tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29271776700019705072024-03-13T17:47:51.822+00:00Janet RyderAelod Cynulliad Plaid Cymru ar gyfer Gogledd Cymru
Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for North WalesAC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-35288462993339918182010-06-10T12:14:00.000+01:002010-06-10T12:14:29.687+01:00'We want our money back' - Welsh tenants lose £80m on unfair housing subsidy<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="margin-bottom: auto; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Plaid Cymru's North Wales Assembly Member <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Janet Ryder</span> </b>has called for Welsh councils to be given a level playing field in housing by ending the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy Scheme.</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">She said:</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><b>"The subsidy scheme means that Welsh councils currently pay £80 million every year from their housing revenue accounts to subsidise councils in London and Manchester. This money should be spent on improving and modernising homes in Wales.</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><b>"The most extreme case is in Wrexham, where the council has to pay £11.2m out of its Housing Revenue Account of £33m every year. That's rent money from Wrexham tenants that goes to the UK Treasury, which is a disgraceful situation given the need to improve council housing in the borough. We need that money to ensure that the Welsh Housing Quality Standard is achieved. As well as improving the quality of housing, renovations and repairs would provide extra jobs for local craftsmen.</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><b> "I'm delighted that my Plaid colleague, </b><u><b>Jonathan Edwards MP</b></u><b>, has today raised the matter in the House of Commons and demanded action to improve housing and create jobs locally."</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Jonathan Edwards, the newly elected MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, is the party's spokesman on community affairs. He said:</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b><span style="color: black;">“</span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Welsh local authorities return more than £80million per year to the Treasury as a consequence of the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy Scheme.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span>My own local authority, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Carmarthenshire</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place> Council, which has retained its stock of council housing, returned £5.5million in 2008-09.</span></b></span></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">“This is money lost to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Wales</st1:country-region> as it gets sent back from local authorities to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place></st1:city>.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span>It would be far fairer for this money to be retained locally to increase investment in public housing. It would help Welsh councils achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and help create jobs in the local economy.</span></b></span></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"></div></span></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Janet Ryder added: "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">This is money that Wales can ill afford to lose for frontline services such as housing. It comes on top of the findings of the independent Holtham Commission, which has shown that <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Wales</st1:place></st1:country-region> loses out by an additional £300 million per year due to the unfair funding formula from Westminster. </span></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>"Labour in Westminster did nothing to right this wrong while in power and there are no signs that the new Con-Dem government will treat it as a priority. It may not seem a priority to them, but it certainly is for tenants in Wrexham who are living in poor housing conditions. </b><b>I would hope that pressure will also be applied on the new Con-Dem coalition by Wrexham's Liberal Democrat council leader Aled Roberts ."</b></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div></span></span></span></i></b></div></span></span></span></i></b></div></span></span></span></span></div><div class="post-footer" style="font-style: italic;"></div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-71152741835057485722010-06-04T09:26:00.000+01:002010-06-04T09:26:31.863+01:00Llangollen museum - a volunteering triumphLlangollen museum is one of those rarities - a full-time operation serving the community that's operated entirely by volunteers. I recently visited the museum, which is in a great location in the town centre, and met up with some of the volunteers including Sue Evans.<br />
She showed the museum's latest development - holographs of Welsh historic treasures that are a fantastic innovation for the town. This enables small museums such as Llangollen to show off some of Wales's greatest treasures without the added security and cost burden - as the picture shows, the holographs are excellent. You really feel you can touch the artefacts!<br />
Sue and her team are also involved in a forthcoming dig this summer at the Pillar of Egliseg, a hugely important and imposing stone pillar - originally a Celtic cross - above Llangollen. I look forward to visiting the dig, which may throw up some interesting insights into the site's pre-history.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/TAi3tEAg2hI/AAAAAAAAACY/RMGt12g8EjI/s1600/LlanMuseumSueJR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/TAi3tEAg2hI/AAAAAAAAACY/RMGt12g8EjI/s320/LlanMuseumSueJR.JPG" /></a></div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-29797609707515872612010-04-23T21:52:00.000+01:002010-04-23T21:52:46.577+01:00Labour candidate's nuclear deterrent gaffe<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div style="line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 32px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">Labour's Clwyd South candidate has contradicted her party's line on replacing the Trident nuclear deterrent in a well-attended hustings meetings in Ruabon's community centre tonight.</span></div><div style="line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 32px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">Susan Jones, until recently a Labour councillor in Peckham, told the meeting that she had been convinced by the argument of Lord (Dennis) Healey against upgrading the Trident nuclear submarine system. She told the 150-strong audience at the meeting, organised by Together Creating Communities (TCC), that "I am not convinced the future of defence is nuclear."</span></div><div style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">Labour's official position is committed to the nuclear deterrent, at an estimated cost of £100 billion.</span></div><div style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;"><b>Janet Ryder</b>, who is challenging for the seat on behalf of Plaid Cymru, said:</span></span></div><blockquote> "We know all three London parties are committed to more nuclear missiles at huge expense, with Tory and Labour pledging to upgrade the Trident system. But tonight we heard the Labour candidate contradict that pledge and back Plaid's position. </blockquote><blockquote> "Plaid and our colleagues in the SNP are clear in wanting to save £100bn by not spending money on this outdated weapons system. I'm very pleased Susan Jones agrees with that position but where does Labour stand on nuclear weapons? Plaid is clear that we can neither afford it morally or financially in the current economic climate."</blockquote><div style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;"> The evening, chaired by local minister Mike Harrison, was the latest in a series of meetings organised by TCC to hold candidates to account. The next in the series is in the Regent St Methodist Chapel in Wrexham on Monday evening.</span></span></div></span></span></span>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-81949880795953754572010-04-07T21:23:00.000+01:002010-04-07T21:23:57.284+01:00Dyfodol disglair i Gorwen - New vision for the PavilionMae cynghorwyr lleol Plaid Cymru Huw Jones a Cefyn Williams wedi trefnu cyfarfod cyhoeddus pwysig nos fory i drafod y ffordd orau ymlaen wedi cau’r Pafiliwn.<br />
Roedd y ddau ynghyd â Steve Caldwell yn y dre’ ddechrau’r wythnos i gyfarfod Aelod Cynulliad Gogledd Cymru Janet Ryder a llywydd anrhydeddus y Blaid Dafydd Wigley.<br />
Roedd y ddau yna i ddangos eu cefnogaeth i sicrhau fod Corwen yn cael canolfan gymunedol gwerth chweil at y dyfodol.<br />
Dywedodd Janet Ryder:<br />
“Mae pobl ardal Corwen yn amlwg eisiau sicrhau fod adeilad pwrpasol yn dod yn sgil cau’r hen Bafiliwn.<br />
“Rydw i’n falch iawn o weld fod gweledigaeth go iawn ar gyfer y dyfodol a byddaf yn gwneud popeth posib i sicrhau fod gan Corwen yr adeilad cyhoeddus gorau posib ar gyfer yr 21ain Ganrif.”<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>New vision for the Pavilion</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/S7zleqJoa-I/AAAAAAAAACQ/jMAuyd9o9mc/s1600/CorwenWigley1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/S7zleqJoa-I/AAAAAAAAACQ/jMAuyd9o9mc/s320/CorwenWigley1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Local Plaid Cymru councillors Huw Jones and Cefyn Williams have arranged an important public meeting to discuss the way forward for Corwen after the closure of the Pavilion.<br />
They and community councillor Steve Caldwell were joined in Corwen earlier this week by North Wales Assembly Member Janet Ryder and veteran campaigner Dafydd Wigley.<br />
Both pledged their support for the campaign to ensure that Corwen had a proper community building to replace the Pavilion.<br />
Janet Ryder said:<br />
<blockquote>“There is a determination in Corwen and the surrounding area that the closure of the old Pavilion should not be taken lying down.</blockquote><blockquote> “I’m delighted that there is also a vision for the future and will do all I can to ensure that Corwen has a building fit for the 21st Century.”</blockquote>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-2496572884115858762010-03-17T21:58:00.000+00:002010-03-17T21:58:01.914+00:00Plas Madoc report in full<div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The detailed findings of the 27-page report by the Wales Audit Office are in Annex A towards the end of this report:</div><div style="font: 18.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Report presented by the Auditor General to the National</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Assembly on 17 March 2010</b></div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First is a company limited by guarantee and a</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">registered charity 5</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">A third party has raised concerns about the governance of PMCF 6</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The audit investigation found a fundamental lack of financial control and</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance at PMCF 6</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The Assembly Government took swift action to address the governance</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">weaknesses at PMCF as soon as the interim audit had been completed 7</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Failings at PMCF had not been addressed for a number of years 7</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The Assembly Government should have monitored the financial</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">management and governance of Communities First partnerships</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">more effectively 8</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The Assembly Government should have responded more effectively to</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">concerns about PMCF brought to its attention by third parties 9</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The Assembly Government is taking steps to minimise the risk of the</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">serious problems at PMCF being repeated and remaining undetected</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">at other Communities First partnerships 11</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Appendix 1 - Assembly Government Internal Audit Services report:</div><div style="font: 10.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">investigation into allegations made against Plas Madoc Communities First 13</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">4 Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: white; font: 19.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Contents</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 5</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>1 </b></span>This report sets out the findings from an</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">investigation by the Assembly Government’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Internal Audit Services into allegations made</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">against Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">(PMCF). In carrying out its investigation, the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Internal Audit Service was supported</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">throughout by an experienced financial auditor</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">from the Wales Audit Office.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>2 </b></span>The detailed Internal Audit report is at</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008;"><b>Appendix 1</b></span>. The matters raised in the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Internal Audit report have been referred to the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">North Wales Police for consideration.</div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Plas Madoc Communities First is</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>a company limited by guarantee</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>and a registered charity</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>3 </b></span>Communities First is the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government's flagship programme to tackle</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">deprivation and improve the living conditions</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and prospects for people in the most</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">disadvantaged communities across Wales.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The programme was launched in 2001, since</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">when the Assembly Government has spent</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">over £220 million on the programme. There</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">are some 180 designated Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">areas throughout Wales.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>4 </b></span>Plas Madoc is a housing estate located seven</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">miles south west of Wrexham that is home to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">approximately 1,800 people. The estate is</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">served by PMCF, a company limited by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">guarantee and a registered charity. PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">was created in 2003 and took over</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">responsibility for delivering Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">in Plas Madoc from a partnership that had</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">been established and led by Wrexham County</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Borough Council.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>5 </b></span>The directors of PMCF are also charity</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">trustees for the purposes of charity law and,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">under the company’s Articles of Association,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">are known as ‘Members of the Council of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Management’ of the company. Under the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">requirements of the Memorandum and Articles</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of Association, the Members of the Council of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Management are elected to serve until</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">required to retire by rotation every three</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">years. The day-to-day responsibility for the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">management of PMCF rests with the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Co-ordinator, with responsibility for financial</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">control resting with the Finance and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Monitoring Officer. PMCF employs 21</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">members of staff, but it also receives support</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">from volunteers and from voluntary and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">not-for-profit organisations.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>6 </b></span>PMCF’s principal source of income is from the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government via its Communities</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">First programme. PMCF also receives grant</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">funding from other sources, including The Big</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Lottery Fund, Waste Recycling Environmental</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Limited, the Arts Council of Wales, The Youth</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Charity, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Awards for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">All and Wrexham County Borough Council (in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">respect of the Little Sunflowers Playgroup and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Nursery). Annual income for the Partnership is</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">around £735,000, with grants from the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government, at over £500,000 per</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">annum, representing the largest proportion.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">6 Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>A third party has raised</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>concerns about the governance</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>of PMCF</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>7 </b></span>On 31 May 2009, an individual who had been</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">engaged by PMCF to provide support to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">residents on the Plas Madoc estate wrote to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Auditor General expressing concerns</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">about PMCF’s management and her</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">treatment as a contractor. The individual</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">alleged that there was ‘a clear manipulation</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and misrepresentation of funds within this</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">[Assembly Government] funded project’. She</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and a colleague, who at the time was also a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">director and trustee of PMCF, explained that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">they had written to the Assembly Government</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First Unit earlier in 2009 raising</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">a range of concerns, and that the Unit had</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">referred them back to PMCF to resolve the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">issues of concern. The Assembly Government</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">told us that this was in accordance with their</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">usual practice for the initial handling of such</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">issues.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>8 </b></span>At around this time, the Wales Audit Office</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">was concluding an examination of whether</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Assembly Government was effectively</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">managing the Communities First programme</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">to deliver value for money, and published a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">report in July 2009.<span style="color: #bd0008; font: 7.0px Arial;">1 </span>The report did not focus</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">on the Assembly Government’s monitoring of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the financial management and governance of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">individual Communities First partnerships,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">although it did set out some of the inherent</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">risks to the effective financial management</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and governance of partnerships.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>9 </b></span>In August 2009, senior officials at the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government asked its Internal Audit</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Service to carry out a detailed investigation of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF. Given the nature and potential severity</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the allegations made against PMCF, the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">(then) Auditor General decided that the Wales</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Audit Office should support the Internal Audit</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">investigation.</div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>The audit investigation found a</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>fundamental lack of financial</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>control and governance at PMCF</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>10 </b></span>The audit was led by the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government’s Internal Audit Services, with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">support from an experienced financial auditor</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">from the Wales Audit Office. The Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government’s Communities First Unit,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">responsible for the overall administration of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the programme, co-operated fully and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">welcomed the review as an impartial means</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of investigating the complaints received about</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the governance and operations of PMCF.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>11 </b></span>An interim audit took place in September</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2009, with the findings presented to senior</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government officials in November</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2009. The interim report concluded that there</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">had been significant and fundamental failures</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">in the control and governance framework</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">within PMCF and recommended that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government officials should take</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">immediate remedial action to safeguard the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">assets within PMCF and improve the financial</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">control framework.