Schedule 1 - Best value audit and inspections
Public Audit (Wales) Bill [Lords]
3:15 pm
Mr Bill Wiggin (Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Local and Devolved Government Affairs; Leominster, Conservative)
We have dealt with the fact that the Auditor General may himself decide to investigate, or may be ordered to do so by the Secretary of State. I suspect that if the Secretary of State orders it, he must do so and cannot make his own decision not to. That is fine.
Amendment No. 39 is designed to find out why the National Assembly for Wales would exempt an authority. The Minister said that that is one of its powers, which is right, and that the amendment would undermine that. However, before I withdraw the amendment, I would like to know why the Assembly should ever want to exempt an authority. I am sure he will be able to tell me now.