Social Welfare - Senate Standing Committee - Reports - Annual Reports referred to the Committee, March 1980

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia

SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE O N SOCIAL WELFARE

Report on Annual Reports Referred to the Committee

March 1980

Brought up and ordered to be printed 22 April 1980

Parliamentary Paper No. 68/1980

Parliamentary Paper No. 68/1980

The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia

SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL WELFARE

Report on Annual Reports Referred to the Committee

March 1980

The Commonwealth Government Printer Canberra 1980

© Commonwealth of Australia 1980

Printed by C. J. T h o m p s o n , Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

Senator Peter Baume (New South Wales), Chairman Senator N. T. Bonner (Queensland) Senator R. C. Elstob (South Australia) Senator G. Georges (Queensland)

Senator J. I. Melzer (Victoria) Senator S. Walters (Tasmania)

Acting Secretary

P. Barsdell The Senate Parliament House

Canberra

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24844/80—2

ANNUAL REPORTS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE

In accordance with the terms of Resolution of the Senate dated 1 March 1978, a total of twenty-seven annual reports were referred to the Standing Committee on Social Welfare between August and November 1979. These reports are:

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2 . 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9.

10. 11. 12. 13.

14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

27.

Date Tabled Title

13.9.79 Defence Service Homes Corporation 1978-79 (interim statement) 13.9.79 Repatriation Commission 1978-79 (interim) 18.9.79** Capital Territory Health Commission 1977-78 18.9.79 Department of Social Security 1978-79 (interim)

9.10.79** Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation 1977-78 9.10.79 Commissioner for Community Relations 1978-79 11.10.79 Department of Aboriginal Affairs 1978-79 25.10.79 Director-General of Health 1978-79 25.10.79** Operations of the Registered Medical and Hospital Benefits

Organisations 1977-78

8.11.79 Defence Service Homes Corporation 1978-79 (interim) 13.11.79* Australian Military Forces Relief Trust Fund 1978 13.11.79 Department of Social Security 1978-79 13.11.79* Royal Australian Air Force Welfare Trust Fund 1978 13.11.79* Royal Australian Navy Relief Trust Fund 1978 15.11.79 Aboriginal Hostels Limited 1978-79 15.11.79 Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies 1978-79 15.11.79 Defence Service Homes Corporation 1977-78 20.11.79 Commissioner for Employees’ Compensation 1978-79 20.11.79** Health Insurance Commission 1977-78 20.11.79 Family Law Council 1978-79 20.11.79 Capital Territory Health Commission 1978-79 (interim) 22.11.79 Australian Capital Territory Police 1978-79 22.11.79 Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs 1978-79

22.11.79** National Health and Medical Research Council 1978 22.11.79 National Women’s Advisory Council 1979 22.11.79** Commissioner for Superannuation on the Operations of the Papua New Guinea Superannuation Board and the Contract

Officers (Papua New Guinea) Retirement Benefits Board 1975-76 22.11.79** Superannuation Fund Investment Trust and the Commissioner for Superannuation 1976-77

* More than six months after period reported on. ** More than twelve months after period reported on.

General Comments

Eight of the twenty-seven annual reports received by the Committee were tabled more than twelve months after the period to which they referred. The annual reports of all of these organisations have already been referred to the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Operations for inquiry into, among other things, the reasons

for their late presentation to the Parliament.

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The Committee welcomes the use of interim reports by some departments and authorities to provide information on their operations to the Parliament earlier than they might otherwise be able to do. This practice had been recommended by the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Operations. However, depart­ ments and authorities should ensure that this practice does not lead to any further delay in the tabling of the final reports.

The annual reports of the Australian Military Forces Relief Trust Fund, the Royal Australian Air Force Welfare Trust Fund, and the Royal Australian Navy Relief Trust Fund for the calendar year 1978 were not tabled in the Parliament until 13 November 1979. The Committee sought the reasons for the delay in the presentation of their annual reports from the Trustees of the three bodies. Their replies are appended.