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>12 </b></span>The Assembly Government’s Internal Audit</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Services, with continued specialist support</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">from the Wales Audit Office, then carried out</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">a fuller and more detailed review of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">financial controls and associated governance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">processes in place within PMCF. The report of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">this review is at <span style="color: #bd0008;"><b>Appendix 1</b></span>.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>13 </b></span>The Internal Audit report confirms the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">fundamental failings in the governance of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF identified by the interim audit. These</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">failings permeated the whole of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">operations of the Partnership and suggest</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">that those charged with responsibility for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance had little regard to recognised</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">standards in public life or the need to achieve</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">value for money from public funds. The report</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">concluded that a significant change of culture</div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 6.5px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">1 <i>Communities First, </i>a report presented by the Auditor General to the National Assembly on 9 July 2009</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 7</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">within the organisation is required, not least</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">because many of the PMCF representatives</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">interviewed during the audit continually</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">referred to the ‘culture of generosity’ that has</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">been created for staff and their associates.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">This generosity with public funds applied to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF trustees, employees and their families</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and friends.</div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>The Assembly Government took</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>swift action to address the</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>governance weaknesses at</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>PMCF as soon as the interim</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>audit had been completed</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>14 </b></span>As soon as the interim audit report became</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">available in November 2009, Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government officials met the Chair of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF Board of Trustees to share the findings</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the investigation. Subsequently, the PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Board decided that two members of staff (the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Co-ordinator and the Finance and Monitoring</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Officer) should be suspended without</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">prejudice, pending the outcome of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">subsequent investigations. The PMCF Board</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">also took action, including the engagement of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">independent human resource consultants, to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">remedy some of the weaknesses identified in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the interim report and also to safeguard</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF’s assets.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>15 </b></span>The Assembly Government also held urgent</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">discussions with PMCF and other local</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">agencies, including Wrexham County</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Borough Council, with the aim of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">safeguarding key services as far as possible</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">under strengthened or changed management</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">arrangements. Changes included the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">provision of funding in monthly instalments</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and the transfer of the operation of PMCF’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">payroll to the Association of Voluntary</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Organisations in Wrexham.</div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Failings at PMCF had not been</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>addressed for a number of years</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>16 </b></span>It is clear from the Internal Audit report that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the underlying failings in financial</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">management and governance at PMCF had</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">existed to varying degrees for a number of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">years, and most likely ever since the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Partnership was formed in 2003. Over a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">six-year period, the Assembly Government’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">monitoring arrangements failed to address</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">serious shortcomings at PMCF. This raises</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the possibility that similar deficiencies may</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">have occurred at other Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">partnerships, and further Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government Internal Audit work to address</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">this risk is outlined in paragraph 36 of this</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">report.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>17 </b></span>The remainder of this report is concerned with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">wider governance issues, including the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">effectiveness of monitoring arrangements</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">established by the Assembly Government to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">safeguard public funds entrusted to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First partnerships. It also sets</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">out the actions taken by Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government officials to ensure that the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">failings at PMCF do not happen again.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">8 Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>The Assembly Government should have</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>monitored the financial management and</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>governance of Communities First partnerships</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>more effectively</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>18 </b></span>Before 2007, monitoring of Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">partnerships was based on quarterly reports</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">linked to payments and six-monthly progress</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">reports intended to provide a broader</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">overview of progress. The six-monthly reports</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">covered:</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>a </b></span>the Community Vision;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>b </b></span>the Partnership;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>c </b></span>key achievements for the year;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>d </b></span>barriers to progress;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>e </b></span>support received; and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>f </b></span>programme bending (ensuring money and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">support from various public programmes</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and organisations are directed to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First areas).</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>19 </b></span>The quarterly reports covered progress</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">against targets, with direct reference to the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">breakdown of funding (such as the work of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">individual members of staff and the progress</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of specific projects). All payments to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First partnerships were made</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">quarterly, subject to receipt of a satisfactory</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">progress report.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>20 </b></span>In 2007, the monitoring arrangements were</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">changed, and there are now two key</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">elements:</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>a </b></span>an Annual Monitoring Report submitted by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">each partnership by 1 May, which triggers</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">an Annual Monitoring Visit from the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government’s Regional</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Implementation Team; and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>b </b></span>quarterly monitoring in relation to the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">payment process.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>21 </b></span>In addition, where representations are made</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">to the Assembly Government about financial</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and governance issues, these are referred to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the relevant Communities First regional</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">implementation team. The Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government told us that this had happened a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">number of times and that the issues were</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">normally resolved locally.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>22 </b></span>As a registered charity with annual income</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">exceeding £500,000, PMCF is required to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">have an annual external audit of its accounts.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF engaged a local firm of accountants</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and auditors to perform this function. The</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">external auditors, at the request of PMCF’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Finance Officer, also maintained the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Partnership’s fixed asset register. We</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">understand that the external auditor identified</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">certain internal control weaknesses in PMCF’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">financial management and reported these</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">concerns in their Annual Audit Letter</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">addressed to the company. It has not been a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">requirement for Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">partnerships to forward external audit reports</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">or letters to the Assembly Government,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">although this possibility is now being</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">considered as part of the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government’s wider Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Governance Review.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 9</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>23 </b></span>The external auditor’s formal relationship is</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">with PMCF’s Board of Trustees (who are</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">designated as ‘those charged with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance’), but in practice the auditor’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">actual relationship has only been with PMCF’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Finance Officer. However, the Finance Officer</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">did not relay the auditors’ reports to the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">trustees and the auditors did not make further</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">endeavours to report their findings directly to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">those charged with governance. For their part,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the trustees failed to obtain an appropriate</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">level of financial reporting from their Finance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Officer or any assurances directly from their</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">external auditor.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>24 </b></span>The Assembly Government relies heavily</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">upon the grant certification work of reporting</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">accountants (these are usually the external</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">auditors), through their testing of a sample of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">transactions, to confirm that expenditure has</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">been incurred on items eligible for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First funding. In some cases, a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">large proportion of grant funding is for the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">salaries of employees. Some private sector</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">reporting accountants (as in the case of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF) have therefore opted to restrict their</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">grant certification testing to cover salaries and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">little else. As a result, the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government was not made aware through the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">grant certification process of any serious</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">concerns relating to failings in financial</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">management and control at PMCF, because</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the focus on salary costs as part of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">assurance process.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>25 </b></span>It is evident that the Assembly Government’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">routine monitoring arrangements for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First partnerships were not</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">effective in identifying the financial</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">management and governance failings at</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF. Also, the external audit and grant</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">certification arrangements in respect of PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">were insufficiently robust, both in terms of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">remit and reporting requirements, to provide</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">an appropriate level of assurance to the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government that public funds were</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">being properly applied and value for money</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">obtained. The Assembly Government’s report</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">on the wider governance of Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">partnerships includes a recommendation that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">‘the Audit Certification Instructions should be</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">strengthened to ensure that expenditure in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">addition to salary costs should be covered</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">where possible by audit testing to ensure that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">only costs eligible are incurred’. However,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">there is considerable scope to improve</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">external audit and grant certification</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">assurances in other areas, for example in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">areas such as the composition and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">independence of the Board, ethical standards</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and proper procurement policies and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">procedures.</div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>The Assembly Government should have</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>responded more effectively to concerns about</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>PMCF brought to its attention by third parties</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>26 </b></span>PMCF was established as an independent</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">organisation in 2003, and in 2006 the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Partnership ended its reliance on the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance processes previously provided by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Wrexham County Borough Council. Since</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2006, with Grant Recipient Body status,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF has been funded directly by the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>27 </b></span>Many of the weaknesses identified within the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government’s Internal Audit report</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">at <span style="color: #bd0008;"><b>Appendix 1 </b></span>had previously been revealed</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">by Wrexham County Borough Council’s own</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">internal auditors during a visit to PMCF in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">April 2003, when the Council was the Grant</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Recipient Body and therefore responsible for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">exercising oversight of the Partnership.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">However, most of the failings raised in a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">report dated May 2003 were attributed by the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Wrexham County Borough Council internal</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">auditors to an administrator who had already</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">left the Partnership, and to a Treasurer who</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">had resigned during the course of the audit.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The Wrexham County Borough Council</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Internal Audit report concluded that</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">10 Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">‘a back-to-basics approach was required now</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">that a Co-ordinator and new Administrator</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">had been appointed, to ensure that records</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">are properly completed, payments are</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">appropriate and properly authorised and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">equipment is identified and effectively</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">recorded in a suitable inventory’.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>28 </b></span>PMCF provided a response to the 2003</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Internal Audit report, which endeavoured to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">satisfy the Council’s internal auditors that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">appropriate remedial action had been taken.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Both the internal audit report and the PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">response were forwarded to the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government’s Community First Unit. The</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government has no evidence of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">any subsequent follow-up work being</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">undertaken by the Council’s internal auditors.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>29 </b></span>Although there was some correspondence</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">from the new Co-ordinator and Company</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Secretary clarifying some issues in respect of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance arrangements, no action was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">taken by the Assembly Government’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First Unit in respect of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">concerns raised in the Council’s Internal Audit</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">report. The Assembly Government told us that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">during 2004 significant organisational and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">personnel changes were taking place within</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Communities First team responsible for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">overseeing the programme in North Wales. In</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">January 2005, Wrexham County Borough</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Council (which was still then the Grant</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Recipient Body) wrote again to the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government’s Community First Unit,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">expressing a range of concerns about</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">financial arrangements, recruitment</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">procedures, the Board structure, community</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">accountability, governance and insurance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">issues. A further Council Internal Audit review</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">was mooted, but did not take place.