More work needed on implementing Audit Committee recommendations on Welsh colleges

Progress has been made but more needs to be done to implement Assembly Audit Committee recommendations into how further education colleges in Wales are managed, according to a new report. The Audit Committee today (Wednesday October 4) publishes an update on estates management and procurement in the FE sector. The report finds that the costs of ensuring colleges comply with disability discrimination legislation have fallen, but still stand at £12.7 million. The Committee therefore recommends a new disability access audit of all or some of the institutions to test the robustness of the data available on the level and cost of works necessary for the sector to become complaint with disability legislation.  The Committee also recommends that the Assembly Government looks at the possibility of ring-fencing the grant provided to colleges specifically for disability-related works.   The need to secure financial savings from better procurement has been on the Assembly Government’s agenda for a number of years. The report recommends that the Assembly Government require information from each institution on a regular basis, on the savings that it is realising through improved procurement practices. Janet Davies AM, Chair of Audit Committee, said: “The Committee has expressed concerns about the failure of the Assembly Government to ensure that FE Colleges to meet the requirements of disability discrimination legislation since 2003. I am disappointed that over £12 million of work is still outstanding.”