Vote Office of the Clerk - Finance and Government Administration Sector - Estimates 2016/2017

Overview of the Vote#

The Speaker of the House of Representatives is responsible for appropriations in Vote Office of the Clerk for the 2016/17 financial year. The Clerk of the House of Representatives is the principal permanent officer of the House and carries out the functions required of the Clerk specified in section 3 of the Clerk of the House of Representatives Act 1988 (the Act). While the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives is responsible for administering the Vote, the Office's primary purpose is to assist the Clerk in carrying out those functions specified in section 3 of the Act.

Total appropriations in Vote Office of the Clerk for 2016/17 cover the following:

• a total of just over $19 million for the provision of secretariat services for the House of Representatives, including professional advice and services designed to assist the House in the fulfilment of its constitutional functions and to enable participation in, and an understanding of, parliamentary proceedings
• a total of just over $3.500 million for capital expenditure
• a total of just over $3 million over three years for Inter-parliamentary Relations. This appropriations is limited to delivering services to improve relations between the New Zealand Parliament and other parliaments, including establishing and implementing an annual programme of incoming and outgoing visits, assisting to build the capacity of the Pacific Island parliaments, supporting the New Zealand parliament's contribution on global issues at international parliamentary organisations and hosting international parliamentary conferences.

Details of these appropriations are set out in Parts 2-4.

Details of Appropriations and Capital Injections#

Annual and Permanent Appropriations#

Multi-Year Appropriations#

Total Annual and Permanent Appropriations and Multi-Year Appropriation Forecasts#

Capital Injection Authorisations#

Supporting Information#

Part 1 - Vote as a Whole#

1.1 - New Policy Initiatives

1.2 - Trends in the Vote#

Summary of Financial Activity#

Note - where restructuring of the vote has occurred then, to the extent practicable, prior years information has been restated as if the restructuring had occurred before the beginning of the period covered. In this instance Total Appropriations for the Budgeted and Estimated Actual year may not equal Total Appropriations in the Details of Appropriations and Capital Injections.

Adjustments to the Summary of Financial Activity Table Due to Vote Restructuring#

There have been no restructuring adjustments to prior year information in the Summary of Financial Activity table.

1.3 - Analysis of Significant Trends#

Operating expenses were lower in 2014/15 due to:

• staff reductions through resignations and restructuring
• the rescheduling or cancellation of inter-parliamentary conferences
• delay in the publication of Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand, and
• delay in finding a suitable supplier for the provision of closed captioning of Parliament TV.

Operating expenses are higher in 2015/16 and out years due to:

• increases in ICT service levels
• higher capital expenditure incurred in 2013/14 has increased depreciation and amortisation costs, and
• increased operating costs relating to Organisational capability and Parliament web accessibility.

The higher capital expenditure in 2013/14 and 2014/15 was for software development of Hansard Production System (HPS), Core Parliamentary Data System (CPD), e-committee system, Parliament website and upgrades to the Office's document management system.

Part 2 - Details of Departmental Appropriations#

2.1 - Departmental Output Expenses#

Inter-parliamentary Relations (M78)

Scope of Appropriation and Expenses

Revenue

What is Intended to be Achieved with this Appropriation

This appropriation is intended to achieve the fulfilment of the New Zealand Parliament's obligations as a member of the international parliamentary community, and facilitate members' engagement with other parliaments and inter-parliamentary organisations.

How Performance will be Assessed and End of Year Reporting Requirements

Standards for Inter-parliamentary Relations

Note 1 - Meets expectations means that the Speaker approves the inter-parliamentary programme and is satisfied that the programme is executed as intended.

End of Year Performance Reporting

Performance information for this appropriation will be reported by the Office of the Clerk in its Annual Report to be presented to the House.

Reasons for Change in Appropriation

The increase in this appropriation by $140,000 is due to:

• A fiscally neutral adjustment transferring $140,000 from the Secretariat appropriation for 2016/17 and out years to allow for a change in the apportionment of personnel costs.

