PART A
User Guide
Introduction Each Member has access to budget documentation available
in the Chamber on Budget night and from the Table Office. Portfolio Budget Statements
(PBS) are an integral part of the budget documentation and statements are available
for all government funded agencies grouped under the relevant portfolio department.
Structure of the Portfolio Budget Statements The
Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS) are presented in three parts with subsections.
Part A: User Guide Provides an introduction explaining the purpose of
the PBS as well as information in relation to the styles and conventions used.
Part B: Departmental Overview Provides an overview of the Department
and details the structure of the departmental outcome. The relationship of the
outcome/outputs structure to the organisational structure is also described.
Part C: Budget Statements Provides details of the resources budgeted
for each output and explains variations and budget measures. Section 1:
Agency appropriations and budget measures summary This section details
the link between the resources appropriated and their application to the outputs
which contribute to the achievement of outcomes and the impact of any Budget measures.
Section 2: Outcomes and outputs information This section details the
planned outcome and the contributing administered items and outputs. Section
3: Budgeted Financial Statements This section contains the four budgeted
financial statements in accrual format covering budget year, previous year and
the three outyears. Section 4: Intra-Parliamentary Arrangements This
section provides information on the services delivered jointly by the Department
of the House of Representatives and the Department of the Senate. Glossaries
are provided at the end of the document. Purpose
of the Portfolio Budget Statements In the parliamentary environment, the
term Portfolio Budget Statement may be misleading as the five parliamentary departments
stand alone and are not brought together for reporting or financial management
purposes. However, each parliamentary department does follow the format set down
for government agencies to ensure consistency of information and, in the case
of the other four parliamentary departments, to facilitate scrutiny by the Senate.
The purpose of the PBS of the Department of the House of Representatives
is to inform Members of the basis for proposed allocation of resources to the
planned outcome. The PBS has been designed to provide information, explanation
and justification on each appropriation item in the 2001-2002 Appropriation (Parliamentary
Departments) Bill, which appears in Budget Paper No. 4. The PBS also specifies
the attributes of the Department's outputs (price, quantity, quality and timeliness)
and outcome effectiveness measures. Information has been included having regard
to materiality, parliamentary and public interest. There is a relationship
between the Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill, the PBS and the Department's
annual report as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: The relationship between the
Appropriations (Parliamentary Departments) Bill, the PBS and the annual report 
Styles and conventions used (a)
The following notations may be used: | NEC/nec | not
elsewhere classified | |
| AEST | Australian Eastern Standard
Time | |
| - | nil | |
| .. | not zero, but
rounded to zero | |
| na | not applicable (unless otherwise
specified) | |
| nfp | not for publication | |
|
$m | $ million | |
(b) Figures in tables
and in the text may be rounded. Figures in text are generally rounded to one decimal
place. Discrepancies in tables between totals and sums of components are due to
rounding. Enquiries The contact officer for
enquiries regarding this publication is: Jim Pender
Clerk Assistant, Corporate
Services
Suite RG-39
Parliament House
Canberra 2600
Email:
Jim.Pender.Reps@aph.gov.au
Telephone: (02) 6277 4444
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