Appropriation Act

For Appropriation bills in other countries, see Appropriation bill.

An Appropriation Act is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which, like a Consolidated Fund Act, allows the Treasury to issue funds out of the Consolidated Fund. Unlike a Consolidated Fund Act, an Appropriation Act also "appropriates" the funds, that is allocates the funds issued out of the Consolidated Fund to individual government departments and Crown bodies.^[1] Appropriation Acts were formerly passed by the Parliament of Great Britain.^[2]

Format

Each Appropriation Act has a series of schedules which contain tables that set out how the monies issued out of the Consolidated Fund are appropriated. Each department or body which has money appropriated is noted in the tables which contain columns setting out the things the money appropriated may be spent on, the net resources authorised for use, the grants out of the Consolidated Fund, the operating appropriations in aid and the non-operating appropriations in aid. The money may not be spent for purposes other than that it is appropriated for and it must be spent by the end of the fiscal year covered by that appropriation or returned to the Consolidated Fund.^[1]

The typical structure of such an act begins with the long title, which defines which financial years the act applies to. This is followed by the preamble, which is different from the normal British public general Act of Parliament preamble in that it includes additional text before the normal preamble:^{[citation needed]}

Whereas the Commons of the United Kingdom in Parliament assembled have resolved to authorise the use of resources and the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund towards making good the supply which they have granted to Her Majesty in this Session of Parliament:—

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Until 2000 an older form of preamble was used:^{[citation needed]}

Most Gracious Sovereign, WE, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom in Parliament assembled, towards making good the supply which we have cheerfully granted to Your Majesty in this Session of Parliament, have resolved to grant unto Your Majesty the sums hereinafter mentioned; and do therefore most humbly beseech Your Majesty that it may be enacted and be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Each Appropriation Act typically covers two or more fiscal years, and will normally repeal earlier Appropriation Acts and Consolidated Fund Acts still on the statute books.^[1]

Effect

An Appropriation Act normally becomes spent on the conclusion of the financial year to which it relates.^[3]

List

18th century

Appropriation Act 1775
Act of Parliament
Parliament of Great Britain
Citation	15 Geo. 3. c. 42

• The Act 15 Geo. 3. c. 42 (1775)^[4]

• The Appropriation Act 1776 (17 Geo. 3. c. 47)

• The Appropriation Act 1778 (18 Geo. 3. c. 54)

• The Appropriation Act 1790 (30 Geo. 3. c. 32)

• The Appropriation Act 1795 (35 Geo. 3. c. 120)

• The Appropriation Act 1796 (36 Geo. 3. c. 126)

• The Appropriation Act 1797 (37 Geo. 3. c. 144)

• The Appropriation Act 1798 (38 Geo. 3. c. 90)

Appropriation Act 1799
Act of Parliament
Parliament of Great Britain
Long title	An act for granting to his Majesty a certain sum of money out of the consolidated fund, for applying certain sums of money therein mentioned, for the service of the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine; and for further appropriating the supplies granted in this session of parliament.
Citation	39 Geo. 3. c. 114
Dates
Royal assent	12 July 1799
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1871
Status: Repealed

• The Act 39 Geo. 3. c. 114 (1799)^[5]

19th century

1800s

• The Appropriation Act 1800 (41 Geo. 3. (G.B.) c. 14)
• The Appropriation, etc. Act 1801 (41 Geo. 3. (U.K.) c. 84)
• The Appropriation Act 1802 (42 Geo. 3. c. 120)
• The Appropriation Act 1803 (43 Geo. 3. c. 162)
• The Appropriation Act 1804 (44 Geo. 3. c. 110)
• The Appropriation Act 1805 (45 Geo. 3. c. 129)
• The Appropriation Act 1806 (46 Geo. 3. c. 149)
• The Appropriation Act 1807 (47 Geo. 3 Sess. 2. c. 76)
• The Appropriation Act 1808 (48 Geo. 3. c. 148)
• The Appropriation Act 1809 (49 Geo. 3. c. 128)

1810s

Appropriation Act 1810
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An act for granting to His Majesty certain Sums of Money out of the Consolidated Fund of Great Britain, and for applying certain Monies therein mentioned, for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and ten; and for further appropriating the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament.
Citation	50 Geo. 3. c. 115
Dates
Royal assent	20 June 1810