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>30 </b></span>The Assembly Government told us that in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2006 there were extensive discussions</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">between its Communities First Unit and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Wrexham County Borough Council</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">representatives, regarding the establishment</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of PMCF as a Grant Recipient Body in its own</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">right with effect from 1 April 2006. In February</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2006, the Assembly Government had</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">requested a range of information from PMCF,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">prior to the transfer of Grant Recipient Body</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">responsibility to the company. However, it is</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">unclear from Assembly Government records</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">how much information PMCF actually</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">provided and also the extent to which it was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">scrutinised by Assembly Government officials.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>31 </b></span>The concerns raised by the third party in 2009</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">related in part to an employment dispute with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF. Concerns had also been raised by one</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the Partnership’s trustees and also by the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Association of Voluntary Organisations in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Wrexham. These related to wider governance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">issues within PMCF, including allegations</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">about the conduct of the Co-ordinator and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">other senior managers.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>32 </b></span>It is understandable that officials within the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government’s Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Unit should not wish to become involved with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">an employment dispute within the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Partnership, and it is clear that their actions</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">were in line with what was widely-established</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">practice across the Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">programme. It is also apparent that the Head</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the Communities First Unit had impressed</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">upon the Chairman of PMCF the importance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">to the Partnership of being able to resolve</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">locally challenges of this nature. Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government officials told us that the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">complainants did not initially follow the advice</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">that they provided on how best to progress</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">their concerns about the conduct and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance of the Partnership, and that this</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">delayed further consideration by the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government of their concerns. In the absence</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of a published complaints policy, there is a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">risk that concerns of this nature are not</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">resolved satisfactorily.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 11</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>33 </b></span>The third party approached the Auditor</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">General with concerns not only about the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Partnership, but also about wider governance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the Communities First programme,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">including that exercised by the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government. A key aspect of any system of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance and accountability is the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">existence of arrangements whereby</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">complaints and allegations (including from</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">staff) are investigated in line with a published</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">complaints procedure including, if necessary,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">recourse to an independent third party. Such</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">arrangements had not been effectively</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">established by the Assembly Government’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First Unit.</div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>The Assembly Government is</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>taking steps to minimise the risk</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>of the serious problems at PMCF</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>being repeated and remaining</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>undetected at other</b></div><div style="color: #bd0008; font: 16.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Communities First partnerships</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>34 </b></span>In response to the interim Internal Audit</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">report, the Director of the Social Justice and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Local Government Department formally</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">commissioned a wider Governance Review of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Communities First programme. The</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">review was undertaken by officials within the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Local Government Finance Division and was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">overseen by a Review Group that has met</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">three times, most recently in February 2010.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Also, in response to the final Internal Audit</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">report, the Assembly Government’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Director-General for Public Services and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Local Government Delivery wrote to his</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">counterparts across all Assembly Government</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">departments, highlighting the key issues</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">raised in the report and requesting an urgent</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">review of any implications for the appropriate</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">directorates.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>35 </b></span>The report of the Governance Review was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">submitted to directors within the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government’s Department for Public Services</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and Local Government in January 2010. The</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">report includes 22 recommendations to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">strengthen the overall governance framework</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the Communities First programme, and is</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">accompanied by the results of a mapping</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">exercise which summarises the funding</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">routes and management arrangements</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">currently in place for the Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">programme.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>36 </b></span>In response to the Governance Review, the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First Unit has prepared a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">management response and action plan. The</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">plan sets out actions to be delivered as part</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the planned second phase of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Governance Review later this year. These will</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">include detailed Assembly Government</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">investigations of other ‘high-risk’ Communities</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">First partnerships, following the completion of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Internal Audit’s work in Plas Madoc.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>37 </b></span>The guidance published by the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government in 2007 will also be updated in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">response to the Governance Review. The</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">early stages of this work by the Communities</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">First Policy Team, is focusing on the most</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">critical elements of the guidance, particularly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">those relating to finance and governance.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>38 </b></span>The Assembly Government told us that it</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">intends to benchmark the standards required</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of stakeholders in the Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">programme against the ‘Seven Principles of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Public Life’ set out in the 2005 report of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Committee on Standards in Public Life (the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">‘Nolan principles’). The practical implications</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of this will be considered further, for example</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">in respect to the revision of the programme</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">guidance and a review of roles within the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First Unit. An important element</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">will be further training for Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">partnerships and staff on governance issues</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">12</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and on the Nolan principles in particular. This</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">has already begun, via the Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Training Service provided by the Wales</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Council for Voluntary Action.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>39 </b></span>In addition to the Assembly Government’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">planned investigations into high-risk</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">partnerships, a rolling programme of due</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">diligence checks will be instituted across the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">programme. Such checks are already carried</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">out for organisations applying to become</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Grant Recipient Bodies for Communities First,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">but these will be supplemented by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">retrospective checks for existing Grant</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Recipient Bodies. In the first instance, a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance questionnaire has been sent to all</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Grant Recipient Bodies for completion in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">respect of every Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">partnership. These are due for return to the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First Unit by 17 March 2010.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>40 </b></span>Hitherto there has been significant reliance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">placed by Assembly Government officials on</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the results of grant certification testing by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">independent reporting accountants, which</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">must be carried out annually in respect of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">each Communities First partnership, with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">certificates submitted to the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government alongside annual claims for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">project funding. The majority of grants are</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">certified by the Wales Audit Office, whilst the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">remainder (including PMCF) are certified by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">private sector firms of accountants. All grants</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">testing is performed in accordance with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Certification Instructions, which are issued by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Wales Audit Office to their auditors and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">separately by the Assembly Government to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the private sector firms. The content of these</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">instructions has been reviewed in draft jointly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">each year by the Wales Audit Office and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Assembly Government officials, with the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">instructions for the private sector firms being</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">based closely on those agreed with the Wales</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Audit Office. In light of the PMCF experience,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Assembly Government’s Grant</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Certification Instructions will now be further</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">reviewed, with increased stress placed on the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">importance of reporting accountant reviews of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">non-staff costs and management systems.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #bd0008; font: 10.0px Arial;"><b>41 </b></span>The Assembly Government also intends to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">review the roles of Communities First Unit</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">staff in relation to the promotion of good</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance, with reference to the Nolan</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">principles. It also anticipates that the overall</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">structure of the Unit will need to be revised to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">take account of any implications arising from</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the review, with consideration needing to be</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">given to a clearer separation between the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">officials with responsibility for day-to-day</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">programme management and monitoring and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">those with responsibility for ensuring that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">consistent standards of accountability are</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">being maintained. The Assembly Government</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">will also consider the need for additional</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">training.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 13</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Background</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">1. In November 2009 the Welsh Assembly Government’s Internal Auditors (IAS) and the Auditor</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">General for Wales issued a joint interim report on the investigation into allegations made against Plas</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Madoc Communities First (PMCF). The claims made were wide-ranging and in some cases specific</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">in terms of detail. They related to governance, financial management and value for money with an</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">underlying concern that PMCF was being run in a manner in which some Board Members and senior</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">staff were benefitting directly from the way in which public monies were being applied.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Interim Report</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2. The interim report concluded that there were significant and fundamental failures in the control and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance framework within PMCF and recommended that Assembly Government officials should</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">take immediate remedial action to safeguard the assets within PMCF and improve the financial</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">control framework. Following the issue of the interim report to the Director General for Public</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Services and Local Government Delivery, Welsh Assembly Government, officials met with the Chair</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the Board to share the findings of the investigation. Subsequently the PMCF Board of Trustees</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">decided that due to the nature of the findings, two members of staff (the Coordinator and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Finance/Monitoring Officer) should be suspended without prejudice, with immediate effect pending</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the outcome of all appropriate subsequent investigations. Furthermore, we are aware that PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">officials also took action to remedy some of the weaknesses identified in the interim report (for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">example several mobile phones were “blocked” as a result of the findings in the interim report).</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">3. In response to the interim report, the Welsh Assembly Government took immediate action to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">safeguard the funding provided to PMCF by moving to a monthly grant payment profile instead of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">usual quarterly payments, and by ensuring that the payroll provision was no longer delivered by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF; instead, the Association for Voluntary Action in Wrexham (AVOW) took responsibility for this</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">process and IAS has provided advice to PMCF staff on some aspects of the control framework. We</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">are also aware that more recently PMCF have engaged Human Resource (HR) specialists to provide</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">advice and support in respect of some specific HR matters.</div><div style="color: white; font: 19.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Appendix 1 – Assembly Government Internal Audit</div><div style="color: white; font: 19.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Services report: investigation into allegations made</div><div style="color: white; font: 19.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">against Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">14</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">4. Following the issue of the interim report, it was also agreed that the Welsh Assembly Government’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Internal Audit Services, with continuing support from an experienced financial auditor from the Wales</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Audit Office, would conduct a full and detailed review of the financial controls and associated</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance processes in place within PMCF. This report outlines the findings of the review.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">5. It should be noted that the findings contained within this report supersede all findings from the interim</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">report.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Approach</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">6. At the initial stage of the investigation, PMCF’s financial records dating from April 2006 to September</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2009 were examined. Following an extensive review of the records, interviews were held with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">current PMCF staff and Board Members to seek explanations for our initial findings.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">7. The two officers suspended without prejudice were also interviewed and the findings put to them to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">enable them to explain and clarify the issues which had been identified. These interviews have been</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">formally documented and agreed with the two interviewees.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">8. It should be noted that in order to gain an understanding of the overall framework of financial control</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">operating within PMCF, our review was not restricted to Communities First funding.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">9. During the course of our work we have regularly updated North Wales Police with our findings and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">now that our fieldwork has concluded we have referred this matter to the Police for the consideration</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of possible criminal activity. As PMCF is a registered charity we have also been liaising with the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Charity Commission over this matter and will continue to do so as the findings in the report are taken</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">forward.