Clause 40 - Documents relating to police authorities
Public Audit (Wales) Bill [Lords]
2:30 pm
Mr Hywel Williams (Spokesperson (Disability; Health; Social Security; Work and Pensions); Caernarfon, Plaid Cymru)
I must now turn seriously to clause 40 and amendment No. 46, which is probing. Under the clause, if the Auditor General receives a public interest report prepared under clause 22(5) or (6) by an appointed auditor that relates to a police authority and other authorities, he must send it to the Secretary of State and the Assembly. However, the clause does not similarly require the Auditor General, when sending a document to police authorities, also to send a copy to the Assembly and the Secretary of State. When receiving, the Auditor General must send copies; when sending, he is not required to send documents to the Assembly or the Secretary of State. The amendment is probing as to why there is not an equivalent requirement in both parts of the clause.
I am aware that the Auditor General might send many documents to police authorities and that not all of them will be of interest to the Secretary of State or the Assembly. However, there could be a public interest test. After all, that is what clause 22 is all about. It deals with immediate and other reports of public interest. That clause says that auditors should make a report, and immediate reports are mentioned several times. Subsection (5) states:
''In a case within subsection (3), the auditor must send the report to the body, and a copy of the report to the Auditor General''.
Subsection (6) states that
''the auditor must send the report to the body, and a copy of the report to the Auditor General''.
Auditors must send reports to the Auditor General, but he must do so only in some cases and may do so in others. As the amendment is probing, perhaps the Minister will enlighten us as to why there is a variation.