• The Appropriation Act 1810 (50 Geo. 3. c. 115)

Appropriation Act 1811
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An act for granting to His Majesty certain Sums of Money out of the Consolidated Fund of Great Britain; and for applying certain Monies therein mentioned, for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and eleven; and for further appropriating the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament.
Citation	51 Geo. 3. c. 117
Dates
Royal assent	26 June 1811

• The Appropriation Act 1811 (51 Geo. 3. c. 117)

Appropriation Act 1812
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An act for granting to His Majesty certain Sums of Money out of the Consolidated Fund of Great Britain, and for applying certain Monies therein mentioned for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and twelve; and for further appropriating the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament.
Citation	52 Geo. 3. c. 154
Dates
Royal assent	28 July 1812

• The Appropriation Act 1812 (52 Geo. 3. c. 154)

Appropriation Act 1816
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An act for granting to His Majesty a certain Sum out of the Consolidated Fund of Great Britain, and for applying certain Monies therein mentioned for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and sixteen; and for further appropriating the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament.
Citation	56 Geo. 3. c. 142
Dates
Royal assent	2 July 1816
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1873
Status: Repealed

• The Appropriation Act 1816 (56 Geo. 3. c. 142)

Appropriation Act 1817
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An act for applying certain Monies therein mentioned for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and seventeen, and for further appropriating the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament.
Citation	57 Geo. 3. c. 132
Dates
Royal assent	12 July 1817

• The Appropriation Act 1817 (57 Geo. 3. c. 132)

Appropriation Act 1818
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An act for applying certain Monies therein mentioned for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
Citation	58 Geo. 3. c. 101
Dates
Royal assent	10 June 1818

• The Appropriation Act 1818 (58 Geo. 3. c. 101)

Appropriation Act 1819
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An act for applying certain Monies therein mentioned for the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and nineteen; and for further appropriating the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament.
Citation	59 Geo. 3. c. 133
Dates
Royal assent	13 July 1819

• The Appropriation Act 1819 (59 Geo. 3. c. 133)

1820s

1840s

Appropriation Act 1842
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to apply a Sum out of the Consolidated Fund, and certain other Sums, to the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and forty-two, and to appropriate the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament.
Citation	5 & 6 Vict. c. 121
Dates
Royal assent	12 August 1842
Text of statute as originally enacted

• The Appropriation Act 1842 (5 & 6 Vict. c. 121)

1860s

Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Act 1864
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to apply a Sum out of the Consolidated Fund and the Surplus of Ways and Means to the Service of the Year One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and to appropriate the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament.
Citation	27 & 28 Vict. c. 73
Dates
Royal assent	29 July 1864
Text of statute as originally enacted

• The Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Act^[6][7] (1864) (27 & 28 Vict. c. 73).^[8] The Bill for this Act was the Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Bill.^[9] This Act received royal assent on 29 July 1864.

1870s

Appropriation Act 1870
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to apply a sum out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the year ending the thirty-first day of March one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, and to appropriate the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament.
Citation	33 & 34 Vict. c. 96
Dates
Royal assent	10 August 1870
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1966
Status: Repealed

• The Appropriation Act 1870^[10][11] (33 & 34 Vict. c. 96). This Act received royal assent on 10 August 1870. Section 7 was amended by section 6 of the Appropriation Act 1872, and repealed by section 6 of the Appropriation Act 1877. The Appropriation Act 1870, except sections 6 and 8, was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1883. The words "militia, yeomanry" in section 6 were repealed by the Territorial Army and Militia Act 1921.^[12] The whole Act was repealed for the United Kingdom by the Schedule to the Statute Law Revision Act 1966, and for the Republic of Ireland by Part 4 of the Schedule to the Statute Law Revision Act 1983.

Appropriation Act 1871^[13]
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to apply a sum out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the year ending the thirty-first day of March one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, and to appropriate the Supplies granted in this Session of Parliament.
Citation	34 & 35 Vict. c. 89
Dates
Royal assent	21 August 1871
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1883
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

• The Appropriation Act 1871^[13] (34 & 35 Vict. c. 89). This Act received royal assent on 21 August 1871, and was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1883.

