Caldicot and Wentlooge Levels Internal Drainage Board

The Appointed Auditor’s report on Caldicot and Wentlooge Levels Internal Drainage Board was published in October 2012. It was issued in the public interest under Section 22 of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004.

The report concluded that:

• the Drainage Board’s governance arrangements had been inadequate and ineffective;
• some members and officers had acted in a way which was likely to undermine public confidence in the Drainage Board;
• the Drainage Board had not exercised good financial management and control at a corporate level; and
• the Drainage Board had failed to demonstrate that it has achieved value for money and acted lawfully in some key areas.

The Public Accounts Committee does not usually take evidence on public interest reports made on the governance of local bodies. Committee inquiries are more usually based upon reports conducted under the Auditor General’s value for money powers. However, in this instance the Committee considered that the implications of this report had clear ramifications for the Welsh Government and other public bodies across Wales, rather than just the Drainage Board itself

The Committee’s inquiry focused on:

• the Welsh Government’s actions to reassure itself that there are approved decision making frameworks for Drainage Boards in Wales;
• the Welsh Government’s role in working with Caldicot and Wentlooge to deliver the improvements needed;
• the future of Internal Drainage Boards in Wales;
• the role of civil servants and why concerns were not raised sooner;
• local authorities’ presence on public boards and bodies; and
• the Wales Audit Office methodology for the audit of small public bodies, in particular its method for auditing the 2010-2011 accounts of the Caldicot and Wentlooge Internal Drainage Board.