- Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As enacted)
Government of Wales Act 1998, Section 144 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 17 August 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
(1)The [F1Welsh Ministers] may by order make provision about—
(a)the accounts of any body specified in Part I or II of Schedule 17,
(b)the audit of any such body’s accounts, or
(c)reports by any such body on its exercise of its functions.
(2)An order under subsection (1) may not make any provision about, or about the audit of, [F2any accounts kept or prepared in pursuance of [F3paragraph 2 or 3 of Schedule 9 to the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006] (requirement for Welsh NHS bodies to keep accounts or prepare annual accounts)] by any body specified in Part II of Schedule 17.
(3)An order under subsection (1) may include provision imposing, varying or abolishing requirements in respect of any accounts or reports or the audit of any accounts and, in particular, may provide for—
[F4(a)the Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Assembly Government to designate accounting officers and to specify their responsibilities,]
(b)the preparation by a body of accounts extending to financial affairs and transactions of any undertaking (as defined in [F5section 1161(1) of the Companies Act 2006]) of which the body is (or, if it were an undertaking as so defined, would be) a parent undertaking (within the meaning of [F6section 1162] of that Act),
(c)the granting to auditors, and persons considering reports by any auditor or body, of rights of access to documents and of rights to obtain information, explanations and assistance from persons holding or accountable for documents,
(d)the giving of directions by the [F7Welsh Ministers] , and
(e)the publication and public inspection of documents.
[F8(4)The Welsh Ministers may by order make provision for the Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Assembly Government to designate accounting officers of any body specified in Part 3 of Schedule 17 and to specify their responsibilities.
(4A)An order under subsection (1) or (4) may not remove or restrict any function of the Comptroller and Auditor General.]
[F9(5A)A statutory instrument containing an order under subsection (1) or (4), other than an order to which subsection (5B) applies, is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of the Assembly.
(5B)No order to which this subsection applies may be made unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing it has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, the Assembly.
(5C)Subsection (5B) applies to an order under subsection (1) or (4) which contains provisions in the form of amendments or repeals of enactments contained in an Act of Parliament, Assembly Measure or Act of the Assembly.]
(6)F10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(7)If requested to do so by the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts, the Audit Committee may—
(a)on behalf of the Committee of Public Accounts take evidence from a person designated in pursuance of subsection (3)(a) or (4) as an accounting officer of a body specified in Schedule 17, and
(b)report to the Committee of Public Accounts and transmit to that Committee any evidence so taken.
(8)The [F11Welsh Ministers] may by order amend any of the Parts of Schedule 17 by—
(a)adding any public body (other than [F12the National Assembly for Wales Commission,] the Auditor General for Wales, [F13Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales or Prif Arolygydd Ei Mawrhydi dros Addysg a Hyfforddiant yng Nghymru], [F14the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales] , [F15the Wales Centre for Health,][F16the Children’s Commissioner for Wales], [F17the Commissioner for Older People in Wales,]F18. . . a county council, a county borough council or a community council) whose functions relate exclusively to Wales or an area of Wales,
(b)omitting any body, or
(c)altering the description of any body.
[F19(8ZA)No order under subsection (8) may be made unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing it has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, the Assembly.]
[F20(8A)F21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]
(9)In this section—
(a)“audit”, in relation to any accounts, includes their examination and certification and reporting on them or on any examination of them, F22. . .
(b)“body” includes office.
[F23(ba) “ Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Assembly Government ” means the person appointed in accordance with section 52 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 to be the head of the staff of the Welsh Assembly Government (whether or not that person is known by the title of Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Assembly Government), ] [F24 and
(c) “ public body ” means—
(i)a body exercising functions of a public nature, or
(ii)a body entirely or substantially funded from public money.]
