Finance and Public Administration-Standing Committee (incorporating the Public Accounts Committee)-Finance Committee Report No. 4-Report on Chief Minister's Department Annual and Financial Reports 1998-99 and Legislative Assembly Secretariat Annual and Financial Reports 1998-99 (presented 15 February 2000)-Government response.

Mr Speaker, I present the Government Response to Report No. 4 of the Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration on the 1998-99 Annual and Financial Reports for the Chief Minister's Department and the Legislative Assembly Secretariat.

The Committee made thirteen recommendations focussing on a number of issues including external competition, reporting on Strategic Partner services and consultants, impacts on human capital of external service provision and the impact of the GST on goods and services purchased by and provided to the Government.

Mr Speaker, the Government Response indicates the Government's full support for most of the recommendations made in the Committee's Report. Of the thirteen recommendations, ten are agreed to or agreed in part and three are not agreed to.

In terms of those agreed to, I highlight in the report the benefits we have found at this stage from having the Strategic Partner relationship with InTACT for IT modernisation.

We have amended and updated the Annual Report Directions this year so that Departments identify the area of the agency managing consultancies or contracts and Strategic Partnerships.

Attendance figures will be provided for Cultural Facilities venues and triennially funded arts grants will also be listed.

The full impact of the GST will be finalised in the formulation of the Budget to be handed down on 23 May 2000.