The Royal Australian Navy Relief Trust Fund sent its report to the Department of Finance for tabling by the Minister of Finance on 2 May 1979. The Australian Military Forces Relief Trust Fund forwarded its report on 6 July 1979, but the Royal Australian Air Force Welfare Trust Fund did not forward its report until 25 September

1979.

The Department of Finance informed the Committee that it was normal to table the three reports together and that they waited for the report of the Royal Australian Air Force Welfare Trust Fund before tabling the other two last year.

The Royal Australian Air Force Welfare Trust Fund drew the attention of the Committee to the fact that it took the Auditor-General’s Department three months to audit its accounts and that the Australian Government Publishing Service took four months to have the twelve-page report printed.

With the recent moves to reduce the delays in the tabling of annual reports of departments and statutory bodies, some consideration needs to be given to the concomitant pressures being placed on the Auditor-General’s Department and the Australian Government Publishing Service with regard to their role in the preparation

of reports. They need to have the capacity to deal with annual reports quickly so that the reports can be tabled in the Parliament without some of the lengthy delays that have occurred.

In the case of the Royal Australian Air Force Welfare Trust Fund Report for 1978, the time taken to print twelve pages was inordinate and the Committee RECOMMENDS that the Joint Committee on Publications takes this matter up with the Australian Government Publishing Service.

Family Law Council

In its Third Annual Report (for 1978-79) the Council states: The Council continues to note with regret (as it did in the Second Annual Report . . .) that the Institute o f Family Studies, provided by section 116 of the Family Law Act, has still not been established. The position of D irector was advertised in O ctober

1978 and it is hoped that an early appointm ent will be made.

Inquiries made by the Committee revealed that the Institute is now being established. The Board of Management and the Director have been appointed and other staff positions advertised.

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AMF RELIEF TRUST FUND CENTRAL OFFICE

Chancery House 485 Bourke Street Melbourne, Vic. 3000

25 March 1980

The Secretary Australian Senate Standing Committee on Social Welfare Parliament House Canberra, A.C.T. 2600

Dear Sir, I refer to your letter dated 5 March 1980 in which you seek the reasons for the delay in presentation to the Parliament of the Australian Military Forces Relief Trust Fund’s Annual Report for 1978.

The sequence of events leading up to the presentation of our Annual Report for 1978 is detailed in the following paragraphs.

The accounts of the Fund for the year ended 31 December 1978 were closed and the draft annual financial statements and a draft annual report were prepared by 6 February 1979. The draft statements and report were presented to and accepted by the Trustees, subject to any amendments resulting from audit, at a formal meeting

on 19 February 1979.

On 12 February 1979, Commonwealth Audit commenced work on the Fund’s accounts and by 30 March 1979 we received verbal advice from them that the Auditor- General would not require any changes to be made to the draft statements and report. The documents were delivered to the printer immediately, apart from the Auditor-

General’s Certificate which we received and delivered to the printer, the Australian Government Publishing Service, on 18 April 1979.

First proofs of the report were received on 1 June 1979 and the second set of proofs on 13 June 1979. The printed Report arrived from the Australian Government Publishing Service on 5 July 1979 and was dispatched on the following day to the Secretary, Department of Finance, for tabling in Parliament by the Minister.

We have been advised by the Department of Finance that the subsequent delay of four months in presentation of the Report resulted from the time spent in correction of errors contained in the Annual Report of the Royal Australian Air Force Welfare Trust Fund—it is customary for the Minister to present the Annual Reports of the

Royal Australian Navy Relief Trust Fund, the Australian Military Forces Relief Trust Fund and the Royal Australian Air Force Welfare Trust Fund at the same time.

Therefore, for the 1978 Report, the main delays resulted from audit requirements, the printing of the Report and the practice of tabling the Annual Reports of the three Services’ Trust Funds together.

For the 1979 Report, it is hoped that arrangements can be made to reduce the delay in having the Report printed but the other factors are outside the Trustees’ control. It should be mentioned that Commonwealth Audit co-operate in keeping the time taken for audit to a minimum.

