The 2007-2013 EU structural funding programmes in Wales – which help deliver jobs, growth and sustainable development - has progressed well compared with previous programmes. But, it is too early to assess the overall impact. A report by the Auditor General for Wales has found that, despite certain difficulties in the early stages, the 2007-2013 programmes have benefited from better management arrangements. And, while the overall impact of the programmes may not be fully evident for some time after they have closed, there are positive signs from ongoing evaluations.

In providing grant funding for the Cywain Centre, a rural heritage tourist attraction in North Wales, the Welsh Government and other public sector funders did not adequately challenge flawed assumptions about the income the Centre would generate and a lack of clarity over what the Centre was meant to offer. Funders also failed to take appropriate steps to reduce the risks of the Centre failing. These are the main findings of an Auditor General’s report published today.

Public services in Wales benefit from consistency in the country’s audit arrangements, says Huw Vaughan Thomas, Auditor General for Wales in a new report from ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) called Breaking out: public audit’s new role in a post-crash world [PDF 445KB opens in new window].