agreement but do not exercise the decision-making responsibilities of the governments represented on them; and their members' activities are only one aspect of the duties of offices they hold subject to more general accountability arrangements. Departments providing secre tariat support for consultative councils are subject to the departmental annual reporting requirements.

Commonwealth governments have been involved through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), in putting in place protocols and other guidelines regarding the operation of Ministerial Councils and related officials' committees. COAG has agreed that a compendium of ministerial councils should be published and updated, showing in respect of each council its scope and objectives, its composition, chairing arrangements, frequency of meetings, associated meetings of officials, secretariat arrangements, and contact points. The compendium shows any involvement of New Zealand or other regional ministers or officials.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Commonwealth-State Relations Secretariat published the compendium in 1992 and 1994, and it is intended to update it regularly. When the Department next writes to other departments about their own reporting requirements, it will remind them of the Parliament's interest in any participation in and support they provide for Commonwealth-State consultative councils.

3. The Committee recommends that the Australia New Zealand Land Information Council annual report be presented to Parliament.

The Australia New Zealand Land Information Council has agreed to publish a National Report covering the period 1994-97 and annual reports subsequently, which will be submitted to the Committee.

4. The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Spatial Data Committee annual report be presented to Parliament.

The Commonwealth Spatial Data Committee has provided the Senate Committee with copies of its 1995-96 and 1996-97 annual reports and intends to continue this practice.

5. The Committee recommends that the Construction Industry Ministers' Conference report to Parliament, either separately, or within the Department of Administrative Services annual report.

The Australian Procurement and Construction Ministers Council (APCC) was formed in October 1996 and performs the role previously provided by the Construction Industry Ministers Conference. The APCC, including the secretariat function, is jointly funded by Federal, State and Territory governments. A report on the Department of Finance and Administration's involvement with the APCC will be included in future annual reports of the Department.

6. The Committee recommends that the Australian Liaison Committee on Remote Sensing by Satellite report to Parliament, either separately, or within the Department of Administrative Services annual report.

The Australian Liaison Committee on Remote Sensing by Satellite was disbanded in 1993.

7. The Committee recommends that the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet consult with the Land Councils and the Joint Committee of Public Accounts, concerning both the appropriate means for reporting by Aboriginal Land Trusts to Parliament, and the nature of the information to be supplied.

Land Trusts are established primarily to hold title to land, and to deal with estates and interests relating to that land at the direction of the respective Land Councils. The Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs will contact Land Councils to settle arrangements regarding coverage of such dealings in the annual reports of Land Councils, which are tabled in the Parliament.

8. The Committee recommends that the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council financial statements be presented annually to Parliament.

The recently passed Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 requires Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council to table annual reports in the Parliament commencing with the financial year ending June 1998.

9. The Committee recommends that, while the Advisory Council for Inter-government relations remains a statutory authority (though inactive), a note to this effect be placed, either in the annual report of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, or in the information available on request.

A note about the Advisory Council for Inter-government Relations was included in the information made available on request in association with the Department's annual reports for 1994-95 and 1995-96. The practice of including such a note will continue as long as it is appropriate.

10. The Committee recommends that departmental annual reports, or material available on request, include information on any inactive statutory authority or non-statutory body, to allow monitoring of compliance with reporting requirements.

Departments are required to make available on request information about portfolio legislation and statutory authorities. Inactive statutory authorities should be shown as such in this information. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet will advise departments accordingly when it writes to them next about reporting requirements. It will also remind departments to include in information available on request notes on any non-statutory bodies which have become inactive without ceasing to exist.