Adrian Crompton

The Auditor General for Wales is Adrian Crompton. His role is independent of government. He is not a civil servant and is appointed by the Queen.

The Auditor General is the statutory external auditor of most of the Welsh public sector. This means that he audits the accounts of county and county borough councils, police, fire and rescue authorities, national parks and community councils, as well as the Welsh Government, it’s sponsored and related public bodies, the Senedd Commission and National Health Service bodies.

The Auditor General’s role includes examining how public bodies manage and spend public money, including how they achieve value in the delivery of public services. The Auditor General publishes reports on that work, some of which are considered by the Welsh Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.  He also reports every year on how well individual local authorities are planning for improvement.

The Office of Auditor General for Wales was created in 2005 and the current incumbent, Adrian Crompton, has been in the post since 21 July 2018. The post can be held by an individual for a maximum of eight years.

The Auditor General for Wales attends the Public Account Committee meetings sitting next to the Chair during Committee meetings. This arrangement emphasises and has brought clarity to the role of the Auditor General as principal advisor to the Committee. It also helps to facilitate opportunities for the Auditor General to make appropriate contributions more readily during Committee meetings.