Conduct Of The Secretary Of State For Wales (No. 5)

EDM number 1016 in 1992-93, proposed by Alan Williams on 07/12/1992.

That this House is astonished that on 10th March,with a critical report by the Public Accounts Committee pending, the Secretary of State for Wales re-appointed the Chairman of the Development Board for Rural Wales (DBRW) for a further three years; notes that (a) on 13th August 1991 the National Audit Office notified DBRW that it was considering qualifying its accounts because of an irregular payment, (b) on 21st August 1991 DBRW informed the Welsh Office of this, (c) on 10th October 1991 the Welsh Office knew of the proposed contents of the NAO Report, (d) on 12th December 1991 the Welsh Secretary received the final NAO Report and notification of qualification and (e) on 15th January the Permanent Secretary, Welsh Office, was a witness at a highly critical Public Accounts Committee hearing which in addition to the irregular payment discovered a previously undisclosed uncosted ú200,000 early retirement package for the ex-Chief Executive negotiated by the Chairman without detailed approval of his Board; and believes the three year reappointment showed a disregard of the need for Ministers to emphasise established financial procedures, and was a signal of lax Welsh Office control for the expanding empire of Welsh quangos manned by Welsh Office placemen.

This motion has been signed by a total of 17 MPs.