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- Title
PARLIAMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY - STRENGTHENING OVERSIGHT IN SMALL PARLIAMENTS.
- Abstract
Bodies to oversee the executive can be used to great effect by small Parliaments. While some Legislatures have established substantive organizations such as independent commissions against crime, misconduct and corruption, often these are costly to operate and staff, and for small Parliaments such costs may be beyond their ability to provide. The creation of Public Accounts Committees and Auditors-General is very effective and less costly. Analysis of how PACs in particular operate in small jurisdictions has shown that they have a greater tendency, relative to larger jurisdictions, to ask oral and written questions of the executive, hold hearings and conduct inquiries, and to have their Chairs drawn from non-government Members. While PACs and Auditors-General are powerful tools, it is important to supplement these tools by improving the environment for accountability generally, for instance by establishing freedom of information laws and by making the default to be for information to be available rather than having to be sought. Whistle-blowing legislation is also a very useful tool. Parliaments should look at their own procedures and try to move away from scrutiny being reactive to one of it being proactive. Also, it is important that adequate time be provided for the Legislature to consider budgets.
- Subjects
UNITED Kingdom; LEGISLATIVE bodies; CORRUPTION; MISCONDUCT in public office; GREAT Britain. Public Accounts Commission
- Publication
Parliamentarian, 2010, Vol 91, Issue 4, p384
- ISSN
0031-2282
- Publication type
Article