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| Examinations into Assembly's use of resources. |
100. - (1) The Auditor General for Wales may carry out examinations into the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which the Assembly has used its resources in discharging its functions.
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(2) Subsection (1) shall not be construed as entitling the Auditor General for Wales to question the merits of the policy objectives of the Assembly.
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(3) In determining how to exercise his functions under this section, the Auditor General for Wales shall take into account the views of the Audit Committee as to the examinations which he should carry out under this section.
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(4) The Auditor General for Wales may lay before the Assembly a report of the results of any examination carried out by him under this section.
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(5) In section 6(3) of the National Audit Act 1983 (public bodies subject to economy etc. examinations by the Comptroller and Auditor General), after paragraph (a) insert-
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"(aa) the National Assembly for Wales;". |
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(6) The Auditor General for Wales and the Comptroller and Auditor General may co-operate with, and give assistance to, each other in connection with the carrying out of examinations in respect of the Assembly under this section or section 6 of the National Audit Act 1983 (economy etc. examinations).
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| Examinations by Comptroller and Auditor General. |
101. - (1) For the purpose of enabling him to carry out examinations into, and report to Parliament on, the finances of the Assembly, the Comptroller and Auditor General-
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(a) shall have a right of access at all reasonable times to all such documents in the custody or under the control of the Assembly or any other person audited by the Auditor General for Wales, or of the Auditor General for Wales, as he may reasonably require for that purpose, and |
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(b) shall be entitled to require from any person holding or accountable for any of those documents any assistance, information or explanation which he reasonably thinks necessary for that purpose. |
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(2) The Comptroller and Auditor General shall-
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(a) consult the Auditor General for Wales, and |
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(b) take into account any relevant work done or being done by the Auditor General for Wales, |
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before he acts in reliance on subsection (1) or carries out an examination in respect of the Assembly under section 6 of the National Audit Act 1983 (economy etc. examinations).
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| Audit Committee reports. |
102. - (1) The Audit Committee may consider, and lay before the Assembly a report on, any accounts, statement of accounts or report laid before the Assembly by-
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(a) the Auditor General for Wales, or |
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(b) the auditor appointed under section 94. |
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(2) If requested to do so by the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, the Audit Committee may-
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(a) on behalf of the Committee of Public Accounts take evidence from the Assembly's principal accounting officer or any additional accounting officer designated under section 98, and |
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(b) report to the Committee of Public Accounts and transmit to that Committee any evidence so taken. |
| Publication of accounts and audit reports etc. |
103. - (1) A document to which this subsection applies shall be published by the Assembly as soon after being laid before it as is reasonably practicable.
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(2) The documents to which subsection (1) applies are-
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(a) any accounts, statement of accounts or report laid before the Assembly by the Auditor General for Wales, |
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(b) any accounts or report laid before the Assembly by the auditor appointed under section 94, and |
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(c) any estimate or report laid before the Assembly under section 93(6) or 102(1) by the Audit Committee. |
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(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) of section 76, any statement (as defined in subsection (2) of that section) contained in any accounts, statement of accounts or report laid before the Assembly by-
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(a) the Auditor General for Wales, or |
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(b) the auditor appointed under section 94, |
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shall be taken to be a statement made in proceedings of the Assembly.
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Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales |
| Chief Inspector's finances. |
104. - (1) The provision of funding for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales ("the Chief Inspector") shall be the responsibility of the Assembly.
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(2) What subsection (1) requires of the Assembly is that it shall provide such funding for the Chief Inspector as it considers appropriate.
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(3) In deciding what funding it considers appropriate to provide for the Chief Inspector, the Assembly shall have regard in particular to what it considers the Chief Inspector needs to spend in order to discharge his functions effectively.
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(4) The Assembly shall before the beginning of each financial year of the Assembly consult the Chief Inspector about the funding it is to provide for him in that financial year; and in determining the amount of that funding the Assembly shall take account of the Chief Inspector's estimates of-
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(a) what he will need to spend in that financial year in order to discharge his functions effectively, and |
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(b) the income which he will receive in that financial year and be entitled to apply towards meeting his expenses. |
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(5) But the consultation required by subsection (4) about the funding to be provided for the Chief Inspector in the first financial year of the Assembly in which his funding is the responsibility of the Assembly shall, if it cannot be carried out before the beginning of that financial year, be carried out as soon as is reasonably practicable.
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(6) Schedule 5 (which makes provision consequential on this section) has effect.
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