Spending Control Act — S-15.4 3
Budgets within spending limits 3 (1) Subject to subsections (2) to (5), the Minister shall not present a budget for a controlled fiscal year that proposes program spending for any controlled fiscal year in excess of the spending limit for the year. Allocation of underspending from preceding year (2) Where, in the budget for a particular controlled fiscal year, the Minister announces that, on the basis of information relating to expenditures for the controlled fiscal year immediately preceding the particular year received up to the time of the presentation of the budget, it appears that the spending limit for the preceding year, determined without reference to this subsection, will exceed the program spending for the preceding year, the Minister may, in the budget, allocate all or part of that excess to the particular year and, in that event, the spending limit for the particular year shall be increased by the amount so allocated. Allocation of excess spending (3) The Minister may, in a budget for a particular controlled fiscal year, propose program spending for the particular year that exceeds the spending limit for the particular year if, in the budget, the Minister allocates the excess to the two next following controlled fiscal years in such proportions as the Minister shall determine and announce in the budget and, in that event, (a) the spending limit for each of the two following years shall be reduced by the portion of the excess so allocated to it; and (b) the spending limit for the particular year shall be increased by the total of all amounts so allocated to a following year. Excess spending in 1995-96 fiscal year (4) The Minister may, in the budget for the 1995-96 fiscal year, propose program spending for the year that exceeds the spending limit for the year if, in the budget, the Minister indicates restraint measures that the government intends to take over the 1996-97 or 1997-98 fiscal years, or both, to compensate for the excess and, in that event, the spending limit for the 1995-96 fiscal year shall be increased by the amount of the excess. Proposed amendments to cover excess spending (5) The Minister may present a budget for a controlled fiscal year that proposes program spending for any particular controlled fiscal year that exceeds the spending limit for the particular year if, at the same time, the Minister announces proposed amendments to this Act to increase that spending limit and, in that event, the proposed program spending for the particular year may exceed the spending limit for the particular year if it does not exceed the spending limit for the particular year as it would be if the proposed amendments were in effect. Proposed underspending (6) Where the Minister presents a budget for a particular controlled fiscal year that proposes program spending for the particular year that is less than the spending limit for the particular year, determined without reference to this subsection, the Minister may allocate all or part of the difference to such of the following controlled fiscal years as the Minister shall determine and announce in that budget or any budget for a following controlled fiscal year and, in that event, (a) the spending limit for each of the following years shall be increased by the amount so allocated to it; and (b) the spending limit for the particular year shall be reduced by the total of all amounts so allocated to a following year.