§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department publish(a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) the minutes of meetings, (d) the agendas of meetings and (e) registers of members' interests; and whether in each case this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary. [20490]
§ Mr. RedwoodThe answers to each point are as follows
(a) All—under statute, charter or other controlling documents. The report of work by the agricultural wages committees is included in the annual report of the agricultural wages board;(b) All except the Royal Commission on the ancient and historical monuments of Wales and the agricultural wages committees—under statute or charter;(c) None;(d) None;(e) At present the majority do not publish a register of members' interests. All are, however, in the process of adopting a code of practice based on the code of best practice for board members of public bodies published by Her Majesty's Treasury in June 1994, and will then publish or make available such a register.
§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department which are subject to(a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charter. [20668]
§ Mr. RedwoodThe answers to each point are as follows
(a) The agricultural wages committees, the Arts Council of Wales, the Cardiff Bay development coporation; the Countryside Council of Wales; the Development Board for Rural Wales; except for housing functions; Housing for Wales; the local government residuary body; the Sports Council for Wales; the Wales tourist board; and the Welsh Language Board. Jurisdiction extends to other NDPBs when their administrative actions are undertaken on behalf of the Welsh Office or another Government Department;(b) The residuary body for Wales;(c) The Comptroller and Auditor General is the external auditor of all Welsh executive NDPBs except the Wales Youth 514W Agency, the residuary body for Wales, Housing for Wales and the Cardiff Bay development corporation, to whose books and papers he nevertheless has access a) under the National Audit Act 1983 for the purpose of carrying out examinations on value for money, and b) by agreement, and subject to prior consultation in each case with the Welsh Office, for the purpose of examining questions of regularity and propriety;(d) All are encouraged to adopt procedures under the code of access to government information;(e) All are required to identify, publish and report on progress against key performance measures in their annual report;(f) All are subject to the provisions of the citizens charter.