The ‘Eyes and Ears of Parliament’: devolved public accounts committees in the UK

• Foster, Helen ^[1] ; Knox, Colin ^[2]
  1. [1] Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics at Ulster University, Newtownabbey, UK
  2. [2] Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
• Localización: The Journal of legislative studies, ISSN 1357-2334, Vol. 30, Nº. 3, 2024, págs. 355-377
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1080/13572334.2022.2079860
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Devolution in the United Kingdom heralded a significant change in democratic arrangements including associated accountability mechanisms in the form of public accounts committees (PACs) in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This paper investigates whether devolved arrangements have resulted in enhanced accountability. Based on documentary sources, survey data, and interviews with key stakeholders, this study finds that all three jurisdictions have a high level of public accountability, with Wales being the most effective PAC. While there are significant differences in the information and discussion phases of the committees’ work, all three regions have comparable outcomes as a result of their deliberations.

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