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Appropriation (Parliament 2012/2013) Bill 2012 Introduction Print EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM General This Bill provides appropriation authority for payments from the Consolidated Fund to the Parliament in respect of the 2012/2013 financial year. The amounts contained in Schedule 1 to the Bill provide for the ongoing operations of the Parliament, new output initiatives and new asset investment in so far as these are funded by way of annual appropriation. In addition to the annual appropriations contained in this Bill, funds are also made available to the Parliament by way of special appropriation. Special appropriations arise through provisions that are contained in legislation. These appropriations provide for the specific purposes set out in that legislation and they do not lapse annually like the annual Appropriation Act. Details of these can be found in Table A.4 of Budget Paper No. 5: Statement of Finances. Unapplied appropriation under the Appropriation (Parliament 2011/2012) Act 2011 has been estimated and is included in the Budget Papers. At the end of the 2011/2012 financial year actual unapplied appropriations are finalised, approved carryover amounts determined and the 2012/2013 appropriations increased accordingly, pursuant to section 32 of the Financial Management Act 1994. To enable comparison of the appropriations between years, Schedule 1 to the Bill contains both the 2011/2012 and the 2012/2013 appropriated amounts. 571289 1 BILL LA INTRODUCTION 30/04/2012
Clause Notes The Bill is comprised of 6 clauses as follows-- Clause 1 defines the purpose of the Bill. Clause 2 specifies that the Act comes into operation on the day it receives Royal Assent. Clause 3 provides that the Treasurer may issue the stated amount out of the Consolidated Fund in respect of the financial year 2012/2013 for the purposes set out in Schedule 1 to the Bill. Subclauses (2) and (3) provide authority for additional appropriation if necessary for increases in salaries and related costs that may be the result of determinations or legislation during the year. Clause 4 provides that the Consolidated Fund is appropriated to the extent necessary for the purposes included in section 3. Clause 5 provides that the amounts specified for an item in Schedule 1 are to be applied subject to section 31 of the Financial Management Act 1994 and on the basis that the amounts specified for that item are not exceeded. The clause also states that if depreciation is included in the provision of outputs of a Department in Schedule 1 to the Bill, then the additions to the net asset base of that department may be increased, subject to the Treasurer's approval, by an amount up to the depreciation amount. Clause 6 provides for the application of amounts in 2012/2013 for arrangements, expenses or obligations that arise in 2012/2013 but do not require payment until a future year. 2