To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any written instructions have been provided to her Department's and its predecessors' Accounting Officer in accordance with paragraph 5.5 of the Ministerial Code since 1997. (315471)

Since the Department for Work and Pension's inception in 2001, no written instructions have been given to the Departmental Accounting Officer by the Secretary of State.

According to the Department's records, during 1998 and 1999, five written ministerial directions were issued by the Secretary of State of the then Department of Social Security to the Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the then Benefits Agency.