Agenda item

Members were provided with Audit Wales’ Commentary on the Corporate Joint Committee’s progress letter with regards to the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee, and the proposed action plan.

It was explained that there were a range of statutory duties placed on Corporate Joint Committees, and Audit Wales were responsible for auditing compliance with a range of those duties; specifically around the duties set out in the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

The Chief Executive for the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee was pleased with the conclusion contained within the letter, as it demonstrated making good process in discharging a range of those duties. It was noted that the Child Poverty Action Plan and the Participation Strategy were two particular pieces of work that needed to develop further over the next six months.

In addition to the above, it was mentioned that the auditors had drawn some conclusions in regards to the progress of the Regional Transport Plan (RTP) and the Strategic Development Plan (SDP); the Chief Executive for the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee, had been clear with auditors in respect of the ongoing discussions between the Committee and Ministers around the funding of these processes and the amount of investment avaliable to deliver the change.

The Committee was informed that Audit Wales had also produced their overview report which summaries the position across the whole of Wales. It was confirmed that this report would be brought to the next meeting of the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee.

Audit Wales confirmed that they had carried out some initial work last autumn, and fed that back to representatives of the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee in the spring of this year; before then carrying out some further work in the summer to update their findings. It was recognised by Audit Wales that the letter, included within the circulated report, set out a position at a particular point in time, and work had clearly moved forward since then. It was added that Audit Wales would be monitoring progress over the course of the year.

It was explained that Audit Wales had issued letters to each of the four Corporate Joint Committees. The following points were highlighted in respect of the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee:

·        Welsh Government Aims – it was evident that there was a clear understanding of Welsh Government’s aims for the Corporate Joint Committees; although it was apparent that it wasn’t entirely supportive of the need for the Corporate Joint Committees. Audit Wales appreciated that this was in part linked to the concerns about lack of resources to support the implementation of the Corporate Joint Committees and its functions. Nevertheless, it was recognised that the Corporate Joint Committee was generally positive about the opportunities that could be brought forward for the region.

·        Governance Arrangements – Audit Wales were assured that the majority of core governance arrangements had been established, and were up and running. At the time of the audit, the Sub Committees hadn’t been stood up, however it was recognised that this had since changed. It was noted to be positive that the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee had involved the National Parks fully in its arrangements, beyond the statutory role.

·        Progress and Clarity of Plans – it was identified that the South West Wales Corporate Joint committee has a clear vision set out in its Corporate Plan; and had been building on the work of the Swansea Bay City Deal, as well as exploring options of how the two arrangements could work together in order to minimise the administrative burden and associated costs of operating the two arrangements. However, it was detailed that at the time of the audit work, it was felt that progress with delivering the RTP and SDP has been limited; Audit Wales were aware that some of this was due to the late issuing of guidance, and in the auditor summary report reference had been made to the concerns in regards to Welsh Government preparedness and the financial status issues.

·        Partnerships – Audit Wales concluded a positive finding in regards to partnership working with other organisations, particularly around the arrangements in place involving Health Boards and Universities; as well as its co-option agreement. Auditors looked forward to see how this progresses in terms of maximising the collaborative power across the region.

·        Well-Being of Future Generations Act – it was acknowledged that the well-being objectives had been published, and incorporated within its corporate plan. Audit Wales will be expecting the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee to apply this principle in a meaningful way, across its functions. It was added that the auditor will be undertaking examinations of the extent, to which it had applied the sustainable development principle in future years, as required by the Act.

It was explained that the previously mentioned summary report, which will be published by Audit Wales, contained the cumulative findings from the four Corporate Joint Committees; it will be important to read this report in conjunction with the individual letters, because although some of the findings were general, there were findings that would be pertinent to some Corporate Joint Committees more than others.

Members highlighted that Welsh Government had previously committed to ensuring that the establishment of the Corporate Joint Committees wouldn’t have an adverse impact on frontline services; and it was important that they fully recognise the financial pressures of Local Authorities. It was noted that the Leaders of Councils were faced with the difficulty of setting their own budgets in the current financial climate.

Audit Wales were asked if any of the other Corporate Joint Committees across Wales had raised the issues surrounding resource; and if so, would Audit Wales provide any recommendations to Welsh Government as a result of those discussions. It was noted that the resource concerns had come through most strongly from the South West; the matter hadn’t been raised consistently with Audit Wales, however that does not mean that it was not an issue. Members were informed that Audit Wales were aware of the different challenges that the Corporate Joint Committee and Local Authorities weren’t currently faced with; however, they wouldn’t be making recommendations specifically around resourcing. It was concluded that Audit Wales would continue to monitor over the next 12 months, in order to obtain a more informed understanding of the next steps and if further work needed to be carried out.

RESOLVED: That the action plan be approved.