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 144(1) substituted by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, {Sch. 10 para. 45(2)} (with Sch. 11), the amending provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(5) of the amending Act
F2Words in s. 144(2) substituted (1.2.2007 for W.) by Health Act 2006 (c. 28), ss. 80, 83, Sch. 8 para. 43 (with saving in S.I. 2006/2603, art. 6): S.I. 2007/204, art. 4(b) (with art. 5)
F3Words in s. 144(2) substituted (1.3.2007) by Health Act 2006 (c. 28), ss. 80, 83, Sch. 8 para. 43 (as amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006 c. 43, Sch. 1 para. 298 (with Sch. 3, Pt. 1)); 2006 c. 43, s. 8(2)
F4S. 144(3)(a) substituted by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, {Sch. 10 para. 45(3)(a)} (with Sch. 11), the amending provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(5) of the amending Act
F5Words in s. 144(3)(b) substituted (6.4.2008) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments etc) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/948), art. 2(2), 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 207(a)
F6Words in s. 144(3)(b) substituted (6.4.2008) by The Companies Act 2006 (Consequential Amendments etc) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/948), art. 2(2), 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 207(b)
F7Words in s. 144(3)(d) substituted by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, {Sch. 10 para. 45(3)(b)} (with Sch. 11), the amending provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(5) of the amending Act
F8S. 144(4)(4A) substituted for s. 144(4) by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, {Sch. 10 para. 45(4)} (with Sch. 11), the amending provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(5) of the amending Act
F9S. 144(5A)-(5B) substituted for s. 144(5) by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, {Sch. 10 para. 45(5)} (with Sch. 11), the amending provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(5) of the amending Act
F10S. 144(6) repealed by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, 163, Sch. 10 para. 45(6), {Sch. 12} (with Sch. 11), the amending provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(d)(5) (subect to s. 161(6)) of the amending Act
F11Words in s. 144(8) substituted by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, {Sch. 10 para. 45(7)(a)} (with Sch. 11), the amending provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(5) of the amending Act
F12Words in s. 144(8)(a) inserted by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, {Sch. 10 para. 45(7)(b)} (with Sch. 11), the amending provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(5) of the amending Act
F13Words in s. 144(8)(a) substituted (1.1.2001) by 2000 c. 21 s. 73(3)(a); S.I. 2000/3230, art. 2, Sch.
F14Words in s. 144(8)(a) substituted (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), ss. 39, 40, Sch. 6 para. 66(a); S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)
F15Words in s. 144(8)(a) inserted (1.4.2005) by Health (Wales) Act 2003 (c. 4), ss. 7, 10(2), Sch. 3 para. 11; S.I. 2003/2660, art. 3(2)
F16Words in s. 144(8)(a) inserted (13.11.2000) by 2000 c. 14, s. 72, Sch. 2 para. 18; S.I. 2000/2992, art. 2(1), Sch. 1
F17Words in s. 144(8)(a) inserted (14.10.2006 for W.) by Commissioner for Older People (Wales) Act 2006 (c. 30), ss. 1, 23, Sch. 1 para. 20; S.I. 2006/2699, art. 2
F18Words in s. 144(8)(a) repealed (1.4.2006) by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005 (c. 10), ss. 39, 40, Sch. 6 para. 66(b), Sch. 7; S.I. 2005/2800, art. 5(1)
F19S. 144(8ZA) inserted by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, {Sch. 10 para. 45(8)} (with Sch. 11), the amending provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(5) of the amending Act
F20S. 144(8A) inserted (1.4.2005) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 (c. 23), ss. 65(2), 73; S.I. 2005/558, art. 2, Sch. 1
F21S. 144(8A) repealed by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, 163, Sch. 10 para. 45(9), {Sch. 12} (with Sch. 11), the repealing provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(d)(5) (subject to s. 161(6)) of the amending Act
F22Word in s. 144(9) repealed (1.4.2005) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 (c. 23), ss. 72, 73, Sch. 4; S.I. 2005/558, art. 2, Sch. 1 (subject to Sch. 2)
F23Words in s. 144(9)(ba) inserted by the Government of Wales Act 2006, (c. 32), ss. 160, 161, {Sch. 10 para. 45(10)} (with Sch. 11), the amending provision coming into force immediately after the end of "the initial period" (which ended with the day of the first appointment of a First Minister on 25.5.2007) - see ss. 46, 161(4)(c)(5) of the amending Act
F24S. 144(9)(c) and word added (1.4.2005) by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 (c. 23), ss. 65(3), 73; S.I. 2005/558, art. 2, Sch. 1
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.
Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including: