B.—l [PT. ll]

STATEMENT OF IRREGULARITIES IN CONNECTION WITH PUBLIC MONEYS AND STORES—continued

(d) SCHEDULE OF SUMS ALLOWED BY THE AUDIT OFFICE AS PAID, UNDER PROVISIONS OF SECTION 73, PUBLIC REVENUES ACT, 1926 Section 73, which requires the Audit Office to disallow any sum as paid where the voucher for the actual receipt and payment has not been produced, empowers the Minister, on satisfactory evidence being produced that the requisite papers have been lost or destroyed or that it is not possible to obtain or replace them, to order that the relative sum be allowed. The powers of the Minister under section 73 have been delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury in terms of section 15 of the Finance Act, 1939, and the following payments have been passed by the Audit Office pursuant to orders made under the delegated powers

viii

Nature of Irregularity. j involved | Action taken, and Result. Social Security Department IRREGULARITIES BY PERSONS NOT DEPARTMENTAL OFFICERS £ S. d. Postal warrant negotiated by unauthorized 1 15 0 * person Postal warrant negotiated by unauthorized 1 0 0 Offender convicted and ordered to come up for person sentence if called upon within twelve months. Restitution ordered. Postal warrant negotiated by unauthorized 5 10 0 Offender convicted and discharged. Restitution made, person Postal warrant negotiated by unauthorized 15 0 Two offenders. Both pleaded guilty. One was persons . admitted to probation for twelve months, and the other was convicted and discharged. Fraudulent cashing of age-benefit advice . . 7 0 10 * Postal warrants for rehabilitation allowance 10 8 0 Two offenders. One offender was convicted and fined negotiated by unauthorized persons £5 on the first charge, convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months on the second charge and also to refund £2 10s. within three months; on the third charge he was convioted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months and ordered to refund £5 4s. within three months. The other offender was discharged under section 18, Offenders Probation Act, 1920. Two hundred and eleven cases in which 7,088 4 !) Proceedings instituted in five cases involving the sum recipients of rehabilitation allowances, war of £576 17s. 5d. resulted in five convictions being pensions, unemployment, sickness, and other entered. Three offenders sentenced to terms of benefits obtained payments in excess of scale imprisonment and the other two placed on probation, rates by failing promptly to disclose material Restitution of the sum of £359 6s. 6d. was ordered particulars of their circumstances to the to be made. There were 206 other cases, involving Social Security Department the sum of £7,11L 7s. 4d. Except in a small number of oases where the beneficiaries are on active service, in straitened circumstances, or deceased, efforts have been made to obtain refunds.

Department and Particulars. lteason. Amount. Amount Agriculture £ s. d. £ s. d. Bursaries .. .. .. .. .. Receipt unobtainable.. .. 50 0 0 Purchase of publications .. .. .. Receipt unobtainable .. 0 9 4 Salaries .. . . .. .. .. Receipts lost .. .. 27 4 0 77 13 4 Air Gable charges and toll accounts .. .. Vouchers lost .. .. 55 10 (3 Electric-power charges .. .. .. Vouchers lost .. .. 1 14 9 Goods and services .. .. .. .. Vouchers lost .. .. 247 3 11 Goods and services .. .. .. .. Vouchers lost in aeroplane 3,039 10 9 accident Pay and allowances .. .. .. .. Vouchers lost in aeroplane 730 15 5 accident Pay and allowances .. .. .. .. Vouchers lost .. .. 1,654 17 6* Pay and allowances .. .. .. .. Vouchers lost .. .. 652 ] 1 4 Telegraphic remittances .. .. .. Receipt unobtainable .. 8 0 6 Travelling-expenses .. .. .. .. Receipts not obtained .. 469 6 3 Travelling-expenses of Supply Mission .. .. Receipts not obtained .. 588 4 2 7,447 15 1 Army Freight charges .. .. . . . . Receipts not obtainod .. 10 14 3 Goods and services .. .. .. .. Vouchers lost .. .. 2,103 11 0 Pay and allowances .. .. .. . . Vouchers lost .. .. 679 0 3* Pay and allowances .. .. .. . . Vouchers lost .. .. 203 19 0 Purchase of publications .. .. . . Vouchers lost .. .. 58 2 8 Salaries .. .. .. .. .. Receipts unobtainable .. 46 13 10 Toll fees .. .. .. .. . . Receipts unobtainable .. 55 9 7 Travelling-expenses .. .. .. .. Receipts not obtained .. 36 6 1 3,193 16 8 Customs Refund of passport fee .. . . .. Receipt lost .. .. .. 10 0 Salaries .. .. .. .. .. Voucher lost.. .. .. 4 7 10 Travelling-expenses .. .. .. .. Receipt not obtainod .. .. 2 17 6 Travelling-expenses of official representative Receipts unobtainable .. 120 15 11 travelling in United States of America 129 1 3 * These figures mainly represent vouchers lost as a result of enemy action.