Clause 45 - Benefit administration studies for Secretary of State
Public Audit (Wales) Bill [Lords]
2:45 pm
Mr Bill Wiggin (Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Local and Devolved Government Affairs; Leominster, Conservative)
I suspect that the Minister, like me, has faith in the current Secretary of State—in my role, I have faith in at least one future Secretary of State. The purpose behind the clause is to give discretion, and I accept that avoiding fraud is essential. I am surprised that the transparency that the amendment seeks to bring about is not factored into the Bill more, but I recognise that the amendment is not necessarily the best way to do so. As we legislate, we should continue to focus on ensuring that there is proper transparency at every opportunity.