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In conclusion, I wish to assure the Committee that the Trustees are fully aware of the need for early presentation of Annual Reports and that every effort is always made to accomplish this aim.

Yours faithfully, (I. R. W. Brumfield) Brigadier Chairman of Trustees

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RAAF WELFARE TRUST FU N D TRUSTEES

Chancery House 485 Bourke Street Melbourne, Vic. 3000

31 March 1980

Acting Secretary Standing Committee on Social Welfare Australian Senate Parliament House

Canberra, A.C.T. 2600

Dear Sir,

1. Receipt of your letter dated 5 March 1980 is acknowledged. Your request for reasons for the delay in tabling the Trustees’ Report for the year ending 31 December 1978 in the Houses of Parliament is noted.

2. The Trustees are equally as anxious as your Committee to have what appear to be unnecessary delays in the publication of the Annual Report eliminated. For example, all the material for the printing of the Annual Report for the year 31 December 1979 was ready for forwarding to the printer on 25 February 1980.

It is now held awaiting the completion of audit and certification by the Auditor- General’s Department. Once this is received the material will be presented to the Australian Government Printing [Publishing] Service which generally takes from two to three months to have the report printed. The timetable for the year under question

1979 was as follows:

26 February 1979: Material for the report was assembled by the Trustees and ready for printing. Balance Sheet and Statement of Income and Expenditure were submitted to the Auditor-General for audit and certification.

25 May 1979: Certified Balance Sheet and Statement of Income and Expenditure received from the Auditor-General’s Department and the material of the report was submitted to the Australian Government Printing [Publishing] Service.

30 May 1979: The Australian Government Printing [Publishing] Service acknowledged receipt of the material.

24 September 1979: The printed reports were received from the Australian Government Printing [Publishing] Service.

25 September 1979: 350 copies of the report were forwarded to the Department of Finance for tabling in the Houses of Parliament.

3. It will be seen from the above that the Trustees of the Fund did all that was possible to minimise the time required to have the report tabled in the Houses of Parliament.

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4. The inquiries of your committee might well be directed to the Auditor-General’s Department and the Australian Government Printing [Publishing] Service in order to discover why:

1. The Auditor-General requires such a lengthy time to audit and process a simple, straight forward Balance Sheet and Statement of Income and Expenditure; and 2. The Australian Government Printing [Publishing] Service requires such a

lengthy period for the printing of a report covering six pages of material.

5. I trust that this letter supplies the information that you are seeking.

Yours faithfully, (L. B. S m it h ) Secretary to the Trustees RAAF Welfare Trust Fund

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE (NAVY OFFICE)

Russell Offices Canberra, A.C.T. 2600

1 April 1980

The Secretary Senate Standing Committee on Social Welfare Parliament House Canberra, A.C.T. 2600

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY RELIEF TRUST F U N D - REPORT BY THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR 1 JANUARY 1978 TO 31 DECEMBER 1978

Reference: Your letter dated 5 March 1980. Dear Sir, 1. Whilst the Trustees of the RAN Relief Trust Fund agree that there was a considerable delay between the end of the reporting period and the actual tabling of their annual report in the Parliament, they do not consider that any undue delay was occasioned by the administration of the Fund.

2. In confirmation of this the following table of events is submitted:

8 March 1979—Annual Report, Statement of Income and Expenditure and Balance Sheet, having been approved by the Commonwealth Audit Department, were signed by the Trustees. 10 April 1979 —Balance Sheet and Statement of Income and Expenditure

examined and approved by the Auditor-General.

23 April 1979 —Two copies of the Annual Report for year ending 31 December 1978 forwarded to First Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance, in accordance with section 34 of the Services Trust Funds Act 1947.

2 May 1979 ■ —Printed and bound copies of the Annual Report were received from Australian Government Publishing Service and 340 copies were dispatched immediately to First Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance, for Parliamentary

distribution.

(A. A. WILLIS) Rear Admiral, RAN for Chief o f Naval Staff

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