Public Accounts Committee
Meeting the challenge of Welsh public sector finance
Terms of Reference
The Public Accounts Committee (‘the PAC’) has agreed to conduct an inquiry into the preparedness of public services in Wales to meet the financial challenges they will face in the next period. This followed its consideration of the Auditor General for Wales’s report A Picture of Public Services.
Whilst A Picture of Public Services forms the foundation for the inquiry, the PAC will also incorporate its consideration of other relevant reports, published by the Auditor General, into the scope of the inquiry as the inquiry progresses.
Scope of the inquiry
The PAC decided to restrict its initial consideration to the two largest areas of devolved public spend: Health and Local Government (in 2009-10 the allocation on these areas accounted for 67% of the total Welsh block budget). This will be followed by a broader scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s preparedness to lead public services through the financial challenges they will inevitably face in the coming years.
The PAC’s consideration will be at a high-level, looking at broad sector-wide implications. It will not be looking at individual public service providers e.g. local authorities or local health boards.
In summary, the PAC will:
Take evidence on the preparedness of local government in Wales by taking evidence from the Welsh Local Government Association
Take evidence on the preparedness of the health sector in Wales from the Head of NHS Wales and the Welsh Government’s Director General Health and Social Services
Scrutinise the Welsh Government’s preparedness to lead public services in Wales through the economic challenges they face by taking evidence from the Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government and Director General Public Services and Local Government Delivery
Report on what it finds
The PAC anticipates reporting on this inquiry in late 2010 or early 2011.
