Clause 34 - Wales
Local Government Bill
9:15 am
Mr Don Touhig (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Welsh Office; Islwyn, Labour/Co-operative)
I take my hon. Friend's point. Without testing your patience, Mr. Conway, in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill Committee we had difficulty in explaining to the Conservatives on an
amendment that they moved that the border of Wales did not touch the border of Greater London. I had to bring in an atlas to show them that.
This is a devolved matter, which is the responsibility of the National Assembly. The hon. Member for Cotswold was concerned that this place votes a block sum of money to the Assembly to meet the Assembly's expenditure requirements and needs. Yes it does. However, the Assembly is totally open. All its accounts are properly audited. The audit system operates in the Assembly as it does in any Department or aspect of government here. Indeed, the Assembly is ahead of us in terms of being more open and accountable.