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">10. The detailed section of the report includes matters relating to child support payments and taxation</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">issues. These matters have been brought to the attention of the relevant agencies and we are</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">currently liaising with the Child Support Agency and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over these</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">issues.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">11. We would like to record our thanks for the help and cooperation provided by all staff and Board</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Members within PMCF during the course of our investigation, particularly the Chair of the Board, the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Acting Coordinator and Company Secretary.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Overall Conclusion</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">12. In summary, our audit work has shown that there has been a fundamental lack of control and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance within Plas Madoc Communities First (PMCF). The Board within PMCF has not been</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">providing the necessary strategic direction and leadership for the organisation and they have failed to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">undertake an appropriate scrutiny of the work of its paid officials. Managers and Board Members do</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">not understand their stewardship responsibilities and our findings have shown that there appears to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">have been little regard for the Standards of Public Life or achieving Value for Money with public</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">funds. A significant change of culture within the organisation is required, particularly as it was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">concerning to note that the people interviewed during the course of our review continually</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">commented on the “Culture of Generosity” that has been created for staff within PMCF.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">This generosity within PMCF has, in our view, been at the detriment of those individuals in the local</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">community who were meant to benefit from the public funds allocated to the Communities First</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">programme.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 15</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">13. Our review has shown that the Board has not effectively discharged its duties. As Trustees of PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Board has, and must accept, ultimate responsibility for directing the affairs of the organisation,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and ensuring that it is solvent, well-run, and meeting the needs for which it was set up. However we</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">found that the Board within PMCF has not provided sufficient leadership, direction or challenge,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">particularly in respect of financial matters. They did not receive basic financial information about the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">affairs of the partnership and there was a lack of financial expertise or skills amongst Board</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Members combined with little appreciation of good governance. This undoubtedly contributed to the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">failing control framework.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">14. The Coordinator played a minimal role in the management of the financial processes within PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and relied almost exclusively on the Finance Officer advising her if “something went wrong”. In her</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">view she was good at preparing bid submissions and securing funding and so long as the funding</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">was not exceeded she was content that the finances were being effectively managed. Placing</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">reliance on reactive rather than preventative controls does not represent good governance and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">exposes the organisation to fundamental and significant risks. Furthermore, the Coordinator is, in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the opinion of those interviewed, a strong character who, due to the ineffectiveness of the Board, has</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">not been effectively managed. Many of the detailed findings show that the Coordinator acted with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">complete autonomy from the Board which had little or no awareness of the actions that she was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">taking, particularly in respect of the expenditure incurred by PMCF.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">15. Similarly, the Finance Officer had almost complete autonomy for finance processes including the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">payroll process, although he stated during the investigation that his role had no stewardship</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">responsibilities. (However, it should be noted that a review of his job description showed that there</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">are stewardship roles and responsibilities contained within it.) Furthermore, there was a complete</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">absence of segregation of duties in respect of the key financial systems such as the payment</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">process or payroll, with the Finance Officer having sole responsibility for these processes.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">16. The issue with payroll has now been addressed with payroll provision being taken on by AVOW. In</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">addition, the Finance Officer has not attended Board meetings for some considerable time despite</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">repeated requests and invites by the Board. It was also of concern to note that Board Members and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Coordinator appeared unsighted on the contents of the annual Management Letters, produced by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF-appointed auditors. The Finance Officer claimed that he had shared the contents with the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Treasurer; however this was disputed by several Board Members, including the Treasurer himself.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Our findings show that no remedial action has ever been taken to address weaknesses identified in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Management Letters.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">17. It was also of concern to discover during the audit process that many of the weaknesses indentified</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">through our work had previously been identified by Wrexham County Borough Council’s (CBC)</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Internal Auditors during a visit in April 2003, when Wrexham CBC were the Grant Recipient Body</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">(GRB). Plas Madoc provided a response to the internal audit report, however it is unclear if any</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">follow up action was ever taken. The internal audit report and associated response were forwarded</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">to the Welsh Assembly Government’s Community First Unit. However, it is uncertain if the contents</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the report were ever considered when PMCF was awarded Grant Recipient Body status by the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Welsh Assembly Government in 2006.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">18. Whilst there are considerable weaknesses in the control framework it should also be recognised that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF has achieved some success in delivering its Communities First objectives and the community</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">is benefiting from the programme and projects being delivered by PMCF. It should also be noted that</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">16</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">since the suspension of two key members of staff, staff within PMCF have strived to ensure the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">continued delivery of the programmes and projects and have begun to remedy some of the control</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">weaknesses identified in our interim report.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">19. With the exception of the governance failings at Board, Co-ordinator and Finance levels, it is our</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">opinion that PMCF has shown that at an operational level it can deliver its objectives and could</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">continue to do so if supported by a more effective Board and robust financial control framework.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">20. Our detailed findings are contained within Annex A the report.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Future Considerations</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">21. We are aware that there are several options available in respect of the future of PMCF. Whilst it is</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">not within the scope of this review to determine what happens to PMCF funding from the Assembly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Government, we are of the opinion that PMCF should not retain its GRB status and continue to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">receive Communities First Funding unless:</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• A new Board is appointed. Whilst it may be impracticable to dissolve the entire Board, it is vital</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">that new members are appointed who are equipped with appropriate financial skills and expertise;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• A more robust financial control framework is implemented within PMCF. This should include:</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o The effective segregation of duties between those staff involved in financial processes.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o More effective financial reporting to the Board including remuneration issues.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o Greater transparency of financial decision making.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o More effective financial management, particularly in respect of petty cash.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• The new Board will need to ensure that they undertake regular training to keep up to date with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">governance issues and subjects relevant to PMCF’s work;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• The new Board will need to ensure that the operations of PMCF are conducted with due regard to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Seven Principles of Public Life set out in the Nolan Report (1995)</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o Public Service;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o Leadership;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o Selflessness;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o Integrity;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o Objectivity;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o Honesty;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">o Accountability and Stewardship.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 17</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>ANNEX A</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>DETAILED FINDINGS</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Payments to Family Members</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">22. Our investigation revealed a number of payments to non-PMCF staff members. We sought</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">clarification of who these people are and many are related to the Coordinator. We are aware that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">several of the Coordinator’s family members receive payments from PMCF for services provided,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">with one being directly employed. The details of these costs are:</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Brother 1 received a mobile phone from PMCF, incurring costs of £1,460, the details of which are</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">outlined below in para. 28. We found no evidence that he provides any services to PMCF or any</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">reason why he should be in possession of this phone and be able to incur charges which are then</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">paid by the partnership.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Brother 2 receives payments from PMCF to maintain the PMCF caravan sited in Rhyl. The details</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of the caravan are outlined in para 56. Furthermore, this individual has a PMCF mobile phone</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">(para 28). We are aware that Brother 2 has undertaken some work for PMCF, primarily through</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">his involvement with the Plas Madoc’s Got Talent event for which he received a payment of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">£2,000 in 2008 (jointly with his partner as outlined below). We are not aware of any other services</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">he has provided to PMCF, although we do know that he travelled to the Gambia as part of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF’s Gunjur project. Discussions with staff within PMCF have shown it is unclear what Brother</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">2’s role was in respect of the Gunjur Project. The Coordinator stated that Brother 2 had fully</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">repaid the cost of the trip to PMCF, although our testing and discussions with the Finance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Manager showed no evidence of this.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Brother 3 provides Brazilian Ju Jitsu training. Since March 2006 he has received £40,615 for the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">delivery of this training. The invoices submitted for Ju Jitsu training also contain an element for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">petrol/wear and tear of his vehicle, however our findings showed that he is also claiming fuel</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">through PMCF’s account with a local fuel supplier (Para 38).</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Brother 2’s partner is an actress and has been delivering drama classes within PMCF since</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">December 2006. During this period she has received £22,000 for the delivery of the classes.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">She has also been paid for her appearance at Plas Madoc’s Got Talent (£499.00 in 2007 and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">£2,000 in 2008, although the 2008 payment was for her and Brother 2’s appearance). Brother 2’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">partner has also been claiming fuel both through the Arval fuel card and the local fuel supplier</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">account as outlined in para 35. We also noted that during the same period that she was receiving</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">payment for delivery of the drama classes, another organisation was also providing drama</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">lessons within PMCF. This was explained by the Coordinator as one of the classes having a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">greater focus on certain aspects of drama.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• The Coordinator’s Husband has also received a payment of £319.00 for comparing and singing at</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">two PMCF events. This is despite the Coordinator claiming both at interview and to the Board</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">that her Husband received no payment for his services. It was suggested that the payment</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">reflected the availability of the husband’s broadcasting equipment during the events. The</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Coordinator’s Husband also had a PMCF mobile phone (para 28).</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">18</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">23. We sought explanations for the appointment of the Coordinator’s family members and were informed</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">by the Coordinator that Brother 3 was the best possible supplier of Brazilian Ju Jitsu as he was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">European Champion and no one else in the area would be able to supply these services. This sport,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">in the view of the Coordinator, is more concerned with self control which was of benefit to the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">attendees from the local community. Similarly by using Brother 2’s partner, a well known actress to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">deliver drama classes it encouraged and inspired more young people to participate.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">24. Whilst we accept that these individuals have delivered services to PMCF, we consider that the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">payments made have been excessive. Also during the course of our review it became apparent that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Board were not initially aware of the use of the Coordinator’s family members and they certainly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">did not approve such appointments. Instead, Board Members became aware at a later stage of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">relationship between the individuals and the Coordinator. More significantly, the Board was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">completely unsighted on the level of payments being made to the Coordinator’s family members.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">25. Both of the Finance Officer’s daughters are employed by PMCF, enjoying considerable benefits in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">kind such as driving lessons and the use of mobile phones (including call charges) as detailed in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">para 30.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">26. We are also aware that:</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Brother 3’s partner works within PMCF.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• The Chair’s son has worked for and received payment from PMCF.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• The Coordinator’s Personal Assistant and Company Secretary’s father is a Board Member.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• A Board Member’s wife is employed as a Play/Early Years Participation Officer by the partnership.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The same Board Member is also employed by PMCF.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• The Caretaker is married to a trainer who provided large numbers of courses to the partnership.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">27. Whilst it is accepted that in small communities, friends and relatives are often employed by the same</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">organisation, it is of vital importance that there is transparency and openness when such</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">appointments are made. In the case of PMCF it is evident that the use of family members by the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Coordinator has not been fully disclosed to the Board and in particular the level of payments and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">benefits which have been received by the individuals concerned.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Mobile Phones</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">28. Our review of invoices showed that a significant amount of expenditure has been incurred on mobile</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">phone bills by PMCF. Further testing of this area revealed that there was evidence of mobile phones</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">being allocated to non-PMCF staff. The following costs had been incurred by the Coordinator’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">family members:</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Husband - £800 (Feb 2008 – Sept 2009).</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Brother 1 - £1,460 (April 2007 – Sept 2009) - Av £50 pm.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Brother 2 - £530. (Dec 2008 – Sept 2009).</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 19</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">29. This was queried with the Coordinator who admitted that she had given the phones to her family</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">members as handsets had been offered “free” by the phone companies. We indicated that whilst the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">handset was free there was a cost incurred with line rental/calls. The Coordinator stated that PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">was given bundles of free minutes and with one exception she had not been made aware that any</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">other cost has been incurred. She did admit that on one occasion the Finance Officer had raised the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">issue of Brother 2’s phone costs and she had asked that this phone be blocked. Our testing showed</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">that this phone had not been blocked. When discussing phone costs with the Finance Officer he</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">stated that he was aware that mobile phones had been allocated to the Coordinator’s family but as</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">she was his line manager he didn’t feel able to query it. He also stated that she had never</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">requested, nor had he provided, any information on phone costs. The Board Members were</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">unaware that non-PMCF staff had mobile phones.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">30. Further testing of mobile phones held by PMCF staff demonstrated that considerable costs had been</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">incurred as outlined below:</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Staff member 1 – £3,611 (April 2008 – Oct 2009) - £116 pm.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Staff member 2 - £3,202 (April 2008 – Oct 2009).</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Coordinator - £2,631 (April 2008 – Oct 2009) - £80pm.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Finance Officer – £524 (Annual cost).</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">It should be noted that all mobile phones costs incurred within PMCF were reviewed and the ones</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">outlined above are the only ones considered excessive.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Staff member 1 and 2 are the Finance Officer’s daughters, who are both employed by PMCF.