Introduction
Purpose of Information Supporting the Estimates
The Information Supporting the Estimates provides members of Parliament with information on expected performance to:
- support their examination of the appropriations and other authorities requested by the Government in the first Appropriation Bill for the forthcoming financial year, and
- provide a basis against which they can later assess the actual performance of each individual department and Office of Parliament over that financial year.
The Information Supporting the Estimates is organised into 10 volumes by sector, each of which covers one or more Votes. The scope of each sector and the allocation of Votes to a sector reflect a balancing of three desired characteristics - namely that each volume should, where possible:
- reflect natural sectors
- keep together Votes administered by the same department, and
- keep together Votes allocated to a particular select committee of the House of Representatives for examination.
The number of sectors and coverage of each sector was set in consultation with the Finance and Expenditure Committee. The 10 sectors are:
- Economic Development and Infrastructure Sector
- Education and Science Sector
- Environment Sector
- External Sector
- Finance and Government Administration Sector
- Health Sector
- Justice Sector
- Maori, Other Populations and Cultural Sector
- Primary Sector
- Social Development and Housing Sector.
As allowed by the amendment made in 2004 to the definition of “Vote” in section 2 of the Public Finance Act 1989 (PFA), the number of Votes has been reduced from 69 to 58 for 2012/13. The former Vote Agriculture and Forestry, Vote Biosecurity and Vote Fisheries have been merged into the new Vote Primary Industries (Primary Sector). The former Vote Climate Change has been merged into Vote Environment (Environment Sector). The former Vote Community and Voluntary Sector, Vote Emergency Management Office, Vote Local Government, Vote Ministerial Services, Vote National Archives, Vote National Library and Vote Racing have been merged into Vote Internal Affairs (Māori, Other Populations and Cultural Sector). The former Vote Youth Development has been merged into Vote Social Development (Social Development and Housing Sector).
