Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the Assembly Commission: 2007-08

• Management Commentary

• Remuneration Report

• Statement of the Commission's and the Principal Accounting Officer's Responsibilities

• Statement on Internal Control

• Certificate and Report of the Auditor General for Wales

• Statement of Assembly Supply

• Operating Cost Statement - Statement of Recognised Gains and Losses

• Balance Sheet

• Cashflow Statement - Statement of Operating Costs by Aim and Objectives

• Notes to the Resource Accounts

Certificate and Report of The Auditor General for Wales to The National Assembly for Wales

I certify that I have audited the financial statements of the National Assembly for Wales Commission for the year ended 31 March 2008 under the Government of Wales Act 2006. These comprise the Statement of National Assembly for Wales Supply, the Operating Cost Statement and Statement of Recognised Gains and Losses, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and the Statement of Operating Costs by Aim and Objectives and the related notes. These financial statements have been prepared under the accounting policies set out within them. I have also audited the information in the Remuneration Report that is described in that report as having been audited.

Respective responsibilities of the Accounting Officer and auditor

The Principal Accounting Officer is responsible for preparing the Annual Report, which includes the Remuneration Report, and the financial statements in accordance with the Government of Wales Act 2006 and HM Treasury directions made thereunder and for ensuring the regularity of financial transactions.  These responsibilities are set out in the Statement of Accounting Officer’s Responsibilities.

My responsibility is to audit the financial statements and the part of the remuneration report to be audited in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements, and with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland).

I report to you my opinion as to whether the financial statements give a true and fair view and whether the financial statements and the part of the Remuneration Report to be audited have been properly prepared in accordance with HM Treasury directions issued under the Government of Wales Act 2006.  I report to you whether, in my opinion, the information which comprises the management commentary included in the Annual Report, is consistent with the financial statements. I also report whether in all material respects the expenditure and income have been applied to the purposes intended by National Assembly for Wales and the financial transactions conform to the authorities which govern them.  

In addition, I report to you if in my opinion the Assembly Commission has not kept proper accounting records, if I have not received all the information and explanations I require for my audit, or if information specified by HM Treasury regarding remuneration and other transactions is not disclosed.

I review whether the Statement on Internal Control reflects the Assembly Commission’s compliance with HM Treasury’s guidance, and I report if it does not. I am not required to consider whether this statement covers all risks and controls, or to form an opinion on the effectiveness of the Assembly Commission’s corporate governance procedures or its risk and control procedures.

I read the other information contained in the Annual Report and consider whether it is consistent with the audited financial statements.  I consider the implications for my certificate if I become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the financial statements. My responsibilities do not extend to any other information.

The maintenance and integrity of the Commission’s website is the responsibility of the Principal Accounting Office; the work carried out by the auditors does not involve consideration of these matters and accordingly the auditors accept no responsibility for any changes that may have occurred to the financial statements since they were initially presented on the website.

Basis of audit opinions

I conducted my audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) issued by the Auditing Practices Board. My audit includes examination, on a test basis, of evidence relevant to the amounts, disclosures and regularity of financial transactions included in the financial statements and the part of the Remuneration Report to be audited. It also includes an assessment of the significant estimates and judgments made by the Principal Accounting Officer in the preparation of the financial statements, and of whether the accounting policies are most appropriate to the Assembly Commission’s circumstances, consistently applied and adequately disclosed.

I planned and performed my audit so as to obtain all the information and explanations which I considered necessary in order to provide me with sufficient evidence to give reasonable assurance that the financial statements and the part of the Remuneration Report to be audited are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error, and that in all material respects the expenditure and income have been applied to the purposes intended by the National Assembly for Wales and the financial transactions conform to the authorities which govern them. In forming my opinion I also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the financial statements and the part of the Remuneration Report to be audited.

Opinions

In my opinion:

• the financial statements give a true and fair view, in accordance with the  Government of Wales Act 2006 and directions made thereunder by HM Treasury, of the state of affairs of the National Assembly for Wales Commission as at 31 March 2008, and the net cash requirement, net resource outturn, net operating cost, operating costs applied to objectives, recognised gains and losses and cash flows for the year then ended;

• the financial statements and the part of the Remuneration Report to be audited have been properly prepared in accordance with HM Treasury directions issued under the Government of Wales Act 2006; and

• the information which comprises the Management Commentary is consistent with the financial statements.

Opinion on Regularity

In my opinion, in all material respects, the expenditure and income have been applied to the purposes intended by the National Assembly for Wales and the financial transactions conform to the authorities which govern them.  

Report

I have no observations to make on these financial statements.  

Jeremy Colman

Auditor General for Wales
24 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9LJ
Date: 15 July 2008

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