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">31. The level of mobile phone bills was discussed with the Finance Officer. He stated that he was aware</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">that the costs were high but considered it to be a “perk of the job”. Similarly it was queried why</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">individuals who were office based, required a mobile phone. Again it was stated that this was a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">“perk”. The Coordinator appeared unsighted on the high level of mobile phone costs and said that in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the past she had blocked phones when charges appeared high and could not be explained by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">individuals. The Coordinator does not receive any information on the level of costs incurred by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF on mobile phones. Similarly the Board were unsighted on the level of mobile phone charges.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Fuel/Petrol/Diesel</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">32. PMCF has three different methods for incurring expenditure on fuel (e.g. petrol and diesel).</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Staff can reclaim any amounts spent through Plas Madoc’s travel and subsistence systems;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• There are fuel “credit cards” used (Arval), which can be handed over at any garage to pay for fuel;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• There is an account set up with a local fuel supplier.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">33. Our testing showed that staff used all three methods to obtain fuel; however there are no formal</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">procedures in place to outline how these systems should operate.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">20</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">34. Furthermore, our findings showed that there is no reconciliation to ensure that staff reclaiming money</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">through the T&S system are not also claiming through the local fuel supplier or using a fuel credit</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">card. We undertook testing in this area and found no evidence of staff “double claiming,” but it</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">should be noted that due to the lack of controls over the three mechanisms for claiming fuel we</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">cannot provide assurance that double claiming has not occurred.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">35. Our testing showed that since April 2008 £6,102.14 has been incurred on Arval cards. The vast</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">amount of expenditure (£4,129.52) has been incurred by the Arval card held by the Coordinator.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Further review showed that the majority of the expenditure was incurred in the Manchester/Bolton</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">area by a vehicle owned by the Coordinator’s Brother 2’s partner. The Coordinator explained that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">she had given her brother 2’s partner the card, to obtain fuel as she was delivering drama classes to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF. This was despite our findings showing that an element of fuel had been included on the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">invoices for drama lessons.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">36. The Finance Officer also had a fuel card which had incurred costs of £1,300. This was put to the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Finance Officer who claimed that this was a “perk of the job.”</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">37. Our findings also showed that two PMCF company vehicles have also used a card for legitimate</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">business purposes.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">38. It was very difficult to audit the invoices received from the local fuel supplier as the invoices includes</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">a statement showing a list of signatures of people who have signed for fuel which is difficult to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">decipher. Since April 2006 £25,198 has been spent at the local fuel supplier and we were able to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">determine that considerable amounts were being purchased by the Coordinator’s family. These</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">included</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Brother 3 - £1,633.98. This individual also claimed fuel costs through his invoices to PMCF.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Husband - £1,365.19. All sorts of vehicles but mostly PMCF vehicles.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• Brother 2 and/or partner = £513.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">39. Upon querying this with the Coordinator she stated that Brother 3 claimed fuel as he travelled in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">excess of the amounts contained on his invoices. (The same explanation was offered for Brother 2</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and partner).</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">40. We also queried with the Coordinator why the invoices were paid when they contained “blanks”</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">where people had taken fuel but had not signed for it. She said that she didn’t have sight of any of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the payments made for fuel and was not sure why this would have occurred. The Finance Officer</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">offered no explanation for this and the Board were unsighted on fuel costs.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">41. During our site visit we were also informed by the Finance Manager that staff use the fuel card or the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">account with the local fuel supplier to obtain fuel for personal use. We were told that everyone does</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">this and it is considered a “perk” of the job. The Coordinator disputes that this takes place and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">assured us that staff are aware that they should not obtain fuel for personal use. As there is no</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">process or evidence of management review to confirm that the fuel costs incurred are only for official</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">business we can gain no assurance over this area.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 21</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Payroll</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">42. Prior to the transfer of the payroll function to AVOW, PMCF operated both a weekly and monthly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">payroll for staff. Those on the weekly payroll submitted timesheets which were then processed by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Finance Officer and those on the monthly payroll were paid a standard monthly sum.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">43. Our findings showed that there was a complete absence of segregation of duties with regard to the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">operation of the payroll with the Finance Officer having sole responsibility for administering and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">managing the payroll.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">44. Of more significant concern was our testing of the weekly payroll system which showed that the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Finance Officer paid staff even though the majority of timesheets were not authorised. Furthermore,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">he processed and paid his own daughter’s timesheets. We also obtained evidence that he created</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">timesheets on behalf of his daughter or paid her without any timesheet. At interview he confirmed</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">that this had happened and stated the reason he paid other staff who had submitted unauthorised</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">timesheets was that people relied on the money and there was only a short window of opportunity for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">processing the timesheets.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">45. The Finance Officer by authorising his own daughter’s timesheets, has exposed himself to criticism</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">particularly as we are aware that he has created timesheets on behalf of his daughter before</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">processing and paying her wages. This represents a fundamental failure in the existence of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">segregation of duties and exposes the organisation to significant criticism of nepotism and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">preferential treatment.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">46. We also found there was no clear and transparent audit trail demonstrating the hourly rates which</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">were applicable to staff. A review of timesheets and the corresponding payroll showed that various</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">rates were applied to various members of staff. Whilst we accept that staff are paid different rates for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">different posts and at different times of the day, we consider that there should be far greater</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">transparency in the rates which are used.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">47. We were informed that they use JNC pay scales for weekly and monthly paid staff although PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">pays above the average for the sector, as this encourages commitment and retention of staff.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">48. We also found evidence of one member of staff being paid twice by submitting two timesheets which</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">indicated that she had been undertaking two jobs at the same time. This had not been detected by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">any management checks.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">49. It was also of concern to note that volunteers are paid an hourly rate. Our understanding is that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">volunteers should only be paid sums to cover their expenses rather than a waged amount.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">50. Our findings showed that the Chair of the Board’s Son has worked intermittently for PMCF. It was a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">concern to note that he appeared to buy a laptop and software, for which he was then reimbursed</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">through payroll. He left PMCF shortly afterwards and we could find no evidence that the laptop was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">returned.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">22</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Child Support Agency Issues</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">51. During our visit we ascertained that the Finance Officer’s salary is paid part through the payroll and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">then he invoices PMCF for the balancing amount via his own Company. When querying the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">reasoning behind this, we were informed by the Finance Officer that he had done this to artificially</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">deflate his salary figures for Child Support Agency (CSA) assessment purposes. Furthermore, our</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">testing showed that since April 2008 £3046.41 worth of payments had been made directly to the CSA</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">from PMCF. We were informed by the Finance Officer that they related to his own CSA liability and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">he was intending to repay the amounts back to PMCF in the future. He stated that some repayment</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">had already occurred. Our testing showed that £1,989.20 had been recovered from the Finance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Officer’s salary, leaving a shortfall £1,057.21. The Finance Officer stated that he was aware of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">shortfall and the CSA were re-assessing his payment levels and he was confident that this would</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">resolve the issue.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">52. The Coordinator stated that she was aware of the new payment/payroll arrangements for the Finance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Officer’s salary however she was not aware of the issues regarding the CSA payments. IAS are</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">progressing this matter with the CSA, particularly in view of the apparent measures taken to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">artificially deflate the salary figures.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Loans to staff</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">53. Our audit testing showed that staff within PMCF had been provided with interest-free loans from</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF, which were approved by the Coordinator. Whilst a schedule was maintained outlining who</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">owed loans and the repayments that had been made, there was no formal policy or agreement as to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">how the lending of money to staff should be managed and administered. We saw evidence of loans</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">being repaid through the payroll although it was evident that some members of staff had not repaid</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the amount owed and had left PMCF. The Finance Officer admitted that there were outstanding</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">debts which were unlikely to ever be recovered. We are unable to quantify the full amount of debt</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">outstanding due to the nominal amounts of money which are sometimes loaned to staff through petty</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">cash; however we believe the overall sum to be less than £2,000.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">54. We asked the Coordinator what the purpose of these loans was and she said that loans were given,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">with her agreement, to staff who were in need of them for various reasons. For example the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Coordinator had taken one of her loans from PMCF to pay for a holiday. The Coordinator stated that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">she was unaware that some individuals had not repaid loans, as she undertook no review of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">loans process.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">55. The provision of loans to staff, particularly when there is no formal policy, does not represent good</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">financial practice and moreover exposes PMCF to considerable criticism if the “loan scheme” is not</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">made available to all employees.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 23</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Caravan</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">56. PMCF has use of a caravan sited at Rhyl, which is rented out to residents of Plas Madoc to provide</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">an opportunity to the less fortunate members of the community to have a holiday. Our findings</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">showed that there is some uncertainty over who owns the caravan; although we found evidence that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">a site fee and hire fee are paid annually by PMCF for the apparent rent of an eight berth caravan.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The Coordinator claims that the caravan is owned by PMCF, whilst the Finance Officer originally</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">asserted that the caravan was rented from the Coordinator’s brother. However, during the latter</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">stages of our investigation he stated that it appeared that PMCF owned the caravan and the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">payments made to the Coordinator’s brother were to maintain the caravan.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">57. Our findings showed that a £6,000 fee was paid to the Coordinator’s brother on an annual basis for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the caravan’s maintenance, although we found further evidence that repairs and the maintenance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">costs were funded via petty cash, so we are unsure what the £6,000 payment was for. The payment</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">was made part cash and part cheque. It was observed that the site fees to the caravan park (of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">around £2,800) were paid some two months in advance of the payment being made for the hire of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the caravan itself.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">58. Whilst there is no direct risk to PMCF of paying cash to a supplier, this does not represent good</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">practice as cash payment may be requested by suppliers in order to avoid income tax liabilities</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and/or VAT.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">59. Of more significant concern were our findings relating to the banking of the income generated by the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">caravan. Our testing showed that only £60 had ever been banked, although an analysis of the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">caravan booking records showed that the following amounts had been receipted through letting the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">caravan:</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• 2007 - £1735</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• 2008 - £1980</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• 2009 - £1415</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">60. This issue was discussed with the PMCF Coordinator who informed us that the member of staff who</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">had been responsible for receipting the caravan takings during 2009 had been found to be stealing</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the money. The member of staff involved was a resident who had been offered support by PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">through the opportunity of employment in order to provide her with a more stable lifestyle. The</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">individual had also received a loan from PMCF of £660; we believe this was to settle rent arrears</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and the PMCF loan remains outstanding. The individual concerned had been dismissed the week</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">prior to our site visit; however the Coordinator stated that the Police had not been contacted as it</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">was considered to be detrimental to the continued rehabilitation of the individual concerned.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">61. We asked both the Coordinator and the Finance Manager for an explanation of what had happened</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">to the caravan letting monies in previous years and were informed by the Coordinator that the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">caravan money was used as an extension of the petty cash when it was needed. For example,</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">nominal amounts of money (£10-15) were given to residents if they were in financial difficulties and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">were awaiting benefits.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">24</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">62. We also asked the Finance Officer what his role was in the operation of the caravan lettings and he</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">was adamant that he had no involvement in any aspect of the caravan hire, lettings or banking of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">monies.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">63. It should also be noted that during our visit we reviewed the caravan income cash box, which was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">held in the PMCF safe and found it to be empty.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">64. We have significant concerns over the entire operation of the caravan scheme and would</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">recommend that with immediate effect there are robust processes put in place to manage the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">caravan-letting process. In particular, all income generated by the caravan should be promptly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">banked and accounted for in PMCF’s finance system. PMCF are currently in the process of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">establishing who has ownership of the caravan.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Petty Cash</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">65. We have fundamental concerns over the petty cash system in operation within PMCF. Large items</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">of expenditure are purchased through petty cash including a car that had been purchased for £2,500.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The car had been bought from a relative of the Finance Officer.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">66. Furthermore, we found boxes of receipts which had been processed through petty cash but had not</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">been accounted for, and contained no explanation of why the expenditure had been incurred. We</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">are aware that the Treasurer had raised concerns over the level of pretty cash used by PMCF with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Coordinator but no action was ever taken.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">67. We also found evidence of receipts attached to petty cash vouchers being less than the amount</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">provided through petty cash. We were unable to obtain any explanation for this from the Finance</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Officer.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">68. Our findings also showed that petty cash payments were made to the Coordinator to reimburse her</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">for items she claimed to have bought even though no receipts were provided.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">69. Good practice suggests that petty cash should only be used for items of minor business expenditure</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and normally organisations set a financial limit on the value of items paid for through the petty cash</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">system (often around £50). It was evident from our limited testing that a significant amount of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">transactions were processed through petty cash. This represents a significant risk for the following</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">reasons:</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• normal payment authorisation procedures may be bypassed;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• duplicate payments may be made;</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• petty cash could be used for the cashing of personal cheques; and</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">• petty cash may be stolen.