Robust scrutiny – Presiding Officer opens conference on role and accountability of Welsh Commissioners

20 March 2014

The National Assembly for Wales’s Presiding Officer, Dame Rosemary Butler AM, will open a conference at the Pierhead on 20 March about the role of Commissioners and Ombudsmen and the infrastructure of Welsh Governance.

In her welcome speech to the conference, the Presiding Officer will outline to delegates the robust role that the Assembly plays in the appointment of the Public Services Ombudsman.

“The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales’s position is appointed by the Assembly and our committees are represented in a rigorous recruitment process, with the whole Assembly formally making the appointment,” Dame Rosemary will say.

“This makes the line of accountability very clear.

“In today’s conference, you will be considering accountability and that is important so that we have a transparent system for the tax payer.

“I myself have received representations about accountability and transparency relating to the Commissioners for Older People, Children and the Welsh Language in Wales.

“Each of these are accountable to the Welsh Government – and it’s the Welsh Government that they are scrutinising.

“A view being expressed by some people is that the Commissioners should be accountable to, and appointed by, the National Assembly. I will be interested to hear whether this conference draws any conclusions about the current system.”

The conference has been organised by Aberystwyth University and will include contributions from Professor John Williams and Ann Sherlock from Aberystwyth University; Peter Tyndall, Ombudsman and Information Commissioner, Ireland, and Eleri Thomas, Deputy Children’s Commissioner for Wales.