362:
financial service providers, including accountants, auditors and actuaries. The tasks of the
Financial Reporting Council are to set standards for corporate governance, reporting, auditing and actuarial practice; monitor and, where appropriate, enforce the application of those standards; and work with the accountancy and actuarial professions to promote the professionalism of their members. The Council and its Boards are engaged in international discussions with financial services regulators in the US, France, Germany, the European Commission and other countries.
467:. In September 2008 the magazine published a special report, 'The Bourn Complicity', alleging that under his leadership numerous government expenditure failings escaped scrutiny while Bourn (frequently accompanied by his wife) went on unnecessary and extravagant foreign trips, and accepted lavish hospitality from contractors.
378:
from the time he was a graduate student, serving as a visiting professor from 1983 to 2013. He continued to teach at the School on executive and custom programmes, with particular reference to students and participants from overseas, including India, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong, Brazil, Thailand,
477:
claimed this was far more than the revenue generated would justify, and that in many cases more junior staff should have gone instead; on 22 of these trips, Bourn was accompanied by his wife. He claimed £336,000 in travel expenses in addition to his £164,430 salary, while staying almost exclusively
507:
driven vehicle at the taxpayers' expense. The financial cost of this is unknown because it had been funded directly from the consolidated fund and therefore was not included within the NAO's accounts. Additionally, the personal benefit to his wife of NAO-funded travel had not been fully accounted
365:
Bourn was senior advisor to the
Foundation for Governance Research and Education, where he specialised in corporate governance arrangements and improvements in the public and private sectors, particularly in banks. Among other non-executive appointments he was also a Companion of the Institute of
306:
As comptroller and auditor general, Bourn certified the accounts of all UK Government departments and a wide range of other public sector bodies; and he had statutory authority to report to
Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which departments and other bodies used their
361:
Bourn served as a board member of the
Financial Reporting Council and as Chair of the Professional Oversight Board of the Council and its predecessor body, the Review Board of the Accountancy Foundation 2000-2008. The council’s responsibilities include the oversight of public and private sector
386:
as Doctor of the
University, having also being awarded the highest honour from the London School of Economics, an Honorary Fellow. He started his career at the London School of Economics where he took a first class honours degree in Economics and a PhD. He was also an Honorary Fellow of the
323:, and he also was a member (and chairman) of the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations. Additionally, he was a member of the Governing Boards of the International and of the European Organisations of National Audit Offices and Courts of Audit. He was also appointed the first
303:, where he was for some time Deputy Under Secretary of State, the UK government's most senior civil servant in Northern Ireland. He was a Deputy Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence before he became the Comptroller and Auditor General on 1 January 1988.
342:, to advise ministers on potential clashes between their public duties and private affairs, and to investigate any claims that the rules have been broken. This appointment was revoked in 2007 following the controversy around his travel expenditure.
460:
Bourn was criticised by opposition parties and the media over his high spending, such as an overseas trip that ran up taxpayer costs of more than £16,000. His expenses and conduct were frequently highlighted in the satirical magazine
983:
512:
investigated these as taxable benefits, Bourn was found liable for six years of unpaid taxes - but the outstanding sum of about £100,000 (including a fine) was settled by the NAO out of taxpayers' money. In
October 2015,
428:
15 months after becoming
Comptroller and Auditor General, in April 1989, Bourn announced a National Audit Office inquiry into the Al-Yamamah deal. The report was drawn up between 1989 and 1991, and was presented to
418:
Bourn's role at the
Ministry of Defence, from 1985 to 1988, before becoming Comptroller and Auditor General, was as the most senior civil servant responsible for defence procurement. This, according to
973:
998:
379:
Kazakhstan, and Spain. He specialised in issues of public sector management and policy analysis, including financial management, accountancy and audit, and covered UK and overseas experience.
452:
criticised Bourn's stance as it looked like a "serious conflict of interest". The agencies were reportedly considering a "dawn raid of the NAO’s offices" in order to obtain the report.
