The Role of Resource Accounting in the UK Government's Quest for ‘Better Accounting’
Howard Mellett
Accounting and Business Research, 1997, vol. 27, issue 2, 157-168
Abstract:
The UK government intends to introduce resource accounting to central government departments under the banner of ‘Better Accounting for the Taxpayer's Money’. Under the proposed system of resource accounting, as outlined in a White Paper, an annual depreciation charge is to be incorporated in the cost statement and fixed assets included in a balance sheet at their depreciated replacement cost. This paper locates the proposed changes in accounting method for government departments in the general spread of accruals accounting through the public sector, and explores the relevance of accruals as a basis for measuring the results of activity undertaken by government departments. It goes on to examine the impact of the specific accounting change envisaged in the White Paper from both theoretical and practical aspects. The benefits envisaged in the White Paper are considered along with the extent to which they are likely to be realised, together with any consequences not explicitly foreseen. The conclusion is that, while the revised accounting techniques may be different, the proposition implicit in the White Paper's title that they re better is not proven by the evidence presented.
Date: 1997
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)
Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/00014788.1997.9729541 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
HTML/Text
Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:acctbr:v:27:y:1997:i:2:p:157-168
Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RABR20
DOI: 10.1080/00014788.1997.9729541
Access Statistics for this article
Accounting and Business Research is currently edited by Vivien Beattie
More articles in Accounting and Business Research from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().