IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/bracre/v44y2012i4p235-247.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The U.K. private finance initiative: An accounting retrospective

Author

Listed:
  • Hodges, Ron
  • Mellett, Howard

Abstract

The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) in the U.K. has been the subject of considerable interest in government, professional and academic literature. This reflects its importance as one of the classic forms of Public Private Partnership, its adoption in other jurisdictions, the scale of infrastructure investment under PFI legislation and the extent of controversy that has accompanied its development and application. The financial reporting of PFI schemes has been one element of this controversy in view of its potential to limit public sector financial accountability by off-balance sheet financing and the potential for alternative interpretations of its accounting treatment. It is now an appropriate time to review the turbulent history of accounting for the PFI as U.K. public sector accounting is now based upon International Financial Reporting Standards. This has resulted in the redundancy of previous accounting guidance issued by the UK ASB and the Treasury which, at the time of being abandoned, contained unresolved inconsistencies.

Suggested Citation

  • Hodges, Ron & Mellett, Howard, 2012. "The U.K. private finance initiative: An accounting retrospective," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 235-247.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:44:y:2012:i:4:p:235-247
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2012.09.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890838912000601
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.bar.2012.09.005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sheila Ellwood, 2008. "Accounting for Public Hospitals: A Case Study of Modified GAAP," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 44(4), pages 399-422, December.
    2. Lundberg, C. Gustav, 2004. "Modeling and predicting emerging inference-based decisions in complex and ambiguous legal settings," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(2), pages 417-432, March.
    3. David Alexander & Eva Jermakowicz, 2006. "A true and fair view of the principles/rules debate," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 42(2), pages 132-164, June.
    4. Robert K. Larson, 2007. "Constituent Participation and the IASB's International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(2), pages 207-254, December.
    5. Roland Königsgruber, 2010. "A political economy of accounting standard setting," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 14(4), pages 277-295, November.
    6. Ron Hodges & Howard Mellett, 2004. "Reporting PFI in Annual Accounts: A User's Perspective," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3), pages 153-158, June.
    7. Georgiou, George, 2010. "The IASB standard-setting process: Participation and perceptions of financial statement users," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 103-118.
    8. Bruce Bennett & Michael Bradbury & Helen Prangnell, 2006. "Rules, principles and judgments in accounting standards," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 42(2), pages 189-204, June.
    9. George J. Benston & Michael Bromwich & Alfred Wagenhofer, 2006. "Principles‐ versus rules‐based accounting standards: the FASB's standard setting strategy," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 42(2), pages 165-188, June.
    10. Sutton, Timothy G., 1984. "Lobbying of accounting standard-setting bodies in the U.K. and the U.S.A.: A Downsian analysis," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 81-95, January.
    11. M Iqbal Khadaroo, 2005. "An institutional theory perspective on the UK's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) accounting standard setting process," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 69-94, March.
    12. Robert J. Kirk & Anthony P. Wall, 2001. "Substance, Form and PFI Contracts," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 41-46, June.
    13. Jane Broadbent & Richard Laughlin, 2005. "Government concerns and tensions in accounting standard-setting: the case of accounting for the Private Finance Initiative in the UK," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 207-228.
    14. McLeay, Stuart & Ordelheide, Dieter & Young, Steven, 2000. "Constituent lobbying and its impact on the development of financial reporting regulations: evidence from Germany," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 79-98, January.
    15. Ron Hodges & Howard Mellett, 2002. "Investigating standard setting: accounting for the United Kingdom’s private finance initiative," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 126-151, June.
    16. George Georgiou, 2004. "Corporate Lobbying on Accounting Standards: Methods, Timing and Perceived Effectiveness," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 40(2), pages 219-237, June.
    17. Dennis, Ian, 2008. "A conceptual enquiry into the concept of a ‘principles-based’ accounting standard," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 260-271.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Raf Orens & Ann Jorissen & Nadine Lybaert & Leo Van Der Tas, 2011. "Corporate Lobbying in Private Accounting Standard Setting: Does the IASB have to Reckon with National Differences?," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 211-234.
    2. Marius Gros & Daniel Worret, 2016. "Lobbying and Audit Regulation in the EU," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(3), pages 381-403, September.
    3. Roland Königsgruber, 2013. "Expertise-based lobbying and accounting regulation," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 17(4), pages 1009-1025, November.
    4. Bamber, Matthew & McMeeking, Kevin, 2016. "An examination of international accounting standard-setting due process and the implications for legitimacy," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 59-73.
    5. Georgiou, George, 2010. "The IASB standard-setting process: Participation and perceptions of financial statement users," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 103-118.
    6. Igor Álvarez & José Calvo & Araceli Mora, 2014. "Involving academics in the accounting standard setting process: an application of the Delphi methodology to the assessment of IASB proposals," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 18(3), pages 765-791, August.
    7. David Procházka, 2015. "Lobbying on the IASB Standards: An analysis of the Lobbyists’ Behaviour over Period 2006–2014," Copernican Journal of Finance & Accounting, Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika, vol. 4(2), pages 129-143.
    8. Bradbury, Michael E. & Schröder, Laura B., 2012. "The content of accounting standards: Principles versus rules," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 1-10.
    9. Roland Königsgruber & Stefan Palan, 2015. "Earnings management and participation in accounting standard-setting," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 23(1), pages 31-52, March.
    10. Rey, Andrea & Maglio, Roberto & Rapone, Valerio, 2020. "Lobbying during IASB and FASB convergence due processes: Evidence from the IFRS 16 project on leases," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    11. Urska Kosi & Antonia Reither, 2014. "Determinants of Corporate Participation in the IFRS 4 (Insurance Contracts) Replacement Process," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 89-112, June.
    12. Karen Handley & Elaine Evans & Sue Wright, 2020. "Understanding participation in accounting standard‐setting: the case of AASB ED 192 Revised Differential Reporting Framework," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(4), pages 3621-3645, December.
    13. Molina Sánchez, Horacio & Bautista Mesa, Rafael, 2018. "La participación en el /Participation in the IASB Due Process," Estudios de Economia Aplicada, Estudios de Economia Aplicada, vol. 36, pages 429-458, Mayo.
    14. Francesco De Luca & Jenice Prather-Kinsey, 2018. "Legitimacy theory may explain the failure of global adoption of IFRS: the case of Europe and the U.S," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 22(3), pages 501-534, September.
    15. Holder, Anthony D. & Karim, Khondkar E. & Lin, Karen Jingrong & Woods, Maef, 2013. "A content analysis of the comment letters to the FASB and IASB: Accounting for contingencies," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 134-153.
    16. Okamoto, Noriaki, 2017. "Norm entrepreneur lobbying and persuasion: A case study involving the IASB's modification of an exposure draft," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 129-138.
    17. Ron Hodges & Howard Mellett, 2005. "Accounting for the U.K.'s Private Finance Initiative: An Interview‐Based Investigation," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 41(2), pages 159-180, June.
    18. Samindi Ishara Hewa & Rajni Mala & Jinhua Chen, 2020. "IASB's independence in the due process: an examination of interest groups’ influence on the development of IFRS 9," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(3), pages 2585-2615, September.
    19. Dennis, Ian, 2008. "A conceptual enquiry into the concept of a ‘principles-based’ accounting standard," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 260-271.
    20. Cortese, Corinne & Irvine, Helen, 2010. "Investigating international accounting standard setting: The black box of IFRS 6," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 87-95.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:44:y:2012:i:4:p:235-247. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-british-accounting-review .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.