22 November 2023

Dear Derek,

Accounts Scrutiny: Future Generations Commissioner for Wales 2022-23

Thanks to you and Marie for your attendance at the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee meeting on 25 October 2023.

Due to time constraints during the meeting, there were a number of questions not asked and also matters about which the Committee would welcome clarification:

§    Are you content with the Welsh Government’s approach to the setting of the budget for your office for 2024-25 and the engagement you’ve had to date with officials about it?

§    Do you know when you expect to hear about your funding allocation for 2024-25, which will be reflected in the Welsh Government’s Draft Budget?

§    Can you provide an update about discussions you’ve had with the Welsh Government about extending the number of bodies under the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 and the related cost implications; what are the implications for your office of not obtaining additional funding for the eight additional bodies the Welsh Government proposes to add?

§    Has the Welsh Government engaged with you about its evaluation of the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 and if so, what is the scope and timescale for it?

§    In your Annual Report 2022-23, you set out the future focus for your office. You say “Between March and September, my team and I will be taking the opportunity to refresh our approach to what we do and set new areas of focus for our work”. Have you done this; Have you done this and if so, are you able to provide details and explain how, as a result, you  will more effectively allocate your office’s time and resources to generate the biggest impact?

§    How have you engaged with, and sought the views of, staff across your office during your refresh of your office’s approach and the setting of new areas of focus for your work?

§    Have you set out your overall vision, along with any changes you intend to make to the operations and ways of working adopted by your predecessor, as requested by the Equality and Social Justice Committee? If so, what does this look like?

§    What progress have you made with your new corporate plan, which you committed to produce by this autumn, and what can you tell us about it?

§    The Equality and Social Justice Committee recommended you identify the outcomes you would like to achieve during your term of office, with accompanying key performance indicators. What progress have you made in doing this?

§    Do you have plans to determine milestones for delivery for each year of your term of office and if so, how do you plan to report progress made against them?

§    You told the Committee you were reviewing your senior staff structure and you were meeting, the day after the meeting, with the team to discuss it. Are you able to tell, at this stage, the outcome of the review and share the detail of any proposed changes, together with the rationale for them?

You also agreed to write to the Committee with further information including:

§    further detail on where you think there are opportunities for you to deliver against the duties and powers of your office, and to be able to draw in funding from elsewhere.

§    copies of the Future Generations Commissioner’s Office two risk registers.

§    clarify why your internal auditors completed three reviews during 2022-23, compared with six in 2021-22 and whether this reflected the programme of work set out in the internal audit plan for 2022-23. Does it explain why the remuneration to internal audit decreased by £4k to £7k in 2022-23, compared to 2021-22?

Please could you respond by 6 December 2023.

Regards,

Mark Isherwood MS

Chair of the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee