Accounting officer
7(1)The accounting officer for the Office of the Chief Inspector shall be the Chief Inspector.
(2)But where the Chief Inspector is incapable of discharging his responsibilities as accounting officer, or where the office of Chief Inspector is vacant, the Treasury may designate a member of the Chief Inspector’s staff to be the accounting officer for so long as the incapacity or vacancy continues.
(3)The accounting officer for the Office of the Chief Inspector shall have, in relation to the accounts of the Chief Inspector and the finances of the Office of the Chief Inspector, the responsibilities which are from time to time specified by the Treasury.
(4)In this paragraph references to responsibilities include in particular—
(a)responsibilities in relation to the signing of accounts,
(b)responsibilities for the propriety and regularity of the finances of the Office of the Chief Inspector, and
(c)responsibilities for the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which the resources of the Office of the Chief Inspector are used.
(5)The responsibilities which may be specified under this paragraph include responsibilities owed to—
(a)the Assembly or the Audit Committee, or
(b)the House of Commons or its Committee of Public Accounts.
(6)If requested to do so by the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, the Audit Committee may—
(a)on behalf of the Committee of Public Accounts take evidence from the accounting officer for the Office of the Chief Inspector, and
(b)report to the Committee of Public Accounts and transmit to that Committee any evidence so taken.