5. Statement by the Chair of the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee — Welsh Government Consolidated Accounts 2020-21

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:32 pm on 29 June 2022.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 3:32, 29 June 2022

I fully agree with the first point. The second point, given that I’m speaking as Chair of a committee, perhaps I shouldn’t comment on. We'll be scrutinising these accounts in the future. But I get your general gist and the basis for your concern, because as we’ve heard, over the last five years, the accounts have been signed and laid within the statutory time frame for doing so, and this time, that statutory time frame has been breached. That is a serious matter and it’s lucky, fortunate and essential that we have committees such as the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee keeping a weather eye on this, and an office such as Audit Wales, and the role of the Auditor General for Wales, acting impartially but essentially and tenaciously in such matters to ensure that their role is conducted in accordance with their statutory remit. So, yes, I think you’ll take that as an agreement to the first point, but perhaps a diplomatic avoidance of responding to the second. Thank you.