John L. Noseworthy, CA, Auditor General, today released his Report to the House of Assembly on Reviews of Departments and Crown Agencies for the Year Ended 31 March 2007.

The report contains approximately 590 pages of conclusions, commentary, recommendations and auditees� comments. The report outlines the reflections of the Auditor General, the results of reviews of Government departments and Crown agencies, and information relating to monitoring of prior years� recommendations.

Mr. Noseworthy highlights specific concerns in relation to:

• The lack of a Province-wide infection control program relating to the prevention, detection and control of hospital-acquired infections and the Department of Health and Community Services making any determination about the adequacy of the various infection control programs currently in use throughout the Province (Part 2.9).
• The inability of the Department of Health and Community Services� Audit Services Division to carry out its mandate to ensure that only legitimate and accurate claims are paid to Fee For Service physicians under the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Care Plan (Part 2.11).
• The food premises inspection and licensing program administered by the Department of Government Services, through its Government Service Centres, particularly in terms of the licensing and inspection of food premises, risk management, information management, management of the program and compliance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Health and Community Services, the Government Service Centres and the regional integrated health authorities (Part 2.7).
• The Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation�s inability to match client demographics to its rental unit portfolio and its failure to comply with all recommendations regarding the efficient and effective use of the Corporation�s rental housing resources and improvements to client service (Part 2.13).
• Adult custody services provided through five correctional centres and two detention centres in the Province in terms of planning and reporting, human resource management, purchasing and tendering, inventory and capital assets, information management and technology, and compliance with legislation (Part 2.15).
• How the Department of Natural Resources records, monitors and secures its firearms, ammunition, pepper spray, hand cuffs, protective vests and batons, and its lack of compliance with the Firearms Policy (Part 2.17).
• The lack of a significant deterrent for those drivers who choose to operate motor vehicles without insurance (Part 2.8).
• The operations of the Labrador-Grenfell Regional Integrated Health Authority in terms of the Authority�s financial position and operations, human resources, purchasing, travel and relocation expenditures, cellular telephones, hiring of consultants and capital assets. (Part 2.10).
• Weaknesses in assessment, approval, disbursement and monitoring of loans and investments under the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Fund and the Small Business and Market Development Program by the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development (Part 2.14).
• The lack of clear legislative authority in the Financial Administration Act for certain transactions in providing clear guidance with regards to accounting principles and financial statements (Part 2.5).
• Administration of the employment support programs by the Department of Municipal Affairs in terms of the allocation of funding by electoral district, project and applicant selection, and project monitoring (Part 2.16).
• The Department of Transportation and Works� equipment maintenance program for heavy equipment including that much of the department�s heavy equipment fleet remains past the point where they can continue to operate economically (Part 2.18).
• Administration of the Department of Education�s Debt Reduction Grant Program, particularly in terms of eligible students not receiving grants and lack of compliance with the Student Financial Assistance Regulations (Part 2.3).
• The Province not adopting the National Designation Policy Framework and that the Department of Education could not demonstrate whether policies and procedures have been developed to ensure that educational institutes comply with designation requirements for the purposes of student loans under the Student Financial Assistance Act and Regulations (Part 2.4).

The report also provides information on unfunded liabilities at the regional integrated health authorities (Part 2.12), accumulated deficits at the school districts (Part 2.2), Crown agencies� audited financial statements and management letters (Part 2.1), and expenditures of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (Part 2.6).

Media contact:

Nina Goudie
Director of Information Resources
Office of the Auditor General
709-729-2346

2008 01 31                                                     11:25 a.m.