Secretariat Services for the House of Representatives (M78)#

Scope of Appropriation#

Expenses and Revenue#

What is Intended to be Achieved with this Appropriation#

This appropriation is intended to achieve a well-supported legislature that meets constitutional requirements for the consideration of legislation, the scrutiny of executive government, and other parliamentary business, and a well-informed public that participates in the legislature's proceedings.

How Performance will be Assessed and End of Year Reporting Requirements#

Standards for services to the House and committees

Note 1 - Accurate means that the advice accords with Standing Orders, Speakers' Rulings, and established practice.

Note 2 - Information and services required by the House for sittings include:

• preparation of Order Paper for each sitting day
• scrutiny of questions for oral and written answer
• scrutiny of notices of motions
• checking of petitions for compliance with the Standing Orders
• arrangement of presentation of papers
• scrutiny of bills and supplementary order papers for compliance with the Standing Orders, and
• Te Reo Maori and sign language interpreters.

Information and services required by committees include:

• preparation of notices of meetings, agendas and minutes
• arrangement of hearings of evidence and brokering of advice for legislative and financial scrutiny and select committee inquiries
• management of committee papers
• preparation of draft reports and arrange for their presentation to the House, and
• Te Reo Maori and sign language interpretation and translation.

Note 3 - Recording, publishing and maintenance of records means:

• Hansard
• decisions and business of House are recorded accurately and published to the Journals of the House of Representatives
• committee proceedings are published to the Parliament website, and
• all records accord with the Standing Orders, Speakers' Rulings, and established practice.

Standards for drafting legislation

Note 4 - The standards of quality in drafting legislation are that the member is satisfied with the final product to the extent that achieving the members' satisfaction with the final product allows the following:

• the legislation produced gives effect to the member's intentions
• the legislation produced is drafted as clearly and simply as possible, and
• the legislation produced is in accordance with the Standing Orders (and is legally sound).

Standards for pecuniary interests

Note 5 - Satisfaction means that the Registrar of Pecuniary Interests of Members of Parliament is satisfied that all advice provided by the Office to the Registrar accords with the Standing Orders and practices of the House of Representatives and that all responses to requests for significant advice were peer reviewed.

End of Year Performance Reporting#

Performance information for this appropriation will be reported by Office of the Clerk in its Annual Report to be presented to the House.

Current and Past Policy Initiatives#

Reasons for Change in Appropriation#

The increase in this appropriation by $1.111 million is due to:

• expense transfer of $120,000 from 2015/16 to 2016/17 for Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand
• retention of underspends of $400,000 from 2015/16 to 2016/17
• net impact of revenue reduction of $14,000 in 2016/17 and out years
• a fiscally neutral adjustment transferring $140,000 to the Inter-parliamentary Relations Appropriation in 2016/17 to allow for a change in the apportionment of personnel costs
• new budget initiatives for Organisational capability $290,000 and Parliament web accessibility $542,000, and
• the impact on 2015/16 of a $600,000 expense transfer from 2014/15.

2.3 - Departmental Capital Expenditure and Capital Injections#

Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives - Capital Expenditure PLA (M78)#

Scope of Appropriation

Capital Expenditure

What is Intended to be Achieved with this Appropriation

This appropriation is intended to achieve the maintenance and upgrade of the Office of the Clerk's information technology, publishing and broadcasting applications through development and routine replacement.

How Performance will be Assessed and End of Year Reporting Requirements

Expenditure is in accordance with Office of the Clerk's long term capital expenditure plan.

End of Year Performance Reporting

Performance information for this appropriation will be reported by the Office of the Clerk in its Annual Report to be presented to the House.

Reasons for Change in Appropriation

The increase in this appropriation by $2.280 million is due to:

• a new budget initiative for Parliament Web Accessibility.

Capital Injections and Movements in Departmental Net Assets

Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives