Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021

93 Duty of principal council to respond to report of panel performance assessment

(1) A principal council must prepare a response to each report made under section 92(4) in respect of the council.

(2) The response must state—

(a) the extent to which the council accepts the conclusions in the report as to the extent to which the council is meeting the performance requirements,

(b) the extent to which the council intends to follow any recommendations in the report, and

(c) any actions the council intends to take to increase the extent to which it meets the performance requirements.

(3) The council must make a draft of the response available to its governance and audit committee.

(4) The governance and audit committee must review the draft response and may make recommendations for changes to the statements made in the draft under subsection (2).

(5) If the council does not make a change recommended by the governance and audit committee under subsection (4), the council must set out, in the response, the recommendation and the reasons why it did not make the change.

(6) As soon as reasonably practicable after finalising the response the council must—

(a) publish the response, and

(b) send the response to—

(i) the members of the panel,

(ii) the Auditor General for Wales,

(iii) Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales, and

(iv) the Welsh Ministers.

(7) Arrangements under section 92(1) must enable the principal council to publish at least one response to a report before the day which is four months before the day on which the next ordinary election of councillors to the council is due to take place.