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 25</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Other financial concerns</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">70. Our testing showed that invoices do not demonstrate that goods/services have been receipted (or by</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">whom). The Finance Officer stated that budget holders had responsibility for ordering what ever they</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">wanted as long as the budget exists. Similarly the Coordinator stated that as long as there was a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">budget which was not exceeded, she didn’t undertake any review to ascertain what the funds had</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">been spent on or if value for money had been achieved.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">71. We found evidence of several payments being made to the same supplier on the same day. Upon</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">querying this we were told that payments are split to fall under the bank mandate requirements so</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">that the Treasurer’s signature is not required. (Any cheque payment above £500 requires Board</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">approval).</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">72. During our review of cheque book stubs we also found blank cheque book stubs not completed. We</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">were unable to establish why this had occurred. The Finance Officer stated that the Treasurer had</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">been asked to sign blank cheque so that PMCF would be able to pay large sums in the event he was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">away and not able to act as a counter signatory. However, the Treasurer asserted that he would</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">never sign any cheque without a corresponding invoice and he had certainly not been asked to sign</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">blank cheques prior to receipt of an invoice. It should also be noted that we found no evidence of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">any of these cheques being presented at the bank.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">73. The actions in paras 71 and 72 are concerning, particularly as the Treasurer visits PMCF almost</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">every day so therefore is regularly available to sign any cheques (or other documentation).</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">74. We also found poor accounting procedures in respect of income-generating activities. PMCF hold</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">events which generate income; however, the income is never quantified, accounted for and often is</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">not banked. Instead we were informed that this income is used to supplement petty cash and is</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">used for expenditure on other items within PMCF. We are therefore unable to determine how much</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">income is generated from these activities or more importantly what happen to the receipted monies.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">75. We have already outlined our concerns over the lack of financial information received by PMCF’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Board and in particular the lack of awareness Board Members had in respect of the annual</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Management Letters produced by PMCF’s appointed auditors. We are aware that the Board have</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">requested more “user friendly” financial information from the Finance Officer, although this has not</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">been forthcoming. It appears that the relationship with the PMCF auditors was managed by the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Finance Officer and the Chair informed us at our end of audit fieldwork meeting, that he had been</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">contacted by the partner responsible for the PMCF audit who had informed him, that on an annual</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">basis the auditors offered to attend the AGM to present the accounts and audit report, as is normal</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">practice. The Finance Officer had apparently declined the offer on several occasions stating that he</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">was able to present the information to the Board himself. Subsequently the Finance Officer was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">unavailable to attend the Board meeting; this happened on several occasions.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">26</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Construction Work</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">76. Some of the original allegations claimed that construction works undertaken on the Coordinator’s</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">house were paid for by PMCF. Prior to our initial site visit we received specific evidence in respect of</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">this matter. However, we have not been able to corroborate any of these claims primarily because</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF’s Peris Road premises was being re-developed at the same time as the construction works on</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Coordinator’s own property, so we have no way of knowing whether the invoices paid through</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">PMCF’s finance system were for valid Peris Road works or for materials which were subsequently</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">used elsewhere. Furthermore, the invoices and delivery notes show no evidence of where the good</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">and services were to be delivered. The Coordinator states that these allegations are without</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">foundation. We are unable to substantiate any of the claims in this area.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Payments to Board Members</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">77. We saw evidence of a payment of £10,000 in respect of play area project management fees for one</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Board Member who is also a Plasterer by trade. (His wife also works for PMCF as the PMCF</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Play/Early Years Participation Officer). We saw no evidence that these services were procured</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">through open competition or the exact specification/purpose of these services. The Coordinator</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">stated that they had used this individual as he was a local man who had previously done work.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">However, it appears that there was never any disclosure to the Board that work had been awarded to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">a Board Member.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">78. This Board Member also received payment for the “Get out and Play Scheme” and submitted weekly</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">timesheets to claim payment.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Driving Lessons</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">79. We found evidence that since March 2008 £3,080 has been spent on driving lessons for staff and not</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">for the community. The Finance Officer stated that this was a perk although he did indicate that he</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">believed this was eligible Communities First expenditure. We later established that this is not eligible</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Communities First expenditure.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Mediafields</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">80. Our findings showed that there is a significant amount of expenditure made to a company called</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Mediafields for IT hardware, software and support services. In addition there is also significant other</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">IT expenditure made through outlets such as Staples and through petty cash. We were informed that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">when PMCF were initially set up Mediafields were recommended by AVOW as they offered an</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">excellent service and good value for money. Considering the level of payments to Mediafields, we</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">would suggest that PMCF need to test the market and obtain quotes to ensure that Mediafields</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">continues to offer the best value for money.</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First</div><div style="color: white; font: 9.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Plas Madoc Communities First 27</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Asset Register</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">81. Our testing showed that the asset register is not complete or up to date. It is very difficult to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">ascertain how many assets are within PMCF or their location. For example, we have been unable to</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">determine exactly how many laptops are currently in operation within PMCF. This was queried with</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">the Finance Officer who admitted that a number of laptops had gone missing and the asset register</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">was not up to date. Furthermore, he stated he leaves the asset register until the year end for the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Auditors to do as “he had been lazy”.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Other unusual items</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Parking Fines</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">82. Our testing showed that parking fines incurred by PMCF staff had been paid for by PMCF. We</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">queried this practice with the Coordinator who could offer no explanation, even though her own fines</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">had been paid for by PMCF. The Finance Officer stated that he paid the fines as he was told to do</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">so by the Coordinator.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Accommodation Costs</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">83. We also identified that PMCF staff often attend courses and conferences. Our testing showed that</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">expensive hotel rooms are often booked, particularly in the case of the Coordinator. In one case the</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Finance Officer had attended a digital photography course which was held over a weekend in</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">London; his partner also stayed at the hotel which was paid for by PMCF at a cost of £330. During a</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">period of bad weather, a local hotel was booked for the Coordinator to enable her to easily access</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">her place of work. The cost of this was £713.70. The Coordinator claims that the Board approved</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">this expenditure. Upon discussion of this issue with the Chair, he stated that whilst he had been</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">aware that the Coordinator had chosen to stay locally during a spell of bad weather, he certainly was</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">not aware that PMCF had paid for the accommodation.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Gifts to staff</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">84. We also found evidence that gifts are bought for staff for various occasions (birthdays, wedding etc)</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">through petty cash. On most occasions the petty cash is refunded through staff contributions but we</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">are unsure why PMCF monies are used for this purpose. We could obtain no explanation for this.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Christmas Party</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">85. Evidence was found of an invoice for the 2008 Christmas party totalling £2667.30. This party was for</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">staff within PMCF and there was evidence that many of the staff attending the event had contributed</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">to the cost via salary deductions, but not all staff made a contribution.</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">86. Furthermore, no contributions had been obtained from staff for Christmas parties held in previous</div><div style="font: 11.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">years, which were held in Manchester and therefore also incurred an overnight stay.</div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-89447374497526693152010-03-17T21:51:00.000+00:002010-03-17T21:51:51.757+00:00Public inquiry called over Plas Madoc Communities First scandalFollowing the <a href="http://www.wao.gov.uk/news_3182.asp">publication of the Wales Audit Office report</a> into misuse of public money in Plas Madoc Communities First, Janet Ryder, Plaid AM for North Wales, said:<br />
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<blockquote><i>"This is a deeply disturbing report outlining quite massive abuse of public money for private gain. That's why I'm calling for a public inquiry into the Communities First set-up to ensure that this appalling misuse of public funds is not repeated elsewhere.</i></blockquote><blockquote><i>"The detailed audit findings demonstrate that tens of thousands of pounds have been paid without proper checks, invoicing or even cheque stubs being filled in - many of these payments were to friends and family.</i></blockquote><blockquote><i>"Elements in PMCF were operating without regard to their own board or any external checks. Cash payments were rife - even extending to buying a car for £2,500.</i></blockquote><blockquote><i>"Alarm bells first rang back in 2003 - the first year CF was set up in Plas Madoc, when local council auditors found serious financial problems. Despite this litany of misuse of public funds, nothing further was done by the Labour government of the time and the problem remained until a lone whistleblower went public.</i></blockquote><blockquote><i>"The failure of the former Labour administration to question its own flagship policy begs wider questions.</i></blockquote><blockquote><i>"Can we be sure that there's only one Plas Madoc? Only a public inquiry will tell us."</i></blockquote>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-45298605374639801352010-03-11T11:39:00.000+00:002010-03-11T11:39:39.939+00:00Communities First facing spending freeze?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>This story in the </i></span></span><a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/03/08/claims-of-financial-abuse-may-close-communities-first-fund-91466-25983151/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Western Mail</i></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> suggests that the Assembly Minister is going to stop all future new spending by Communities First. This would be in reaction to the alleged misuse of public funds in Plas Madoc, which is still under investigation. For the first time, the 'leak' outlines some of the allegations being made against Communities First staff.</i></span></span></h1><h1 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </h1><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Claims of financial abuse may close fund</b></span></blockquote><blockquote>Well-placed sources have told the Western Mail that Social Justice Minister Carl Sargeant plans to announce a moratorium on new spending associated with the troubled Communities First programme.THE Assembly Government’s flagship anti-poverty programme is at risk because of allegations of financial abuse at a publicly-funded community project, we can reveal.</blockquote><blockquote>More than £241m has been spent on the programme’s projects in Wales’ most deprived areas over eight years but a succession of reports has questioned their effectiveness in tackling poverty.</blockquote><blockquote>And now the minister is understood to be so concerned about the implication of alleged financial irregularities that he is ready to call a halt to new Communities First spending. Results of a joint investigation carried out by Assembly officials and the Wales Audit Office into behaviour at the Plas Madoc Communities First partnership at Plas Madoc, near Wrexham, will be delivered to Mr Sargeant imminently.</blockquote><blockquote>Two senior members of staff there have been suspended since last November as a probe has looked into accusations that:</blockquote><blockquote>A car bought out of public funds for the benefit of the project as a whole was allegedly commandeered for the exclusive use of a staff member;</blockquote><blockquote>Individuals were paid for work on a “cash in hand” basis; and</blockquote><blockquote>Payment records were chaotic and incomplete.</blockquote><blockquote>A source told us: “This looks like the beginning of the end for Communities First. Carl Sargeant is expected to make the announcement very soon.</blockquote><blockquote>“He will say that while core funding for Communities First projects that is already committed will continue, no new initiatives will be authorised.”</blockquote><blockquote>The prospect of a moratorium on new spending will not be popular with those running Communities First projects.</blockquote><blockquote>A leading committee member of one South Wales project, who did not wish to be named, said: “It would be grossly unfair for Carl Sargeant to punish all Communities First partnerships because of this. A lot of good work is being done despite the criticisms in reports that have been published.”</blockquote><blockquote>The brainchild of current Health Minister and failed Welsh Labour leadership contender Edwina Hart, successive reports have said there is little evidence that, despite all the money spent on it, Communities First has succeeded in improving prosperity in Wales’ poorest areas.</blockquote><blockquote>Last week, a cross-party group of AMs condemned a “chronic and long-lasting failure” by the Assembly Government to provide leadership.</blockquote><blockquote>The Assembly’s public accounts committee said: “Our conclusions are that, overall, the Communities First programme has not delivered good value for the significant amount of public money spent on it, and that this is largely because of weaknesses in the [Assembly’s] construction and management of the programme.”</blockquote><blockquote>The report follows findings by the Wales Audit Office last year that of the £214m spent between 2001 and 2009, £140m had gone to partnerships, mainly to employ staff and administer projects.</blockquote><blockquote>At Plas Madoc, project co-ordinator Miriam Beard and finance and monitoring officer Andy Bunning were suspended as the investigation got under way.</blockquote><blockquote>Plas Madoc Communities First was formed in 2003 as a company limited by guarantee and is a registered charity.</blockquote><blockquote>The community has major problems with access to services, such as GPs and dentists, education standards, local employment opportunities and childcare support.</blockquote><blockquote>Since it was set up the partnership – which has an independent set of trustees – it has co- ordinated a range of beneficial projects to support the area, including £125,000 to give play areas a facelift, taking children on life-changing trips to Gambia, and organising local environmental schemes.</blockquote><blockquote>But concerns were raised last year about the way it was being run, with Mandy Bostwick, a psychotherapist and community councillor who provided counselling services to the partnership, voicing her worries.</blockquote><blockquote>Mrs Bostwick told BBC Wales last October: “I started to have some concerns about the way they were operating after I attended a staff meeting. I started to realise that it was the same residents connected to the project – I never saw any new faces.</blockquote><blockquote>“I started to hear about people being paid cash. I certainly received cash payment, a nominal fee, and I started to ask for receipts for the money that I was receiving for the work that I was doing, and never got receipts.”</blockquote><blockquote>On the advice of Communities First officials in North Wales, Mrs Bostwick raised her concerns with Plas Madoc’s trustees. Subsequently the team stopped using her services.</blockquote><blockquote>The claims were denied by the partnership’s managers at the time, who insisted they would be vindicated after the investigations had concluded.</blockquote><blockquote>Neither Ms Beard nor Mr Dunning could be contacted for comment about the new development.</blockquote><blockquote>An Assembly Government spokeswoman said: “We are aware of issues in one particular Communities First partnership.</blockquote><blockquote>“The minister expects to receive a report in the near future regarding this. He will then make a statement to the Assembly.</blockquote><blockquote>“It would be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage.”</blockquote>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-9483119276288027092010-02-24T14:13:00.000+00:002010-02-24T14:13:06.379+00:00Fans have their say on community control of sportJanet Ryder joined fans from across Wales in discussing ways to ensure a cooperative approach to sport in a recent conference in Cardiff. Among those making presentations was Lindsay Jones, secretary of the Wrexham Supporters' Trust.<br />
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Read the full report <a href="http://www.cooperatives-wales.coop/?p=263">here</a>.AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-60170983899697336632010-02-23T15:21:00.000+00:002010-02-23T15:21:23.477+00:00£214m scheme 'is failing' poorest communities<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">An ambitious £214 million scheme to improve some of the poorest communities in Wales has <b>"failed miserably"</b> in some areas, according to a North Wales AM.<br />
