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Public Accounts

No. It will obviously be aware of such events if they are due to happen. If an unfunded pressure of any sort was expected, there would be a dialogue with the Department concerned. However, if the Department then decided to make a claim on the reserve, the Treasury would make the decision. Although it might have suggestions to put to the Department, it would not insist that the Department do anything in particular about its unfunded pressures; that would be a matter for the Department. As I said earlier, it is a decision for the Treasury only if a claim is made for allocation to the contingency fund. Despite its reputation, the Treasury does not micro-manage every departmental budget.