What discussions has the Minister had with the Wales Audit Office on waiving deadlines for the Public Services Ombudsman to lay copies of certified accounts before the Assembly within four months of submitting accounts to the Auditor General, and will this waiver be extended to other bodies?
This is an issue which has arisen during the passage of the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill.
The Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill was introduced by the Finance Committee and is currently being scrutinised by the National Assembly.
The Finance Committee chair Llyr Gruffydd AM, tabled a stage 2 amendment to the Bill, which will give the Auditor General for Wales greater flexibility in relation to the deadline to lay a copy of the certified accounts and report (Amendment 148).
The amendment was based on stage 1 evidence by the Auditor General for Wales and was agreed by the National Assembly’s Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee.