Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what mechanisms are in place to audit information provided to his Department by (a) regulatory bodies and (b) non-departmental public bodies.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland sponsors one Non-Departmental Public Body, the Boundary Commission for Scotland. The Boundary Commission for Scotland is responsible for reviews of UK Parliament constituencies in Scotland.

The relationship between the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Boundary Commission for Scotland is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding. This acknowledges the Boundary Commission for Scotland’s performance of the duties given to it by Parliament as an independent body, while following the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland’s best practice in financial and corporate governance. The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland reports bi-annually to the department’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, on the sponsorship relationship.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland’s accounts include the costs of the Boundary Commission for Scotland, which are audited by the National Audit Office. The Boundary Commission for Scotland prepares an annual report, which is available on the Boundary Commission for Scotland’s website. This is in addition to progress reports, which are compiled when the Commission is undertaking a Review, and are submitted to the Speaker of the House of Commons. These progress reports are published on the Boundary Commission for Scotland’s website annually, in January.