Every year, around £4 billion of taxpayers' money is spent on local government in Wales and £3 billion on NHS. The prime purpose of the Audit Commission in Wales is to provide reassurance to service users that councils and NHS bodies are spending public money properly and achieving value for money, whilst reducing waste and improving performance. Our work involves:

• Appointing external auditors to all councils and NHS bodies in Wales;
• Ensuring that appointed auditors comply with the Code of Audit Practice which sets out how they should conduct the audit and report its results. The Commission assesses the work of auditors against the standards set out in the Code by carrying out quality control reviews.
• Researching and reporting nationally to help improve public services in Wales;
• Carrying out inspection of local government. This includes inspections as part of the Wales Programme for Improvement (WPI), joint inspections of social services with the Social Services Inspectorate for Wales and of education authorities with Estyn.

We will continue to work closely with our Audit Commission colleagues in England and share good practice and understanding across public services. At the same time, we will make sure that our audit and improvement work is geared to public services in Wales.

Where we are

We employ around 180 people who operate from our head office in Cardiff and regional offices at Carmarthen and Deeside. But most of our people actually work where it counts - in the offices of councils, health bodies, fire and police authorities and national parks throughout Wales.

How to contact us

For more information about the work of the Audit Commission in Wales or for details of your external auditor, please contact us (Contact Information). A leaflet entitled Councils' accounts: your rights sets out the statutory rights of the public and the auditor's powers and can be obtained from the same address.

These statutory rights do not apply to the audit of NHS bodies. However, members of the public are entitled to give information at any time to the auditors of NHS bodies - and of local authorities - who will usually inform him/her of the general outcome of any subsequent investigations of the matters raised.

Anti-fraud and corruption

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 gives statutory protection to staff of local authorities and NHS bodies who 'blow the whistle' on fraud, corruption and lack of value for money within their employing authorities. The Commission's Anti-Fraud and Corruption Unit will act as a 'prescribed person' under the Act to receive information from employees who feel unable to make disclosures through their employing authority's internal procedures. There is a dedicated telephone number which is answered by Audit Commission staff trained to deal with such calls.
If you wish to report suspected fraud, corruption or lack of value for money, please call 020 7630 1019.