The
Auditor General for Wales is Adrian Crompton. His role is independent of
government. He is not a civil servant and is appointed by the Queen.
The
Auditor General is the statutory external auditor of most of the Welsh public
sector. This means that he audits the accounts of county and county borough
councils, police, fire and rescue authorities, national parks and community
councils, as well as the Welsh Government, it’s sponsored and related public
bodies, the Senedd Commission and National Health Service bodies.
The
Auditor General’s role includes examining how public bodies manage and spend
public money, including how they achieve value in the delivery of public
services. The Auditor General publishes reports on that work, some of which are
considered by the Welsh Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. He also reports every year on how well
individual local authorities are planning for improvement.
The
Office of Auditor General for Wales was created in 2005 and the current
incumbent, Adrian Crompton, has been in the post since 21 July 2018. The post
can be held by an individual for a maximum of eight years.
The
Auditor General for Wales attends the Public
Account Committee meetings sitting next to the Chair during Committee
meetings. This arrangement emphasises and has brought clarity to the role of
the Auditor General as principal advisor to the Committee. It also helps to
facilitate opportunities for the Auditor General to make appropriate
contributions more readily during Committee meetings.
