Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004

Miscellaneous E+W

37 Extraordinary audit E+W

(1) The Auditor General for Wales may F1 ... hold an extraordinary audit of the accounts of a local government body in Wales if the condition in subsection (2) or the condition in subsection (3) is met.

(2) The condition is that it appears to the Auditor General for Wales to be desirable to hold an extraordinary audit of the body’s accounts.

(3) The condition is that an application for an extraordinary audit of the body’s accounts is made by a local government elector for the area of the body.

(4) [F2 the Welsh Ministers] may require the Auditor General for Wales to F3 ... hold an extraordinary audit of the accounts of a local government body in Wales if it appears to [F2 the Welsh Ministers] to be desirable in the public interest for an extraordinary audit of the body’s accounts to be held.

(5) These provisions apply to an extraordinary audit under this section as they apply to an ordinary audit under this Chapter—

F4 (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) sections 17 to 19;

(c) sections 22 to 28;

(d) sections 31 and 32.

(6) An extraordinary audit of a body’s accounts may be held under this section only if 3 clear days' notice in writing of the audit is given to the body.

(7) The expenditure incurred in holding an extraordinary audit of a body’s accounts under this section must be met in the first instance by the Auditor General for Wales.

(8) [F5 The Wales Audit Office] may recover all or part of the expenditure from the body.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 37(1) omitted (1.4.2014) by virtue of Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 42(3) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

F2 Words in s. 37 substituted (1.4.2014) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 42(2) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

F3 Words in s. 37(4) omitted (1.4.2014) by virtue of Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 42(4) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

F4 S. 37(5)(a) omitted (1.4.2014) by virtue of Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 42(5) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

F5 Words in s. 37(8) substituted (1.4.2014) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 42(6) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

38 Audit of accounts of officers E+W

(1) This section applies if an officer of a local government body in Wales receives money or other property—

(a) on behalf of the body, or

(b) for which he ought to account to the body.

(2) [F6 the Auditor General for Wales] must audit the officer’s accounts.

(3) These provisions apply with the necessary modifications to the accounts and audit—

(a) section 13(1);

(b) sections 17 to 24;

(c) sections 27 to 32;

(d) section 37;

(e) section 39.

Textual Amendments

F6 Words in s. 38(2) substituted (1.4.2014) by virtue of Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 43 (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

39 Accounts and audit regulations E+W

(1) The [F7 Welsh Ministers] may by regulations applying to local government bodies in Wales make provision with respect to—

(a) the keeping of accounts;

(b) the form, preparation and certification of accounts and of statements of accounts;

(c) the deposit of the accounts of a body at the offices of the body or at another place;

(d) the publication of information relating to accounts and the publication of statements of accounts;

(e) the exercise of any rights of objection or inspection conferred by section 29, 30 or 31 and the steps to be taken by a body for informing local government electors for the area of the body of those rights.

(2) Before making any regulations under this section the [F7 Welsh Ministers] must consult—

(a) the Auditor General for Wales,

(b) any associations of local authorities in Wales which appear to [F8 them] to be concerned, and

(c) any bodies of accountants which appear to [F8 them] to be appropriate.

(3) A person commits an offence if—

(a) without reasonable excuse he contravenes a provision of regulations under this section, and

(b) the regulations declare that contravention of the provision is an offence.

(4) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (3) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(5) Subsection (6) applies if—

(a) a person is convicted of committing an offence under subsection (3) in relation to a body, and

(b) expenses are incurred by [F9 the Auditor General for Wales or the Wales Audit Office] in connection with proceedings for the offence.

(6) The expenses may be recovered [F10 by the Wales Audit Office] from the convicted person or the body, to the extent that they are not recovered from any other source.

Textual Amendments

F7 Words in s. 39 substituted (1.4.2014) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 44(2) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

F8 Word in s. 39(2) substituted (1.4.2014) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 44(3) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

F9 Words in s. 39(5)(b) substituted (1.4.2014) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 44(4) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

F10 Words in s. 39(6) inserted (1.4.2014) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 44(5) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 39 partly in force; s. 39 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 73; s. 39 in force for specified purposes at 31.1.2005 by S.I. 2005/71, art. 2, Sch.; s. 39 in force for further specified purposes at 1.4.2005 by S.I. 2005/558, art. 2, Sch 1

40 Documents relating to [F11 police and crime commissioners and chief constables] E+W

(1) If the Auditor General for Wales [F12 makes a report under section 22] and the report relates to a [F13 police and crime commissioner for, or the chief constable of a police force maintained under section 2 of the Police Act 1996 for,] a police area in Wales, he must send a copy of the report to the Secretary of State and the [F14 Welsh Ministers].

(2) If the Auditor General for Wales has sent a document (or a copy of a document) relating to one or more [F15 police and crime commissioners] for police areas in Wales to a [F16 police and crime commissioner] for a police area in Wales, he may send a copy of the document to the Secretary of State and the [F14 Welsh Ministers].

[F17 (3) If the Auditor General for Wales has sent a document (or a copy of a document) relating to one or more chief constables of police forces maintained under section 2 of the Police Act 1996 for a police area in Wales, the Auditor General may send a copy of the document to the persons to whom a copy of a document may be sent under subsection (2).]

Textual Amendments

F11 Words in s. 40 title substituted (22.11.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 338(2); S.I. 2012/2892, art. 2(i)

F12 Words in s. 40(1) substituted (1.4.2014) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 45(3) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

F13 Words in s. 40(1) substituted (22.11.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 338(3); S.I. 2012/2892, art. 2(i)

F14 Words in s. 40 substituted (1.4.2014) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 3), s. 35(2), Sch. 4 para. 45(2) (with Sch. 3 paras. 2, 3); S.I. 2013/1466, art. 3(1)

F15 Words in s. 40(2) substituted (22.11.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 338(4)(a); S.I. 2012/2892, art. 2(i)

F16 Words in s. 40(2) substituted (22.11.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 338(4)(b); S.I. 2012/2892, art. 2(i)

F17 S. 40(3) inserted (22.11.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 338(5); S.I. 2012/2892, art. 2(i)