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on shorter visits. A spokesman for Bourn claimed that he normally stayed at hotels which were "recommended by the host organisation", but an investigation by
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434:
239:
45:
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350:
308:
248:
441:
296:
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319:, and for a number of countries around the world. During his tenure Bourn was Chairman of the Multilateral Audit Advisory Group of the
572:
396:
335:
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were investigating the Al-Yamamah arms deals, and requested the report from the
National Audit Office, however, Bourn withheld it.
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470:
346:
244:
862:
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292:
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656:
445:
375:
272:
223:
324:
115:
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529:
Bourn was married to Ardita and they had a son and a daughter. He died on 22 November 2022, at the age of 88.
300:
607:
388:
425:, would have given him a "ringside seat" in the negotiations surrounding the first Al-Yamamah arms deal.
850:
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963:
437:. However, the report was never published, making it the only NAO report to have ever been withheld.
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743:
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highlighted how criticisms of Bourn's expenditure had been removed from
Knowledge (XXG), citing
392:
935:
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268:
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suggested that on several of the most expensive trips, no such recommendations were made.
383:
802:
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312:
957:
699:
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requests show that, in the three years to March 2007, Bourn made 43 overseas visits;
421:
328:
150:
91:
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79:
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On 25 October 2007 his office announced his retirement in 2008 after 20 years as
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903:
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108:
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17:
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Management and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.
504:
283:
Bourn entered the UK civil service at the top-entry level. He worked in the
721:
664:
311:
won contracts to carry out substantial work overseas, including for the
243:(21 February 1934 – 22 November 2022) was a British auditor who was the
260:
178:
271:
from 1945 to 1951. He completed a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in economics at the
264:
182:
744:"Author Information: Public Sector Auditing: Is it Value for Money?"
984:
Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 3rd Class
724:. Foundation For Governance Research And Education. January 2016
36:
826:"Parliamentary auditor hampers police inquiry into arms deal"
722:"Patrons of Foundation for Governance Research and Education"
901:
Brooks, Richard (5 September 2008). "The Bourn Complicity".
395:, and an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration of the
499:
It emerged that Bourn travelled to and from his office in
382:
In May 1998, he was awarded an Honorary Degree from the
693:
Oborne, Peter; Hope, Christopher (17 October 2007).
974:
Civil servants in the Audit Office (United Kingdom)
217:
209:
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189:
165:
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144:
132:
114:
97:
85:
75:
57:
34:
999:Honorary Fellows of the London School of Economics
795:"UWE awards honorary degree to Sir John Bourn KCB"
8:
336:Independent Advisor on Ministerial Interests
979:Academics of the London School of Economics
989:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
695:"The auditor general and Saudi arms deals"
573:"Sir John Bourn leaves NAO after 20 years"
31:
855:"Who guards Britain's auditing guardian?"
824:Leigh, David; Evans, Rob (25 July 2006).
334:In March 2006 he was appointed the first
994:Alumni of the London School of Economics
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651:
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374:Bourn was a part-time teacher at the
331:took over this role on 1 April 2005.
307:resources. Under his leadership, the
7:
1009:People educated at Southgate School
267:, on 21 February 1934. He attended
25:
938:. The Telegraph. 26 November 2022
510:Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
482:hotels, while flying exclusively
397:University of the West of England
391:, an Honorary Doctor of Laws of
347:Comptroller and Auditor General
245:Comptroller and Auditor General
59:Comptroller and Auditor General
907:(1218): 8–page special insert.
801:. 21 July 2011. Archived from
71:1 January 1988 – 2008
1:
936:"Sir John Bourn death notice"
291:. He then spent time at the
247:and therefore a head of the
924:(1404): 8. 30 October 2015.
433:, then the chairman of the
357:Other appointments and work
27:British auditor (1934–2022)
1030:
1004:Civil servants from London
774:London School of Economics
471:Freedom of Information Act
446:Ministry of Defence Police
411:
376:London School of Economics
287:before spending a year at
273:London School of Economics
224:London School of Economics
890:(1189): 29. 20 July 2007.
