Cookies on the Gambling Commission website

The Gambling Commission website uses cookies to make the site work better for you. Some of these cookies are essential to how the site functions and others are optional. Optional cookies help us remember your settings, measure your use of the site and personalise how we communicate with you. Any data collected is anonymised and we do not set optional cookies unless you consent.

Set cookie preferences

You've accepted all cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. About us
  3. Corporate Governance Framework

Policy

Corporate Governance Framework

Our corporate governance framework sets out the necessary responsibilities and procedures that guarantee we operate properly.

Published
29 October 2021

Last updated
13 June 2024 - Changes

Document actions
Print or save (opens in new tab)

  1. Contents
  2. The Chief Executive and Accounting Officer

The Chief Executive and Accounting Officer

3.18 The Chief Executive of the Gambling Commission is designated as the Commission’s Accounting Officer by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Accounting Officer.

3.19 As the Commission’s Accounting Officer, the Chief Executive is personally responsible for safeguarding public funds, for propriety and regularity in the handling of those public funds and for the operation and management of the Commission.

3.20 The Chief Executive should act in accordance with the terms of the Framework Agreement with DCMS and with the instructions and guidance in Government Accounting. They should also follow other instructions and guidance issued by DCMS, the Treasury and the Cabinet Office. The Chief Executive should ensure they meet the standards set out in Box 3.1 to the Treasury document Managing Public Money (opens in new tab).

3.21 As the Commission’s Accounting Officer the Chief Executive will:

  • sign the accounts and ensure that proper records are kept relating to the accounts and that the accounts are properly prepared and presented in accordance with Treasury guidance and with any directions issued by the Secretary of State
  • sign a Statement of Accounting Officer’s responsibilities in the annual report and accounts
  • sign a Governance Statement in the annual report and accounts explaining the organisation’s management and control of resources during the year and setting out how risk has been managed
  • ensure that effective procedures for handling complaints about the Commission and public interest disclosures are in place and made widely known within the body
  • act in accordance with the terms of this document, Managing Public Money and other instructions and guidance issued from time to time by DCMS, the Treasury and the Cabinet Office
  • give evidence, normally with the Accounting Officer of the sponsor Department, when summoned before the Public Accounts Committee on the Gambling Commission’s stewardship of public funds
  • ensure that there is no cross subsidy between funding for National Lottery regulation and gambling regulation: the Accounting Officer is responsible for ensuring that reports and accounts are able to clearly demonstrate that this is the case
  • inform DCMS of regulatory activity undertaken to ensure that the statutory duties are maintained and explaining how resources are being used to do so
  • ensure that timely forecasts and monitoring information on performance and finance are provided to DCMS, that DCMS is notified promptly if over or under spends are likely and that corrective action is taken, and that any significant problems whether financial or otherwise, and whether detected by internal audit or by other means, are notified to DCMS in a timely fashion
  • to work collectively with DCMS and other members of the DCMS ‘family’ of arm’s length bodies in support of each other and the group as a whole
  • advise the Board on the discharge of its responsibilities as set out under the founding legislation, in this document, and in any other relevant instructions and guidance that may be issued from time to time
  • advise the Board on the Commission’s performance compared with its aims and objectives
  • ensure that financial considerations are taken fully into account by the Board at all stages in reaching and executing its decisions, and that financial appraisal techniques are followed
  • take action as set out in paragraph 3.10.6 of Managing Public Money (opens in new tab) if the Board, or its Chair, is contemplating a course of action involving a transaction which the Chief Executive considers would infringe the requirements of propriety or regularity or does not represent prudent or economical administration, efficiency or effectiveness, questionable feasibility or is unethical.

3.22 The Chief Executive is the Principal Officer for the purpose of the handling of cases involving the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration. The Principal Officer is responsible for informing the Permanent Secretary at DCMS about any complaints accepted by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (opens in new tab) for investigation and about the Commission’s proposed response to any subsequent recommendations from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Is this page useful?
Back to top