Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:40 pm on 28 February 2023.
Thanks very much. I think it's important that you recognised that there was an issue in relation to responsibility on behalf of the executives, and obviously that is something that we're very concerned about. That, I hope, is something that the new chair will undertake in terms of his responsibility. I will be speaking to him to recommend that he reads your report to make sure that he's understood your concerns as a committee as well.
I think it's important to understand also that the Audit Wales report did say that what is needed is a unified and a cohesive response, and a cohesive approach within the board. It was clear to me that that was not going to be possible with the board as it was structured at the moment, and that was one of the reasons why we took the steps that we did. I think the relationships in terms of trust and candour, accountability—. Those were things where there was so much resistance. I think that what's important is that the chair will understand that there is a need to act on the proposals within, or at least the findings of, the Audit Wales report.