Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Accounts and report E+W

11 (1) The Commission shall keep proper accounts and other records, and shall prepare for each financial year a statement of account in such form as the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury may direct and submit those statements of account to the Secretary of State at such time as he may with the approval of the Treasury direct.

(2) The Secretary of State shall, as respects each financial year, send the Commission’s statement of accounts to the Comptroller and Auditor General not later than the end of November following the year.

(3) The Comptroller and Auditor General shall examine, certify and report on the statement of accounts and lay copies of it, together with his report, before each House of Parliament.

12 The Commission shall furnish the Secretary of State with such returns, accounts and other information with respect to their property and activities or proposed activities as he may from time to time require, and shall afford to the Secretary of State facilities for the verification of information so furnished and for that purpose permit any person authorised in that behalf by the Secretary of State to inspect and make copies of the Commission’s accounts, books, documents or papers and give that person such explanation of them as he may reasonably require.

13 (1) The Commission shall, as soon as possible after the end of each financial year, make to the Secretary of State a report on the discharge by them of their functions under the 1949 Act, the 1968 Act [F1 , the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000]and this Act during that year.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of sub-paragraph (1), but subject to the provisions of sub-paragraph (3), the report of the Commission for any year shall include—

(a) a statement of the action taken by the Commission to promote the enjoyment of the countryside by members of the public who are disabled; and

(b) a record of all questions with which the Commission have been concerned during that year and which appear to the Commission to be of general public interest, indicating the purport of any representations or recommendations made by the Commission with respect thereto, and the conclusions (if any) reached thereon.

(3) The report of the Commission for any year shall set out any direction given by the Secretary of State during that year under section 3 of the 1949 Act unless the Secretary of State has notified to the Commission his opinion that it is against the interests of national security so to do.

(4) The Secretary of State shall lay a copy of every report of the Commission under this paragraph before each House of Parliament.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Sch. 13 para. 13(1) inserted (1.4.2001 for E. and 1.5.2001 for W.) by 2000 c. 37, s. 46(3), Sch. 4 para. 6; S.I. 2001/114, art. 2(2)(j); S.I. 2001/1410, art. 2(j)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Sch. 13 para. 13(3): Functions transferred (W.) (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/672, art. 2, Sch. 1