§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the European Communities working groups which met over the last 12 months with a representative from his Department in attendance; if he will list the 23W number of times each met; if he will indicate the nature of the Government's representation; and if he will make a statement. [88471]
§ Mr. MichaelIn common with some other Government departments the Welsh Office has signed a protocol with the EC under which UK Internal Audit units and the EC's Financial Control directorate co-ordinate audit work on EC structural funds. There is one annual plenary meeting with the EC's Financial Control directorate attended by the Head of Internal Audit of each relevant department, a representative of HM Treasury and a representative of the European Court of Auditors. The Welsh Office's Head of Internal Audit attended the meeting of March, 1999.