Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004

47 Publication of information as to standards of performance E+W

(1) The Auditor General for Wales must give any directions which he thinks fit for requiring relevant bodies to publish the information mentioned in subsection (2).

(2) The information is information relating to their activities in a financial year which will, in the opinion of the Auditor General for Wales, facilitate the making of appropriate comparisons—

(a) between the standards of performance achieved by different relevant bodies in the financial year, or

(b) between the standards of performance achieved by relevant bodies in different financial years.

(3) The comparisons are to be made by reference to the criteria of cost, economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

(4) If a relevant body is required by a direction under this section to publish information in relation to a financial year, it must—

(a) make arrangements for collecting and recording the information which secure that the information is available for publication and (so far as practicable) that everything published in pursuance of the direction is accurate and complete,

(b) publish the information in accordance with the direction and in a method permitted under section 48 before the end of the period of 9 months starting immediately after the end of the financial year, and

(c) [F1 in the case of a relevant body which is not a corporate joint committee,] keep a document containing any information published in pursuance of the direction available for inspection by local government electors for its area.

(5) [F2 The Welsh Ministers] may by order vary the period specified in subsection (4)(b).

(6) The period specified in an order under subsection (5) must not be longer than 9 months starting immediately after the end of the financial year in question.

(7) A local government elector for the area of a relevant body may—

(a) at all reasonable times and without payment, inspect and make copies of the whole or any part of a document kept available for inspection by the body under subsection (4)(c);

(b) require copies of the whole or part of any such document to be delivered to him on payment of a reasonable sum for each copy.

(8) A person who has custody of a document kept available for inspection under subsection (4)(c) commits an offence if—

(a) he obstructs a person in the exercise of his rights under subsection (7), or

(b) he refuses to comply with a requirement under subsection (7)(b).

(9) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (8) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 47(4)(c) inserted (15.7.2022) by The Corporate Joint Committees (General) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/797), regs. 1(2), 3(3)

F2 Words in s. 47(5) substituted (1.4.2014) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 51 (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)