Wales Act 2014

Budgetary procedures U.K.

22 Budgetary procedures U.K.

(1) Schedule 7 to GOWA 2006 (legislative competence to make Acts of the Assembly) is amended as follows.

(2) In Part 1, in paragraph 13 (National Assembly for Wales), at the end insert “Budgetary procedures.

Budgetary procedures” are procedures for a financial year relating to—

(a) the authorisation of the amount of resources which may be used or retained in that year by relevant persons or pursuant to a relevant enactment,

(b) the authorisation of the amount which may be paid out of the Welsh Consolidated Fund in that year to relevant persons or for use pursuant to a relevant enactment, or

(c) the scrutiny of the use of the amounts so authorised under paragraph (a) or (b) or of the exercise of borrowing powers by the Welsh Ministers.

The following are “relevant persons”—

(a) the Welsh Ministers,

(b) the First Minister,

(c) the Counsel General,

(d) the Assembly Commission,

(e) the Wales Audit Office, and

(f) the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales.

A “relevant enactment” is an enactment which provides for payment out of the Welsh Consolidated Fund.

The reference to the use of resources is a reference to their expenditure, consumption or reduction in value.”

(3) In Part 2, in paragraph 5 (provisions of GOWA 2006 which may not be modified)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (2), in paragraph (a), after “78,” insert “ 120(2), 125 to 128, ”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (2), after paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa) section 119 in so far as it relates to estimated payments for a financial year into the Welsh Consolidated Fund or to the Welsh Ministers, the First Minister or the Counsel General;”;

(c) after sub-paragraph (4), insert—

“(4A) Sub-paragraph (1), so far as it applies in relation to a provision of Part 5 or section 159, does not apply to a provision of an Act of the Assembly if—

(a) the provision is incidental to, or consequential on, a provision of an Act of the Assembly relating to budgetary procedures or devolved taxes, and

(b) the Secretary of State consents to the provision.

(4B) In sub-paragraph (4A), “budgetary procedures” has the same meaning as in paragraph 13 of Part 1 of this Schedule.”