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Janet Ryder, Plaid Cymru AM, sat on the Welsh Assembly audit committee that has just produced a report on the Community First projects throughout Wales. In a hard-hitting attack on the programme she said:</span><div><blockquote><b> "The Communities First programme has not delivered good value for the significant amount of public money spent on it. The report makes it clear that this is largely because of weaknesses in the way the scheme was conceived and managed by previous Welsh Governments. </b></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><blockquote><b>"In my own area of North Wales, whilst I accept that some local benefits have been delivered in communities, there are too many examples where the project has not made the impact required for such a large investment."</b></blockquote>Janet Ryder cited three examples in North Wales:</span></div><div><blockquote> <b>"The experiences of Rhyl West, Plas Madoc and Caia Park are very different but provide examples of a lack of understanding of local needs and the situation already existing on the ground.</b></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><blockquote><b>"In Rhyl, Communities First failed to establish itself as a community-based organisation and had to be wound up after hundreds of thousands of pounds was spent on administration.</b></blockquote><blockquote><b>"In Caia Park, Wrexham, there was already an existing partnership in the area that had experience of delivering services and co-ordinating work with other agencies. Given this well-established set-up, it was perverse to try to graft an entirely new Communities First programme onto the community and there was significant conflict between the groups. </b></blockquote><blockquote><b>"What is clear too is that the vast amount of Communities First money has gone on salaries and administration. I am not convinced that all these programmes, when they come to an end, will leave a lasting and sustainable legacy in the community. Yes, they have launched some initiatives such as food co-operatives but is this sufficient to justify millions of pounds being spent in areas that need that money to make a real difference?"</b></blockquote> She said the blame for failure had to lie at the top rather than at grassroots level: </span></div><div><blockquote><b>"The report makes clear its concern that 'the Welsh Government provides insufficient direction to service providers and is not adequately monitoring the programme'. Now given that public money is tight and we need to ensure best value at all times, how can we justify a £214m programme if it's not being targetted well and then monitored rigorously?"</b></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Janet Ryder added: </span></div><div><blockquote><b>"The final example in North Wales is Plas Madoc near Wrexham. I don't want to pre-judge an ongoing investigation into that specific Communities First scheme, where two leading staff members are currently suspended, but I have been made aware of very serious concerns regarding its running. Once again, it seems the checks and balances from the centre were not in place. When complaints were first made, they were referred back to the people against whom they were complaining. That is not a healthy and open system of government."</b></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">She said the report made recommendations to improve monitoring as well as insisting that the Welsh Government ensures that it is able to demonstrate hard outcomes for this investment of public money that demonstrate progress towards the Communities First objectives:</span></div><div><blockquote><b> "We're asking that the Welsh Government provides us with a progress report, and details of programme-level movement towards achieving objectives within the next 12 months."</b></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-5909364975793794872010-01-15T18:01:00.002+00:002010-01-15T18:05:10.639+00:00Plaid AM joins the Crusade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/S1CuS-G7bnI/AAAAAAAAACI/_ERPq5yFQ-g/s1600-h/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/S1CuS-G7bnI/AAAAAAAAACI/_ERPq5yFQ-g/s320/DSC_0005.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Rugby League is coming to Wrexham on Friday, January 29, when Crusaders take on reigning Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos at the Racecourse (kick-off 8pm). And self-confessed rugby league fan Janet Ryder AM was one of the first in line to get her season ticket ready for the big kick off.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"> North Wales regional AM Janet Ryder, who is also patron of the Welsh Rugby League, picked up her season ticket for the 2010 Engage Super League Season at the Racecourse Ground from Crusaders Head Coach, Brian Noble, along with First Team Coach Jon Sharp.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Janet, a huge League Rugby enthusiast, said:</span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“Nothing beats the atmosphere and excitement of watching a live rugby league game and I can't wait to see the Crusaders in action at the Racecourse. The support for rugby league in North Wales is potentially huge and I'm expecting the curtain-raiser against Leeds Rhinos to be a sell-out.</b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“North Wales has been starved of major sporting events in recent years and I'm sure the people form all over the region will turn out in force to get behind the Crusaders.” </b></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Mike Turner, Commercial Director of the Crusaders praised the support and help that Janet Ryder had given to the club.</span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“Janet has been one of the main champions of rugby league in Wales and the club has been very grateful for her support. She has worked tremendously hard to raise the profile of the game in Wales and we're delighted to have her on board.</b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“We always knew that bringing Super League to Wrexham would be well received by the public, but we have been truly overwhelmed by the support from the local community.</b></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“Ticket sales so far have been very encouraging. We are introducing Super League to a brand new set of fans in Wrexham and are looking forward to people across the region coming out and supporting the Crusaders.”</b></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-8846462068387432662010-01-14T21:37:00.000+00:002010-01-14T21:37:06.934+00:00Anger at hotel name change<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The decision to rename a Flintshire hotel previously known as 'The Gateway to Wales' as 'Days Hotel - Chester North' has been branded as a "creeping Chesterfication" of north-east Wales by Plaid Cymru politicians.<br />
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North Wales Assembly Member Janet Ryder said the decision by Wyndham Hotel group to change the hotel's name was a slap in the face for Flintshire, as the county's effort at economic regeneration was being undermined by this unjustified "Chesterfication".<br />
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She added that she would be raising the matter with Welsh planning minister Carl Sergeant:</span><div><blockquote><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "As minister for planning law, does the AM for Alyn and Deeside intend to do anything to prevent his constituency from being slowly absorbed into England?"</span></b></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Janet Ryder added:</span><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>"This re-branding is one of the unforeseen consequences of councils like Flintshire signing up to a long-term plan called the West Cheshire/North East Wales strategy.<br />
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"We've heard about Liverpool MPs calling for a Mersey mayor that includes Flintshire and Wrexham. Now we see businesses re-branding themselves as Chester based when they're in Flintshire. Where does it all end?"</b><br />
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Her concerns were echoed by Plaid's General Election candidate for the Alyn and Deeside constituency Maurice Jones:</span><div><blockquote> <b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"This isn't the first company in Flintshire to mislead the public. The Holiday Inn calls itself Chester West, despite being between Ewloe and Northop. Are they ashamed to be in Wales? The Gateway to Wales was able to market itself using the dragon on the bridge and companies coming to Wales should recognise where they are located."</span></b></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
The West Cheshire/North East Wales strategy is aimed at increasing ties between Cheshire and north-east Wales and there has been huge opposition to it in many communities in Flintshire and Wrexham, where thousands of new houses have been built partly to meet the needs of Cheshire-based commuters. A 15,000-strong petition to the Welsh Assembly Government opposing the strategy and the related Mersey-Dee Alliance has been collected, the largest ever presented to the petitions committee. It will be debated in the Assembly next month.<br />
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Plaid's candidate for the general election in Wrexham, Arfon Jones, added: </span><div><blockquote>"<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>With an election coming up we need to know where our two local Unionist MPs, Mark Tami and Ian Lucas, stand on this creeping Chesterfication of north-east Wales. Do they know whats happening? Or is it they dont care that Welsh identity in this part of Wales is being eroded and they are acquiescing to all of this?"</b></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div></div></div></div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-73021760317638368662010-01-14T11:21:00.000+00:002010-01-14T11:21:43.285+00:00Council must respond to Bodelwyddan housing referendum - Plaid AM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/S07-KVwsahI/AAAAAAAAACA/wg1RUMvGgO0/s1600-h/Marble+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/S07-KVwsahI/AAAAAAAAACA/wg1RUMvGgO0/s320/Marble+Church.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plans to treble the size of a Denbighshire village should be thrown out after a massive "no" vote in a local referendum.<br />
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Janet Ryder, Plaid Cymru AM for North Wales, said: "First of all, I'd like to congratulate the people of Bodelwyddan for braving sub-zero temperatures to vote in their hundreds against a plan that would treble the size of their village.<br />
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"This was an overwhelming message as 94% voted against the housing scheme. Denbighshire County Council has decided, without regard for local housing need or any sustainability assessment, to impose an additional 1700 homes on a village of just 800 houses.<br />
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"This effectively creates a dormitory town on the A55, ideal for commuters to Chester and Liverpool. It's a worrying development that does not fit in with our determination to reduce the carbon footprint, develop sustainable communities and improve community cohesion in Wales. The people of Bodelwyddan have quite rightly rejected this undemocratic scheme out of hand."<br />
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Speaking in the Assembly chamber, she made a plea that the Business Minister Jane Hutt bring forward a debate on the West Cheshire/North East Wales Strategic Plan, which emphasises the need for 20,000 additional houses in North-east Wales, mainly based on the housing demand in North-west England. Janet Ryder added that the village referendum was an explicit rejection of that plan, which had not been endorsed by the people of Wales.<br />
<br />
She also challenged Denbighshire County Council to bow to the democratic will of local people and amend their draft Local Development Plan accordingly.<br />
<br />
<b>Full result:</b><br />
<br />
<i>Voters 425<br />
Turnout 25.8%<br />
<br />
No 394<br />
<br />
Yes 30<br />
<br />
Spoilt 1</i><br />
<br />
<b>Total 425</b><br />
</span>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-38274338778460226562010-01-13T21:09:00.000+00:002010-01-13T21:09:51.765+00:00Communities First public inquiry demand by Plaid AM<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serious failings in a multi-million-pound Communities First regeneration project demand that a full public inquiry is held into the entire scheme.<br />
<br />
That's the view of Plaid Cymru AM Janet Ryder, who first raised concerns about the Plas Madoc Communities First project near Wrexham. Two senior officers at the project, including chief executive Miriam Beard, have since been suspended while a Wales Audit Office investigation takes place into allegations of misuse of public funds.<br />
<br />
Janet Ryder, the regional AM for North Wales, made her request for a public inquiry during First Minister Carwyn Jones's first day of questions in the Assembly today.</span><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She said: "In light of the ongoing investigation into Plas Madoc Communities First, which has involved the suspension of two senior officers and has raised serious questions about accountability to the local community, I would like the Minister to look at the implications this has for the Communities First programme as a whole.<br />
<br />
<br />
"Specifically, there appears to be a lack of appropriate checks and balances, partly due to a deficiency in the complaints procedure, and this has implications for other projects throughout Wales. The Auditor General has conducted two investigations into Communities First and found problems.<br />
<br />
<br />
"I think it's about time we looked further than matters of financial probity. Will the Minister therefore agree to a throughgoing review by WAG into the governance and accountability of Communities First throughout Wales by holding a public inquiry?"<br />
<br />
<br />
The First Minister confirmed that Communities First projects throughout Wales will receive a further £25m over the next three years.<br />
<br />
<br />
He also said that the Wales Audit Office have now completed their investigation into Plas Madoc based on "the problems you have uncovered there" and confirmed the report would be released next month. </span> </div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-51265841936162464362010-01-07T14:19:00.000+00:002010-01-07T14:19:05.139+00:00Review into FE barriers facing young people with autism<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/12/31/review-into-fe-barriers-facing-young-people-with-autism-91466-25498295/">From the Western Mail</a>:</span></h1><h1 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 2em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
</h1><blockquote>PARENTS, sufferers and professionals will help an inquiry into autism in further education.</blockquote><blockquote>The Welsh Assembly Government will assess the barriers facing young people with autism when they reach college.</blockquote><blockquote>The review, conducted by the Assembly’s Enterprise and Learning Committee, will take place in February over two sessions.</blockquote><blockquote>It will invite oral and written evidence from affected parties.</blockquote><blockquote>The move has been welcomed by the Assembly’s Cross-Party Autism Group (CPAG), which commissioned a damning report on education providers in May.</blockquote><blockquote>It revealed that 75% of schools surveyed felt there was a lack of adequate local help available.</blockquote><blockquote>Some 58% described FE provision in Wales as inadequate.</blockquote><blockquote>Group chair, Plaid Cymru AM Janet Ryder, is backing the new inquiry.</blockquote><blockquote>She said: “The research published by the CPAG demonstrates dissatisfaction amongst young people, parents, and schools and colleges with how people with autism are supported in further education.</blockquote><blockquote>“All too often, college life for a young person with autism can be one of isolation, where their educational requirements are not understood or accounted for.</blockquote><blockquote>“We also know that there are examples of good practice in Wales, often when colleges have improved their awareness of autism, backed up with the appropriate guidance.”</blockquote><blockquote>She added: “I look forward to seeing the findings of the inquiry, and expect the Welsh Assembly Government to take them on board.”</blockquote><blockquote>The CPAG study, A Snapshot of Autism Education Provision in Wales, was based on information gathered from 33 education providers.</blockquote><blockquote>Contributors included statutory and independent special schools, mainstream schools with autism resources and further education colleges.</blockquote><blockquote>It examined topics such as the role of the Assembly’s strategic action plan on autism spectrum disorders, and disparities between state and independent provision.</blockquote><blockquote>The study followed a number of concerns raised at CPAG meetings that young people with autism in post-16 education were missing out because of a lack of organisation, awareness and understanding.</blockquote><blockquote>Rebecca Evans, policy and public affairs officer for the National Autistic Society Cymru, said: “Further education in Wales can be seen as a bridge from childhood into adult life, yet young people with autism often miss out on the benefits when their requirements are not taken into account.</blockquote><blockquote>“For example, we have been told of parents who have had under a week between hearing a decision on a placement, and their child beginning college – this does not take into account the anxiety and distress sudden changes can cause for people with autism.</blockquote><blockquote>“Although it is a complex condition, we know that the right support at the right time can make an enormous difference,” she added.</blockquote><blockquote>The CPAG was established in 2002 to bring individuals, families, professionals and AMs together to discuss issues affecting people with autism, their families and carers.</blockquote><blockquote>Autism affects more than 25,000 people in Wales, of whom 6,000 are young people under the age of 18.</blockquote>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-15830183627495019112009-12-08T15:29:00.000+00:002009-12-08T15:29:41.381+00:00North Wales post offices boosted by Assembly funding<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">North Wales AM Janet Ryder has praised news that 10 post offices across North Wales are among those awarded a total of £1.5m from the Post Office Diversification Fund.<br />
<br />
She said the Welsh Assembly-funded scheme would lead to the equivalent of 57 full-time jobs at 75 post offices throughout Wales - a clear example of how the Welsh Assembly Government was committed to communities.<br />
<br />
The Plaid Cymru AM said: </span><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The UK London government has neglected the Post Office network and closed far too many of our community post offices in Wales. What a refreshing difference in attitude to see the Welsh Government taking positive action to safeguard and support post offices because we recognise their importance in our communities."</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
This is the second round of funding which is designed to help sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses diversify and improve their Post Offices. A total of £1.1million for sixty three post offices was announced in July.<br />
<br />
The £4.5million fund, which will run for three years and is open to every sub-post office in Wales, aims to help with business and marketing advice, advertising, training and some set-up costs for new services. Funding can also be applied for improvements such as creating better access to buildings, upgrading computer equipment, improving security or providing better signs for the outside of premises.<br />
<br />
Twelve Post Offices have been awarded grants of up to £5,000 each for small capital projects such as new air conditioning or security systems and sixty three have been awarded up to £20,000 each for larger capital projects such as renovation, improving access or installing facilities for new services. Thirty-four of the Post Offices have also received up to £15,000 in revenue funding which will help employ new staff or increase staff hours to provide more services.<br />
<br />
Janet Ryder said:</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “I am delighted that so many Post Offices across North Wales have been able to take advantage of the fund and that it is already making a difference to businesses and communities alike. The enterprises we are now supporting are excellent examples of how Post Offices can provide so many other services for the communities they serve."</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Huw Roberts, Director of Welsh Affairs for Royal Mail said:</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “One in seven of Post Offices have now been directly helped by the Fund. We are delighted to be working with the Welsh Assembly Government on this scheme – it can only be good for the community and the service we provide.”</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><i><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NOTE: Of the 75 post offices receiving help, 10 are in Janet Ryder's North Wales regional constituency. They are:<br />
<br />
<br />
Llanfairtalhaiarn PO, Conwy<br />
Cerrigydrudion PO, Conwy<br />
Llangollen PO, Denbs<br />
Meliden Rd PO, Denbs<br />
Wepre PO, Flints<br />
Hawarden PO, Flints<br />
Flint PO, Flints<br />
Ffynnongroyw PO, Flints<br />
Glyn Ceiriog PO, Wrexham<br />
Town Hill PO, Wrexham<br />
</span></b></i><br />
</div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-36363010447621956202009-12-06T10:23:00.000+00:002009-12-06T10:23:22.324+00:00AMs question Communities First scheme to tackle poverty<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9px; line-height: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1.083em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The </span><a href="http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/12/04/ams-question-communities-first-scheme-to-tackle-poverty-55578-25318519/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daily Post</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> reports on Assembly questions over Communities First projects.</span><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 1.083em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AMs question Communities First scheme to tackle poverty</span></span></span></span><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.083em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
</div><div class="article-date" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 0.916em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="i-date" href="http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/12/04/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #005689; font-size: 9px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Find all articles published on Dec 4 2009 to the North Wales News section"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dec 4 2009</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> by </span><a class="i-author" href="http://www.dailypost.co.uk/authors/tom-bodden/" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #005689; font-size: 9px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tom Bodden</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, Daily Post</span><br />
</div><br />
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<blockquote>SENIOR Welsh Assembly Government officials were grilled by AMs yesterday over the failings of a £214m drive to tackle deprivation in some of Wales’ poorest communities.</blockquote><blockquote>The flagship Communities First programme was launched eight years ago, yet an inquiry by the Auditor General for Wales found “fundamental risks” and warned it faced falling short of its ambitions.</blockquote><blockquote>The 147 projects across Wales delivered local benefits but the Assembly Government had to strengthen its approach to “programme bending” – which requires public bodies to prioritise their spending in these areas.</blockquote><blockquote>Under the initiative, local partnerships coordinate activities such as health and well-being events, community safety promotions, youth projects, training courses and environmental clean-ups.</blockquote><blockquote>But it was 2007 before the Assembly Government took steps to monitor if partnerships were run as intended.</blockquote><blockquote>That review encouraged more focus on outcomes.</blockquote><blockquote>Jonathan Morgan, Conservative chair of the watchdog public accounts committee, suggested to civil servants that problems highlighted in a previous evaluation six years ago of the programme had remained.</blockquote><blockquote>Plaid Cymru AM in North Wales Janet Ryder highlighted that of £214m spent on the initiative, some £140m went to projects to employ staff and £30.5m to local authorities and voluntary sector to employ staff to manage and support teams in communities.</blockquote><blockquote>“Should local councils not have been supporting these initiatives anyway?” she said.</blockquote><blockquote>Mr Morgan said: “The whole idea was to try to improve the community fabric within the 100 most deprived wards, not as a recruitment exercise for local authorities or anyone else.”</blockquote><blockquote>Emyr Roberts, director general for public services, said: “Many of these areas lack capacity to get community development underway, the first phase has been about developing that capacity.”</blockquote><blockquote>Dame Gillian said it was impossible to manage all projects from the centre.</blockquote>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-14998496077279220012009-12-03T10:49:00.000+00:002009-12-03T10:49:10.057+00:00Out with the street pastors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/SxeV8_gaFwI/AAAAAAAAAB4/D1mSR1HoeI4/s1600-h/JR%2Bstreet+pastors.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/SxeV8_gaFwI/AAAAAAAAAB4/D1mSR1HoeI4/s320/JR%2Bstreet+pastors.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>For the past four years, weekend revellers in Wrexham town centre have had the added safeguard of Street Pastors to look after them. Last week I attended a dinner to celebrate their achievements as the first such scheme in Wales.<br />
<br />