Appropriation Act 1872
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	35 & 36 Vict. c. 87
Dates
Royal assent	10 August 1872
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1883
Status: Repealed

• The Appropriation Act 1872^[14] (35 & 36 Vict. c. 87). This Act received royal assent on 10 August 1872. Section 6 was repealed by section 6 of the Appropriation Act 1877. The Appropriation Act 1872 was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1883.

Appropriation Act 1873
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	36 & 37 Vict. c. 79
Dates
Royal assent	5 August 1873
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1883
Status: Repealed

• The Appropriation Act 1873^[15] (36 & 37 Vict. c. 79). This Act received royal assent on 5 August 1873, and was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1883.

Appropriation Act 1874
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	37 & 38 Vict. c. 56
Dates
Royal assent	7 August 1874
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1883
Status: Repealed

• The Appropriation Act 1874^[16] (37 & 38 Vict. c. 56). This Act received royal assent on 7 August 1874, and was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1883.

Appropriation Act 1875
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	38 & 39 Vict. c. 78
Dates
Royal assent	13 August 1875
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1883
Status: Repealed

• The Appropriation Act 1875^[17] (38 & 39 Vict. c. 78). This Act received royal assent on 13 August 1875, and was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1883.

• The Appropriation Act 1876^[18] (39 & 40 Vict. c. 60). This Act received royal assent on 15 August 1876, and was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1883.

• The Appropriation Act 1877^[19] (40 & 41 Vict. c. 61). This Act received royal assent on 14 August 1877, and was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1883.

• The Appropriation Act 1878^[20] (41 & 42 Vict. c. 65). This Act received royal assent on 16 August 1878, and was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1883.

• The Appropriation Act 1879^[21] (42 & 43 Vict. c. 51). This Act received royal assent on 15 August 1879, and was repealed by the First Schedule to the Statute Law Revision Act 1894.

1880s

Appropriation Act 1880
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	43 Vict. c. 13
Dates
Royal assent	24 March 1880
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1894
Status: Repealed

• The Appropriation Act 1880^[22] (43 Vict. c. 13). This Act received royal assent on 24 March 1880, and was repealed by the First Schedule to the Statute Law Revision Act 1894.

Appropriation Act 1880 (Session 2)
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	43 & 44 Vict. c. 40
Dates
Royal assent	7 September 1880
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1894
Status: Repealed

• The Appropriation Act 1880 (Session 2)^[23] (43 & 44 Vict. c. 40). This Act received royal assent on 7 September 1880, and was repealed by the First Schedule to the Statute Law Revision Act 1894.

Appropriation Act 1881
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	44 & 45 Vict. c. 56
Dates
Royal assent	27 August 1881
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1894
Status: Repealed

• The Appropriation Act 1881^[24] (44 & 45 Vict. c. 56). This Act received royal assent on 27 August 1881, and was repealed by the First Schedule to the Statute Law Revision Act 1894.

Appropriation Act 1882
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	45 & 46 Vict. c. 71
Dates
Royal assent	18 August 1882

• The Appropriation Act 1882^[25] (45 & 46 Vict. c. 71). This Act received royal assent on 18 August 1882.

Appropriation Act 1883
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Citation	46 & 47 Vict. c. 50
Dates
Royal assent	25 August 1883

• The Appropriation Act 1883^[26] (46 & 47 Vict. c. 50). This Act received royal assent on 25 August 1883.

20th century

21st century

2010s

Appropriation Act 2010
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to authorise the use of resources for the service of the years ending with 31 March 2009 and 31 March 2010 and to apply certain sums out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the year ending with 31 March 2010; and to appropriate the supply authorised in this Session of Parliament for the service of the years ending with 31 March 2009 and 31 March 2010.
Citation	2010 c. 5
Dates
Royal assent	18 March 2010
Text of the Appropriation Act 2010 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

Appropriation Act 2011
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to authorise the use of resources for the service of the years ending with 31 March 2010 and 31 March 2011 and to apply certain sums out of the Consolidated Fund to the service of the years ending with 31 March 2010 and 31 March 2011; and to appropriate the supply authorised in this Session of Parliament for the service of the years ending with 31 March 2010 and 31 March 2011.
Citation	2011 c. 2
Dates
Royal assent	16 March 2011
Text of the Appropriation Act 2011 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2012
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to authorise the use of resources for the years ending with 31 March 2012 and 31 March 2013; to authorise the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund for those years and for the year ending with 31 March 2011; and to appropriate the supply authorised by this Act for the years ending with 31 March 2011 and 31 March 2012.
Citation	2012 c. 1
Dates
Royal assent	8 March 2012
Text of the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2012 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Act 2012
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to authorise the use of resources for the year ending with 31 March 2013; to authorise both the issue of sums out of the Consolidated Fund and the application of income for that year; and to appropriate the supply authorised for that year by this Act and by the Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2012.
Citation	2012 c. 13
Dates
Royal assent	17 July 2012
Text of the Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Act 2012 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

