Page 4770 - Week 15 - Thursday, 8 December 1994
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PUBLIC ACCOUNTS - STANDING COMMITTEE
Report on Review of Auditor-General's Report No. 10 of 1993
Debate resumed from 25 August 1994, on motion by Mr Kaine:
That the report be noted.
MR LAMONT (Minister for Urban Services, Minister for Housing and Community Services, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (10.42): I present the Government response to report No. 9 of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts entitled "Review of Auditor-General's Report No. 10, 1993 - Family Services Sub-program". On 25 November 1993 the Auditor-General provided his report on the family services subprogram to the Legislative Assembly. The Family Services Branch, as part of the Housing and Community Services Bureau, manages the subprogram and plays an extremely important role in the ACT community in delivering services that ensure the protection and care of children at risk of child abuse and neglect, as well as children's day care, juvenile justice and adoptions services. The report was favourable in that it concluded that the Family Services Branch was effectively achieving the subprogram's objectives and efficiently utilising its resources. The Auditor-General also considered that the Family Services Branch was characterised by strong professional performance in its service delivery areas. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts has since had a chance to examine the Auditor-General's report.
Madam Speaker, I concur with Mr Kaine's overall evaluation of the report when he presented report No. 9. In short, he stated that it was "not a bad report for a branch to get from an auditor". At the same time, the Auditor-General's report, as noted by the standing committee, contained a number of detailed recommendations relating to the operations of individual sections and units in the Family Services Branch, as well as proposed legislative amendments that would improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the subprogram. In response to the standing committee, I am pleased to present the Government's report, which provides an update on its progress in implementing those recommendations - progress which is well advanced.
I would now like to spend a few moments in providing you with a brief outline of some of the major areas where concerted efforts have been made to implement the Auditor-General's recommendations. Perhaps the most significant recommendation to be implemented was that of the clarification and enhancement of the roles of the Director of Family Services and the Community Advocate. In my initial response to the Public Accounts Standing Committee I indicated that changes to legislation to achieve this had been approved and were being drafted. These comprehensive amendments to the Children's Services Act of 1986 have since been completed and were passed unanimously by the Legislative Assembly on 10 May 1994. These amendments, which came into effect on 21 November 1994, represent a major achievement for both the Family Services Branch and the Office of the Community Advocate and will significantly improve the delivery of services to children at risk in our community.
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