Clause 10 - Accounting officer
Public Audit (Wales) Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Mr Bill Wiggin (Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Local and Devolved Government Affairs; Leominster, Conservative)
The amendment makes the point that if we take the Auditor General seriously, we need to know how long Wales can cope without one. We suggested three months for a temporary Auditor General. I accept the Minister's criticism that that is an arbitrary time, which it is, but as I said earlier, we take the Bill, which we support, seriously. It is an important change in the law. By tabling the amendment we hope to ascertain how long the Government feel the gap should be left open or filled by a temporary or designated member of staff. In order to give the Auditor General the credibility that he deserves, we should know how for long he can be incapacitated before his important role is permanently filled. I accept that some flexibility could be built into the wording; that is what the amendment is designed to probe. I hope that the Minister will say how long the gap can be left open or whether another body should have the ability to decide on the period. It is important not to leave the office of Auditor General potentially unfilled by a permanent appointment for an unspecified period.