Note 13: Accounting Treatment of TEIs and Non-Combination of Offices of Parliament

Section 27 (2) of the Public Finance Act 1989 (the Act) requires the Crown to prepare financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice. Section 27 (3) of the Act also requires the Crown to record its interest in entities such as Offices of Parliament and Crown entities within its financial statements.

The applicable financial reporting standards (FRSs) that determine the basis of combination of entities that make up the Crown reporting entity are FRS 37: Consolidating Investments in Subsidiaries and FRS 38: Accounting for Investments in Associates.

FRS 37 provides the basis for establishing whether the Crown’s interest in an entity should be line-by-line combined. The control test in FRS 37 requires consideration of both the Crown’s level of power and the benefit in relation to entities.

FRS 37 is not clear about how the definition of control in FRS 37 should be applied in some circumstances in the public sector, particularly where legislation provides certain public sector entities with statutory autonomy and independence. Treasury’s view is that line-by-line combination of such entities would provide a more conceptually complete and consistent picture of the Government’s financial activities and position. However, given the lack of clarity in applying FRS 37, the 2005 Crown financial statements:

• exclude Offices of Parliament as the Crown cannot unilaterally determine these entities operating and financing policies, nor significantly influence these entities. In addition the relationship of these entities is primarily with Parliament. As at 30 June 2005 these entities had total expenses of $50 million, total assets of $13 million and liabilities of $9 million (ie, net worth of $4 million)
• equity account the TEIs as the Crown cannot unilaterally determine their operating and financing policies, but does have a number of powers in relation to these entities.

The following table shows the financial effect if the revenue, expenses, assets and liabilities of TEIs were line-by-line combined and contrasts this with the treatment in the financial statements of equity accounting TEIs’ net surpluses and net assets. If TEIs were line-by-line combined there would be an increase in total revenues and expenses, total Crown debt and total assets and liabilities. The operating balance and net worth are the same under both accounting treatments.

The impact on the total Crown results from combining TEIs line by line would be to increase revenues and expenses, but only to the extent the TEI totals were not funded by the Crown (ie, by the amount in the third column). The Statement of financial position would alter as indicated in the following table.