QUESTIONS ON NOTICE › Defence; Defence Personnel and Science; and Defence Materiel (Question Nos 2460, 2489 and 2493 amended)
Senator Bob Carr: The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question. (1-2) The creation, administration and enforcement of Acts of Parliament, legislative instruments and quasi-regulation occurs across the entirety of Defence. Due to the breath and complexity of the question, an unreasonable amount of departmental resources would be required to develop a response. (3-5) Annual Regulatory Plans are managed within the Finance and Deregulation. Please refer to the response provided by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation to Question on Notice No. 2469. (6) The current guidance on cost recovery is available from http://www.finance.gov.au/financial- framework/financial-management-policy-guidance/cost-recovery.html In relation to annual reporting, in accordance with Finance Circular 2005/09 all agencies with significant cost recovery arrangements need to prepare Cost Recovery Impact Statements (CRIS) when: reviews consistent with the Australian Government's review schedule for existing new cost recovery arrangements are proposed; or material amendments are made to existing arrangements (general periodic reviews of cost recovery arrangements are undertaken). Only when a CRIS is prepared are agencies required to report annually. Under this circumstance, agencies need to separately identify all cost recovery revenues in notes to financial statements – to be published in portfolio budget statements and annual reports consistent with the Finance Minister's Orders.