The Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2014

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2014 No. 77 (W. 8)

Public Audit, Wales

The Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2014

Made

14 January 2014

Coming into force

1 April 2014

The Welsh Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 30(2) and 33(2) of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013(1), make the following Order.

In accordance with section 30(2) of that Act, a draft of this Order has been laid before and approved by resolution of the National Assembly for Wales.

Title, commencement and application

1.—(1) The title of this Order is the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2014 and it comes into force on 1 April 2014.

(2) This Order applies in relation to Wales.

Amendment to the Government of Wales Act 1998

2.  In section 145B(5) of the Government of Wales Act 1998(2), for paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b) audit their accounts for a financial year. ”

Amendments to the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004

3.—(1) The Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004(3) is amended as follows.

(2) In section 68(1), for “Auditor General for Wales” substitute “Wales Audit Office”.

(3) Accordingly, the heading to section 68 becomes “Transfer of property etc to Wales Audit Office”.

(4) In Schedule 3, for “Auditor General for Wales” in each place it occurs, substitute “Wales Audit Office”.

Jane Hutt

Minister for Finance, one of the Welsh Ministers

14 January 2014

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends section 145B(5)(b) of the Government of Wales Act 1998 by removing the reference to members of the staff of the Auditor General for Wales (“the AGW”).

This Order also amends section 68 of, and Schedule 3 to, the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 to substitute references to the Wales Audit Office (“the WAO”) for references to the AGW.

These amendments are made as a result of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (“the Act”) which makes provision reforming public audit arrangements in Wales. The Act prescribes that the office of the AGW is to continue, but upon specified terms and creates a new corporate body, the WAO, upon which it confers functions. It also provides for the transfer of the staff of the AGW to the WAO.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice in the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to this Order. As a result, it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with this instrument.

(1)

2013 anaw 3

(2)

1998 c. 38

(3)

2004 c. 23