Assembly Committee endorses Auditor General’s 2012/13 budget

17 November 2011

The National Assembly for Wales’s Public Accounts Committee has endorsed the Wales Audit Office budget for the next financial year.

Figures presented to the Committee by the Auditor General, Huw Vaughan Thomas, showed a 12 per cent reduction on the previous year, although that budget also included a supplementary request for extra funds to part-fund a voluntary severance scheme.

The Committee appreciated the efforts made by the Auditor General to keep costs to a minimum without compromising the quality of work.

It also noted the intention of Mr Thomas to continue to seek to reduce his fees in recognition of cost pressures faced by audited bodies, in addition to reductions made over the previous two years.

“The Auditor General rightly expects high standards of financial management from the public bodies within his jurisdiction,” said Chair of the Committee, Darren Millar AM.

“In the same way, the Public Accounts Committee expects the Wales Audit Office to be an exemplar of good practice and, in particular, that its decision-making processes will be open and transparent.

“We have raised concerns about two areas of expenditure in the Auditor General’s figures but are pleased with the efforts made to either reduce or reassess those costs.

“Therefore the committee endorses the Auditor General’s estimate for 2012/13 without modification.”