Forestry Commission Wales must address ‘systematic failings’ in funding programmes – says National Assembly report

8 February 2011

Forestry Commission Wales needs to tighten up its processes for awarding grants, according a report from the Public Accounts Committee for the National Assembly for Wales.

Its inquiry followed a petition received by the Assembly’s Petitions Committee from people unhappy at more than half a million pounds in funding paid to a group for the purchase of woodland in their community in north Pembrokeshire in 2006.

The money, from the Forestry Commission’s Cydcoed II Programme, was designed to provide or improve access to green and wooded areas for communities in deprived parts of Wales.

The Public Accounts Committee found in this instance that the Forestry Commission had failed in its duty to properly consult the local community and had not applied proper due process to ensure value for public money.

Chair of the Committee, Darren Millar AM, said: “Our findings back up those of the Auditor General for Wales report which also raised concern at how Forestry Commission Wales had applied its Cydcoed programme.

“While we have been given assurances that lessons have been learned from this particular experience, we are left concerned as to how these failings were allowed to occur in the first place and how grant programs are handled by Forestry Commission Wales today.

“Public bodies charged with handling tax-payers money have a duty to apply best practice to ensure we see value for money. In this instance Forestry Commission Wales fell well below expectations and now have the task of rebuilding public confidence.”

ENDS