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Public Accounts Committee |
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Meeting Venue: |
Committee Room 3 - Senedd |
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Meeting date: |
Tuesday, 15 July 2014 |
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Meeting time: |
09.00 - 10.49 |
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This meeting can be viewed on Senedd
TV at: |
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Concise Minutes: |
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Assembly Members: |
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Darren Millar AM (Chair) William Graham AM Mike Hedges AM Alun Ffred Jones AM Julie Morgan AM Jenny Rathbone AM Aled Roberts AM Sandy Mewies AM |
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Witnesses: |
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Matthew Mortlock, Wales Audit Office Dave Thomas, Wales Audit Office Mike Usher, Wales Audit Office Huw Vaughan Thomas, Auditor General for Wales, Wales Audit Office |
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Committee Staff: |
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Michael Kay (Clerk) Claire Griffiths (Deputy Clerk) Joanest Varney-Jackson (Legal Advisor) |
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1 Governance Arrangements at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board: Consideration of evidence received
1.1 The Committee considered the evidence received from BCUHB at the meeting held on 8 July.
1.2 Members agreed to undertake a wider piece of work on health board governance once the forthcoming report from the Auditor General on health finances and key indicators of service performance has been published.
Transcript
View the meeting transcript.
2 Introductions, apologies and substitutions
2.1 The Chair welcomed the Members to Committee.
2.2 Jenny Rathbone declared an interest as Chair of the Programme Monitoring Committee, Alun Ffred Jones declared an interest as a member of Bangor University Council and Sandy Mewies declared an interest as a Fellow of Glyndwr University.
3 Papers to note
3.1 The papers were noted.
· It was agreed that the Chair will write to the Chair of Finance Committee suggesting that they monitor a number of issues raised by Members on higher education finances. The WAO agreed to prepare a briefing note on write offs connected with the loanbook.
· The Chair will write to the Permanent Secretary requesting an update on Recommendation 5 of the Welsh Government’s location strategy following the review the Welsh Government is undertaking later this year.
3.1 Higher Education Finances
3.2 The Welsh Government's location strategy: Letter from the Permanent Secretary (23 June 2014)
3.3 Meeting the Financial Challenges Facing Local Government in Wales: Letter from Steve Thomas, WLGA (8 July 2014)
3.4 Wales Audit Office: Update on the Auditor General's Value for Money Work Programme (9 July 2014)
4 Covering Teachers’ Absence: Consideration of response from the Welsh Government
4.1 The Committee noted the Welsh Government’s response. It was agreed that the Chair will reply to the Minister on Recommendations 1, 3 and 13. The Committee will return to this issue in 2015 following updates from the Welsh Government.
5 Grants Management in Wales: Consideration of correspondence
5.1 The Committee noted the correspondence and agreed to return to this issue in spring 2015 when the Welsh Government’s annual report on grants management for 2014/15 will be available.
5.2 The Chair agreed to write to the Permanent Secretary seeking further information on the value of grants affected following non-complicance after the spot checks.
6 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business:
6.1 The motion was agreed.
7 Young people not in education, employment or training: Briefing from the Auditor General for Wales
7.1 The Auditor General gave an oral briefing to Members on his report which was published on 10 July.
7.2 Members agreed to seek a response from the Welsh Government and return to this issue in the autumn.
7.3 Members also agreed that the Chair should write to the Enterprise and Business Committee asking whether they will be undertaking any further work on this issue.
8 National Fraud Initiative 2012-13: Briefing from the Auditor General for Wales
8.1 The Auditor General gave an oral briefing to Members on his report which was published on 12 June.
8.2 Members noted and welcomed the report and agreed that the Chair should write to Community Housing Cymru and Further and Higher Education Institutes encouraging them to participate in the National Fraud Initiative.
8.3 The Chair agreed to write to the Welsh Government seeking an update on Recommendation 3 in the Committee’s report on Grants Management regarding breaches in the Code of Practice for funding the third Sector, and reminding them that details of any such instances should be included in its annual grants management report.
9 Intra-Wales - Cardiff to Anglesey - Air Service: Agreement of final report
9.1 Members considered and agreed the report.
10 Annual Report 2013/14: Agreement of final report
10.1 Members considered and agreed the report.
11 Forward work programme: Autumn 2014
11.1 Members noted the work programme for the autumn 2014 term.