Policy paper

Annex A: wider guidance for arm's length bodies

Published 6 January 2022

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

The following general guidance and instructions apply to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) may require the HFEA to provide additional management information on an ad hoc basis. Where this is the case, the department will provide the HFEA with clear reasons for the request and will allow as much time as possible to comply with the request.

General

Specific areas in agreement

The role of the sponsorship team

Accounting officers

Governance and accountability

Appointment and responsibilities of the chief executive, board and chair

Individual board member responsibilities

Delegated and spending authorities

Procurement

Risk management

  • Management of Risk Principles and Concepts (Orange Book)

Counter fraud and theft

Human resources

Finance (banking and managing cash, annual report and accounts, audit)

Arrangements in the event that a public body is dissolved

DHSC specific

Estates and sustainability

  • Greening Government Commitment targets

  • Office of Government Property Controls and standards for office accommodation (available from DHSC)

  • the Department of Health and Social Care’s Property Asset Management procedures (available from DHSC)

Information governance and security

Transparency

  • appropriate sections of Managing public money

  • appropriate sections of framework agreement

  • public and parliamentary accountability protocol (Annex B)

  • communications responsibilities