• The Appropriation Act 2010 (c. 5)
• The Appropriation Act 2011 (c. 2)
• The Supply and Appropriation (Anticipation and Adjustments) Act 2012 (c. 1)
• The Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Act 2012 (c. 13)

Northern Ireland

A number of Appropriation Acts were passed by the Parliament of Northern Ireland.^[27] A number of Appropriation Orders in Council have been made for Northern Ireland.^[28]

See also

• List of short titles
• Appropriations bill (United States)

References

Notes

1. Bradley & Ewing (2003) pp. 202–203
2. See, for example, the Act 39 Geo 3 c 114 (1799)
3. The Law Commission. Statute Law Revision: Third Report. Draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill. Law Com 37. Cmnd 4546. HMSO. London. December 1970. Page 23.
4. Pickering, The Statutes at Large, vol 31, p 96
5. Raithby, The Statutes at Large, vol 20, p 149. See also pp 4, 5, 56 &112.
6. Glen. "Consolidated Fund Appropriation Act" in "Poor Law Legislation". The Union, Parish, and Public Health Officers' Pocket Almanac and Guide, for the Year of our Lord 1865. Knight & Co. London. 1865. pp 174 & 175.
7. "Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Act": Paterson (ed). The Practical Statutes of the Session 1864. John Crockford. London. 1864. p v.
8. For a copy of this Act, see A Collection of the Public General Statutes.
9. "Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Bill". Index to Hansard's Parliamentary Debates, in the Sixth Session of the Eighteenth Parliament of the United Kingdom. 27° & 28° Victoria. 1864. ("72" is a misprint for "73").
10. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 8 of this Act.
11. For further commentary on this Act, see "The Appropriation Act, 1870", Halsbury's Statutes of England, (The Complete Statutes of England), 1st Edition, vol 17: [1] [2], p 500; and "The Appropriation Act, 1870", Halsbury's statutes of England, 2nd Edition, vol 22, p 761.
12. The Territorial Army and Militia Act 1921 (11 & 12 Geo. 5. c. 37), Second Schedule
13. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 6 of this Act.
14. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 7 of this Act.
15. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 6 of this Act.
16. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 6 of this Act.
17. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 6 of this Act.
18. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 6 of this Act.
19. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 7 of this Act.
20. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 7 of this Act.
21. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 7 of this Act.
22. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 6 of this Act.
23. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 8 of this Act.
24. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 7 of this Act.
25. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 7 of this Act.
26. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 7 of this Act.
27. See, for example, the Appropriation Act (Northern Ireland)1923.
28. "The Public Accounts Committee", p 13 (12 December 1984 et seq), Parliamentary Papers: House of Commons Bills and Papers and Command Papers, Volume 24, Session 6 November 1984 to 30 October 1985. The Appropriation (Northern Ireland) Order 2000 (SI 2000/742) (NI 1) is an example of an Appropriation Order in Council.

Bibliography

• Bradley, A. W.; Ewing, K. D. (2003). Constitutional and Administrative Law (13th ed.). London: Pearson. pp. 202–203. ISBN 0582438071.

Further reading

• Norman Wilding and Philip Laundy. "Appropriation Act". An Encyclopaedia of Parliament. Third Edition. Frederick A Praeger. New York and Washington. 1968. Pages 24 and 25. See also pages 3, 129, 167, 168, 250, 253, 254, 536, 596, 599, 601 and 685.
• Will Bateman. Public Finance and Parliamentary Constitutionalism. Cambridge University Press. 2020. Page 31 et seq.
• HM Treasury (2000). Government Accounting: A Guide on Accounting and Financial Procedures. Stationery Office Books. ISBN 0-11-702668-9.

External links

• "Appropriation Act 2008". Office of Public Sector Information. from the original on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2008.

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