PRESS RELEASE

Commenting on more criticism of Welsh local authorities by the Wales Audit Office over financial irregularities, most recently at Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire Councils, Janet Finch-Saunders AM, Shadow Minister for Local Government, said:

“Yet again, we are seeing the effects in local authorities of a lack of leadership from the Welsh Labour Government and a lack of transparency, which allows bad practice to prosper.

“In recent weeks, three different local authorities have come under scrutiny from the Wales Audit Office over payments to senior executives, either through secret pay rises or other questionable payments.

“Hard-pressed taxpayers who are facing steep hikes in bills and ordinary council workers, who have seen their pay packets frozen, will be disappointed to see yet more senior bureaucrats appearing to feather their own nests at public expense.

“The Welsh Labour Government must take a lead on transparency in local government, which is the best way to root out wasteful spending, wrongdoing and highly questionable financial arrangements.

“The poorest paid council workers have to pay their tax bills and it is outrageous that some senior executives may have dodged paying their fair share of tax.

“We need far greater access to scrutinise payments with public money in local government, not only by the Wales Audit Office and other authorities, but also armchair auditors – the taxpayers themselves - who are the best guardians of their money.”

ENDS