608:"Sir John Bourn obituary"
435:Public Accounts Committee
325:Auditor General for Wales
229:
156:
121:
116:Auditor General for Wales
64:
53:
884:"Chauffeur government".
861:. London. Archived from
255:Early life and education
630:Southgate County School
626:"Notable former pupils"
525:Personal life and death
301:Northern Ireland Office
851:Whittam Smith, Andreas
770:"LSE Honorary Fellows"
389:University of Brighton
539:National Audit Office
519:right to be forgotten
408:Al-Yamamah arms deals
351:National Audit Office
309:National Audit Office
293:Civil Service College
249:National Audit Office
236:Sir John Bryant Bourn
865:on 30 September 2007
442:Serious Fraud Office
414:Al-Yamamah arms deal
1014:People from Hornsey
918:"Bourn Yesterday".
805:on 29 November 2015
606:(1 December 2022).
577:The Daily Telegraph
493:The Daily Telegraph
317:European Commission
297:Ministry of Defence
544:Wales Audit Office
259:Bourn was born in
657:"Leadership Team"
579:. 4 February 2008
486:on long haul and
393:Brunel University
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16:(Redirected from
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663:. Archived from
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501:Victoria, London
349:and head of the
269:Southgate School
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193:22 November 2022
185:, United Kingdom
176:21 February 1934
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161:Personal details
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859:The Independent
853:(14 May 2007).
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667:on 4 March 2016
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632:. 19 March 2012
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384:Open University
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370:Academic career
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18:Sir John Bourn
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700:The Spectator
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604:Hencke, David
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440:In 2006, the
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329:Jeremy Colman
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279:Public career
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151:Jeremy Colman
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19:
940:. Retrieved
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867:. Retrieved
863:the original
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833:. Retrieved
830:The Guardian
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807:. Retrieved
803:the original
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777:. Retrieved
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752:. Retrieved
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726:. Retrieved
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704:. Retrieved
698:
669:. Retrieved
665:the original
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634:. Retrieved
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612:The Guardian
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581:. Retrieved
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431:Lord Sheldon
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381:
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285:Air Ministry
282:
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235:
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205:Ardita Bourn
195:(2022-11-22)
146:Succeeded by
139:New position
138:
123:
99:Succeeded by
80:Elizabeth II
66:
29:
969:2022 deaths
964:1934 births
942:26 November
921:Private Eye
904:Private Eye
887:Private Eye
799:UWE Bristol
661:Dragon Gate
515:Private Eye
484:first class
475:Private Eye
464:Private Eye
450:Harry Cohen
289:HM Treasury
134:Preceded by
109:Amyas Morse
87:Preceded by
958:Categories
869:30 October
835:30 October
809:30 October
779:28 October
754:15 January
728:15 January
706:30 October
671:30 October
583:30 October
550:References
508:for. When
412:See also:
340:Tony Blair
321:World Bank
219:Alma mater
172:1934-02-21
41:John Bourn
748:Wiley.com
636:4 October
505:chauffeur
480:five star
403:Criticism
128:1999–2005
124:In office
105:(interim)
103:Tim Burr
67:In office
533:See also
456:Expenses
299:and the
210:Children
261:Hornsey
179:Hornsey
76:Monarch
750:. 2008
327:until
315:, the
265:London
202:Spouse
183:London
503:in a
944:2022
871:2015
837:2015
811:2015
781:2015
756:2016
730:2016
708:2015
673:2015
638:2015
585:2015
444:and
190:Died
166:Born
478:in
338:by
240:KCB
213:Two
46:KCB
37:Sir
960::
857:.
828:.
797:.
772:.
746:.
697:.
681:^
659:.
646:^
628:.
610:.
593:^
575:.
558:^
521:.
399:.
353:.
295:,
275:.
263:,
251:.
181:,
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873:.
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783:.
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732:.
710:.
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640:.
614:.
587:.
174:)
170:(
20:)
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