House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Answers to Questions Families and Communities Department FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES DEPARTMENT In reply to Mr GARDNER House of Assembly Morialta FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES DEPARTMENT In reply to Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (1 March 2012). The Hon. G. PORTOLESI House of Assembly Hartley Minister for Education and Child Development FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES DEPARTMENT The Hon. G. PORTOLESI (Hartley—Minister for Education and Child Development): The Minister for Disabilities has advised: As per Section 7 of the Administrative Arrangements Act 1994, the Minister for Disabilities is the Trustee of the Client Trust and has the ability to delegate authorisation of expenditure. The Trustee role cannot be delegated and remains with the Minister. The delegations provide for purchases of varying amounts, with those higher than $10,000 requiring approval from the relevant Director. In accordance with the Client Trust Fund Delegations approved by the then Minister for Disability on 13 August 2009, Accommodation Services Managers are authorised to make purchases up to the value of $5,000 on behalf of clients. Regional Managers are authorised to make purchases up to the value of $10,000. Prior to 2008, people with disabilities who lived in institutional settings and were financially independent were precluded from the Department's Equipment Program. As at November 2010, the estimated cost of privately purchased equipment owned by clients was $142,235. This expenditure spanned several years and was based on the average cost of similar items with no customised features as at November 2010. In 40 cases the equipment had been owned by clients for more than two years. The Government will offer reimbursements to those clients who could have been provided with equipment by the Department's Equipment Program.