Appointment of new Auditor General a step closer as first stage of recruitment process is completed.

22 June 2010

Huw Vaughan Thomas has been chosen as the preferred candidate to become the new Auditor General for Wales.

The former Chief Executive of Denbighshire County Council will now appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 28 June and if approved by PAC, his appointment will go before all Assembly Members for final approval later this month.

“It would be a great honour and privilege to be successfully appointed Auditor General for Wales,” said Mr Thomas.

“The role offers many challenges, particularly at a time when there is a lot of focus on public finances and how public money is spent.

“But there is already a very talented team in place at the Wales Audit Office and if successful I would be excited by the opportunity of working with them.”

The process of appointing the new Auditor General for Wales meets the strict guidelines for public appointments as set out by Lord Nolan in his report on standards in public life.

Four candidates were shortlisted and then interviewed by an Assembly Commission-appointed panel that included three members of the PAC.

After interviewing the candidates yesterday (21 June), the panel chose Huw Vaughan Thomas candidate to go through to the next phase of the appointments process and Mr Thomas will now appear before a full session of PAC next week.

“This is perhaps one of the most high-profile and influential positions in Wales,” said PAC Chairman Jonathan Morgan AM.

“That’s why it is important that the committee undertook the appointment process in the way it did.

“The appointment panel felt that we had four strong candidates.

“His background in the public sector was key in our decision to put forward Mr Thomas for approval by the committee.”