Arms Length Bodies: Parliamentary Scrutiny
The question
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, through which mechanisms non-ministerial departments are accountable to Parliament.
Answered by Georgia Gould
A non-ministerial department (NMD) is a government department, but one that does not have its own minister. An individual NMD is accountable to Parliament through its sponsoring ministers, and the NMD Permanent Secretary, who is the accounting officer. Non-ministerial departments have their own budgets, and are required to produce annual reports and accounts, which can be examined by Parliament.
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