Before that, I went out with them as they checked that people out to enjoy themselves on a Friday night were safe.<br />
<br />
It was interesting to see that their presence was very welcome by both revellers and door supervisors, who were very complimentary of the service being provided by these volunteers. One girl who was incapable of walking in her high heels was given a pair of flipflops, a practical help to many who struggle to combine stilettos and alcohol.<br />
<br />
It was reassuring, as a parent, to know that youngsters had people out on the street who were there if they needed them for help, advice or simply to get them home. Their presence is low key and perhaps less confrontational than a high-level police presence would be.<br />
<br />
Many thanks to Billy and Gareth - in the picture - and all the others who do this voluntary work and also those who help in the background to ensure the service continues.AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-55458376559275812432009-12-02T11:53:00.000+00:002009-12-02T11:53:50.439+00:00'Affordable housing for Wales must not be blocked by London politicians'<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plaid Cymru's North Wales AM Janet Ryder has today called on the Westminster parties to give assurances that they will not cause any further delays to Plaid plans to provide more affordable housing for Welsh communities.<br />
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Janet Ryder was speaking after a statement by Plaid deputy housing minister Jocelyn Davies, who is seeking powers from Westminster to legislate in order to increase the availability of affordable housing; a One Wales commitment which has even more resonance in the current economic climate.<br />
<br />
A previous bid for these powers was derailed by MPs trying to dictate the Welsh legislation that should follow.<br />
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Plaid Cymru’s Janet Ryder said:</span><div><blockquote> “When Plaid went into government we committed to ensuring that more affordable housing was created for Welsh communities. This aim has become even more pressing in the current economic conditions. Unfortunately, MPs in Westminster derailed the legislative process last time by trying to dictate the measures that the Welsh government could put in place once they had the power to legislate. This set the process back causing years of unnecessary delays in being able to deliver on affordable housing. Affordable housing for Wales must not be blocked by London politicians.</blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><blockquote>"It is vital that the affordable housing LCO, which gives the Assembly the power to make laws in this matter, is not delayed any further. The MPs job is to decide where the powers to legislate should lie, not what is going to be done with them. It is only right that the London parties make a solid commitment that their MPs will not try to second guess what measures the Welsh government intends to develop with the powers and will instead work to ensure as smooth a passage as possible for this LCO.”</blockquote>Janet Ryder added that affordable housing continued to be a huge priority in North Wales, despite falling house prices: </span></div><div><blockquote>"What we're seeing now is a lack of finance available for house buyers, who are being asked to find 25% deposits - that could amount to tens of thousands of pounds. If you're on an average wage in North Wales, that's just not possible. </blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><blockquote>"That's why I was pleased to attend the recent affordable housing conference at Glyndwr University along with Jocelyn Davies along with councillors and housing experts from every council in North Wales. It demonstrated that there are alternatives to the failing open market that councils and the Welsh Government need to look at seriously if we're to meet the housing needs of people."</blockquote></span></div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-89415924602096253972009-12-01T16:54:00.001+00:002009-12-01T19:22:30.297+00:00Janet backs 15,000-strong petition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/SxVsv9nE5mI/AAAAAAAAABo/zDSWQGccKwc/s1600/Deffro%27r+ddraigBW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/SxVsv9nE5mI/AAAAAAAAABo/zDSWQGccKwc/s400/Deffro%27r+ddraigBW.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plaid Cymru's North Wales AM Janet Ryder has backed a 15,000-strong petition against a sub-regional plan that links North East Wales to Cheshire and Merseyside.<br />
<br />
Janet Ryder was down in the Assembly building in Cardiff to welcome the People's Council of North Wales campaign group as they presented their petition - the largest ever presented to the Assembly.<br />
<br />
She said:</span><br />
<div><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "The petition's size demonstrates the strength of feeling in Wrexham, Denbighshire and Flintshire on this matter. The West Cheshire/North East Wales sub-regional strategy is repeatedly played down by council officers but it is evidently a material planning consideration as they prepare their Local Development Plans. </span><br />
</blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<blockquote>"It's important that the concerns of the people were listened to and that local housing needs are paramount. The North East has seen thousands of homes built in the past 10 years and also seen house prices rise way beyond the reach of the average local wage. The latest news that Denbighshire wants to treble the number of houses in Bodelwyddan and effectively create a new commuter town on the A55 reinforces the thrust of this strategy.<br />
</blockquote><blockquote>"The plan has been developed without people's consent. This petition is a wake-up call to planners, politicians and developers to say 'enough is enough' and calling a halt to overdevelopment. I commend the hard work carried out by the campaign to raise awareness, to highlight the dangers to the environment, our communities and the fragile Welsh identity in many of these areas."<br />
</blockquote><b><i>Pictured with Janet Ryder AM are Cllr Carrie Harper, of Wrexham, and other campaigners down in Cardiff Bay.</i></b><br />
</div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-23090115864632596122009-12-01T16:00:00.000+00:002009-12-01T16:00:29.827+00:00Plas Madoc update: Communities First bosses suspended<a href="http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/12/01/north-wales-community-bosses-suspended-55578-25291628/">Today's Daily Post</a> has news of developments in the Plas Madoc investigation. I was due to meet Communities First representatives on Friday on the estate but learned today that the meeting had been cancelled.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>The scheme’s co-ordinator Miriam Beard and the finance and monitoring officer Andy Bunning have been suspended while auditors scrutinise the books.<br />
It follows allegations about the way the scheme, which has received millions of pounds funding to regenerate the local area, was being managed.<br />
<br />
Yesterday Plas Madoc Councillor Paul Blackwell, who sits on the PMCF board said the scheme was fully co-operating with the investigation.<br />
<br />
A Welsh Assembly Government spokesman said: “The Welsh Assembly Government and Wales Audit Office are working together to investigate concerns raised about governance arrangements within the Plas Madoc Communities First Partnership.<br />
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“As a result of preliminary findings two members of staff employed by the Plas Madoc Communities First Partnership have been suspended, pending further investigation.<br />
<br />
“The Assembly Government is continuing to work with the Communities First Partnership in Plas Madoc to ensure that its projects and activities in the local community are able to continue while further investigations continue.<br />
<br />
“It would not be appropriate to comment further until the investigation has been completed.”<br />
<br />
Coun Blackwell said: “There is full co-operation with the investigation and at the moment there is no evidence of any wrong doing.”<br />
<br />
PMCF was formed in 2003 as a limited company and a registered charity.<br />
<br />
Its purpose is to regenerate Plas Madoc, which is one of the most deprived wards in Wales.<br />
<br />
The community has major problems with access to services such as GPs and dentists, education standards local employment opportunities, and support for childcare.<br />
<br />
PMCF funnels funds into proactive schemes to give the local community a much needed boost.<br />
<br />
Since 2003 PMCF has co-ordinated a range of beneficial projects to support the area including £125,000 to give play areas a facelift, taking children on life changing trips to Gambia, and organising local environmental action schemes to clean up the area.<br />
<br />
Concerns were raised earlier this year there were problems with the way it was being run, with Mandy Bostwick, a psychotherapist and community councillor for Coedpoeth inWrexham, going on the record voicing her worries.<br />
<br />
But the claims were denied by PMCF bosses who insisted they would be vindicated after the investigations had concluded.<br />
<br />
</blockquote>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-14772177258821304852009-11-03T11:52:00.000+00:002009-11-03T11:52:47.568+00:00Iraq war inquiry snub to families in Wales<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plaid Cymru has spoken out against the latest developments in the UK Government’s Iraq Inquiry, which excludes Wales and the role of Welsh servicemen and women by omitting them from the key stages of the process.<br />
<br />
The Iraq inquiry headed up by Sir John Chilcott, which was launched on 15 June 2009, has been taking evidence from families and service personnel.<br />
<br />
Representatives of the inquiry visited cities in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland but Wales has been completely left off the radar. <br />
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Plaid's North Wales AM Janet Ryder said:</span><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "Fourteen Welsh servicemen, including four from North Wales, died in the war in Iraq. That's one in 11 of all UK fatalities in the conflict. Their families are being denied the opportunity to contribute to the inquiry and I'm sure several of the many injured during the conflict would want to have their say too.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><blockquote>"As is the case with many ex-servicemen abandoned to their fate once their fighting days are over, it seems the establishment is bypassing us with this inquiry. Given the contribution Welsh personnel make to the British Armed Forces - way beyond its actual population - it's important that families and others can contribute to this important inquiry. Plaid has consistenly opposed the illegal war in Iraq and this inquiry has to ensure that mistakes made then are never made again."</blockquote>She backed calls by Plaid Cymru MPs for the investigation to be more specific by splitting the inquiry in two, with one arm to look at the reasons why a decision was made to go to war, and another to investigate actions during the war.<br />
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Plaid’s Westminster leader Elfyn Llwyd MP said:<br />
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<blockquote>“Yet again Wales is barely an afterthought. Large numbers of Welsh soldiers were sent to Iraq to fight an illegal war and now the Government is showing little respect to them, their fallen colleagues or their families by leaving Wales out of such an important inquiry.</blockquote><blockquote>“We will never get to the truth if short cuts are taken and evidence still allowed to be gathered in secret. This must be a full and transparent inquiry.</blockquote><blockquote>“Brown has already managed to call the inquiry into disrepute over his original decision to hold the inquiry in private. He has since bowed to pressure allowing some consultations to be discussed in public, although still information will be withheld and there is no guarantee what will happen once the report is released.</blockquote><blockquote>“Typically, Labour will try and water down the report by releasing it in Spring when chances are it will be buried under the General Election. We must have full scrutiny over this issue.</blockquote><blockquote>“We need a debate and a vote in Parliament after the report is published and if the Government’s report raises doubts as to the legality of the Iraq war, then Plaid will call on the Government to submit itself to the judicial scrutiny of the International Court of Justice."</blockquote><br />
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</div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-25910984629780040442009-10-28T09:00:00.000+00:002009-10-28T09:00:26.662+00:00Praise for pioneering anti-social behaviour team<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/SugHV-ZYa7I/AAAAAAAAABY/WSjPItBDtDg/s1600-h/JR%2BYouthJustice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/SugHV-ZYa7I/AAAAAAAAABY/WSjPItBDtDg/s320/JR%2BYouthJustice.JPG" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">North Wales Assembly Member Janet Ryder has praised the work of a pioneering team tackling anti-social behaviour hotspots.<br />
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The Plaid Cymru AM for North Wales made her comments after visiting the Youth Justice team at its base in Derby Road, Brynteg, near Wrexham.</span><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The team of four in the picture - Fred Derbyshire, Nick Edwards, Donna Shepherd and team leader Craig Matthews - work from an office above the local AM/PM store run by Dino Paletta, also pictured, who has been backing the scheme by providing free office space.<br />
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She said: <b><i>"This team is targetting areas that have the potential to spiral into anti-social behaviour and I'm very much in favour of this kind of preventative work. If we can nip problems in the bud by providing alternative outlets for youngsters as well as getting them to inter-act more with older generations then the savings in terms of community relations and the actual cost of police intervention is huge."</i></b><br />
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The team is currently engaged in a 12-week project in the Brynteg area, where a public meeting agreed on a course of action for the team, who work closely with the police, local council and other agencies.<br />
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Janet Ryder added: <b><i>"Twelve weeks seems a very short timescale to make an effective intervention and, although I'm sure it is making a real difference in key communities, perhaps the programme needs to have more time to make an impact in villages like Brynteg. I would welcome greater involvement by the team on a longer-term basis to engage with children from the age of eight upwards and ensure they stay out of trouble."</i></b><br />
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Funding for the project, which is backed by North Wales Police and Wrexham Council, comes to an end in March despite the positive feedback the scheme has been receiving. Janet Ryder said: <b><i>"It's hard to demonstrate that youngsters haven't got involved in anti-social behaviour as a direct result of this team - how do you prove a negative? But I believe it's an effective way to improve our communities and deserves further support." </i></b></span></div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-62333191270216834042009-10-28T08:46:00.001+00:002009-10-28T08:50:12.040+00:00AM marches against marble church housing scheme<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/SugEwgHy4_I/AAAAAAAAABI/suvRz4_i7-M/s1600-h/Marble+Church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1ntqYhYmFyU/SugEwgHy4_I/AAAAAAAAABI/suvRz4_i7-M/s320/Marble+Church.jpg" /></span></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">North Wales Assembly Member Janet Ryder has marched with community campaigners fighting plans to treble the number of houses in their village, saying it is a "warning to us all" of what can happen when local needs are ignored.</span><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The Plaid Cymru AM for North Wales spoke after joining more than 100 local people who walked across fields at Bodelwyddan that have been put forward for an extra 1715 homes next to the village's landmark marble church. There are currently 800 homes in the village. Janet Ryder said: </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The turnout amongst villagers on a wet and windy day reflects the concerns people have about the over-development in this area. Building on fertile green fields like these is unacceptable. I have already raised concerns in the Assembly about this and other housing developments in north-east Wales, which have far more to do with the profits of developers than local housing need.<br />
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"If this part of Wales does not have very careful planning in the coming round of Local Development Plans, we're going to see a ribbon of commuter estates and dormitory villages created along the A55 and A483 corridors. This has nothing to do with creating communities with a sustainable future and local people are right to fight this.<br />
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"The tone of the campaign group is one of measured anger. This is not a simple NIMBY - Not in my back yard - attitude because residents in Bodelwyddan understand that this is part of a bigger picture whereby the north-east is effectively being used to service the housing needs of the Liverpool and Cheshire region. It does not make sense to create new commuter estates along the A55 for people to travel back and fore to Liverpool and Manchester. That's not a sustainable community and puts huge added pressures on the local infrastructure."<br />
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The Bodelwyddan Development Action Group, which organised the protest, also held a mass meeting last week. The meeting, at the village community centre, was chaired by local resident and former Conwy Council chief executive Derek Barker, who slammed the plans. He said: </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"If you're looking to develop an area, you don't start off with housing. Past housing growth has had no impact on affordability because we have an area of poor wages based on tourism and agriculture. These plans are not based on local need. We need honesty from Denbighshire County Council because this will just allow Cheshire people to have a house here."</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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Janet Ryder added: </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"These proposals for Bodelwyddan are just the most extreme example of what happens when the needs of a local community are ignored and trampled on. We have a disturbing situation where planners in Flintshire, Conwy, Denbighshire and Wrexham councils are having to reflect the housing needs of a wider sub-region that includes Cheshire and Merseyside through the Mersey-Dee Alliance. I see no similar demand for councils in those areas to reflect the needs of people in this part of Wales - it's one-way traffic."<br />
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</div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-82419529938942360252009-10-28T08:41:00.002+00:002009-10-28T08:48:24.038+00:00New hospital operating theatres will cut waiting lists<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plaid Cymru's North Wales AM Janet Ryder has expressed delight at news that three new hospital theatres for the area will increase operating capacity by a fifth. The three at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd near Bodelwyddan will cost £5.4 million and include two laparoscopic theatres delivering "keyhole" surgery and one new urology day care unit.<br />
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Janet Ryder said: <i>"Current operating theatres at Glan Clwyd are working to capacity so these are much needed new facilities being provided by the Welsh Government. The laparascopic theatres will be purpose-built and state of the art and this extra theatre space will increase capacity at Glan Clwyd by 20%. That means more operations can be performed and that will substantially reduce waiting times facing patients.<br />
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"This is another example of the Welsh Government opting to invest in the North to improve public services at a time of recession rather than follow the London parties' agenda of cutting public services at this crucial time. Now is not the time to be putting public sector workers on the dole and reducing the services we need more urgently than ever."</i><br />
</span>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927177670001970507.post-6813238441003729132009-10-13T22:57:00.000+01:002009-10-13T22:57:04.069+01:00Wrexham tops WAG budget settlement<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial;"><i>This went out to the local press in Wrexham:</i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial;">Wrexham will receive the highest increase in Assembly Government funding for Welsh councils in the latest round of funding announcements.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial;">The 3.1% increase for 2010-11 has been welcomed by Plaid Cymru's North Wales AM <b>Janet Ryder</b>. She said: <b>"Wrexham doesn't qualify for the EU Convergence Fund and has been badly hit by job losses in the past year. Therefore it's good to hear that Welsh Government funding for the council in the coming financial year is the highest in Wales."</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial;">She added: <b>"The picture across North Wales is a mixed one - some councils are receiving below the 2.1% average increase while others, like Denbighshire and Wrexham, are above average. Because of UK government cuts in budgets, there's no doubt that many councils will struggle to maintain services.</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial;"><b>"What's important to note is that the Welsh Government has seen a less-than-expected block grant from London because of UK government cuts but is ensuring that cuts are minimised for local councils. This is where the frontline services are and these are the services we need to protect and safeguard. That's why the Welsh Government has ensured that councils overall are getting the same funding increase as the Assembly itself."</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial;"> Wrexham Council will receive £162 million from the Welsh Government, an increase of £7 million, but the Plaid AM is concerned that the long-term funding settlement for Welsh councils could look bleak. </span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial;">Janet Ryder launched a passionate attack on the way funding is allocated to Wales. She said: <b>"The Plaid-Labour government in the Assembly has had to use money held in reserve to help at this vital time. That is because London governments have consistently underfunded Wales because of the flawed Barnett Formula. This formula means that Labour in London is holding back money that should come to Wales. The independent Commission chaired by Gerald Holtham identified this spending gap and said that, until the funding formula was reviewed, no further cuts should be imposed on Welsh funding. This has been ignored and that ultimately means that frontline services such as health, education and social services will feel the pinch.</b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 18px;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Arial;"><b> "Plaid has campaigned for many years for a fair funding formula to ensure that Wales gets the money it needs. Unless that is addressed, next year's settlement is likely to be followed by more severe cuts."</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b>The full settlement is detailed below:</b></span></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 11px;"><i></i><br />
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</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">Table 1a: Increase in AEF</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">?000s</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">Local Authority</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2009-10 </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">Final</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Arial;"><sup> </sup></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">AEF</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal Arial;"><sup>?</sup></span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2010-11 Provisional AEF?</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">% increase</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">Rank</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">ISLE OF ANGLESEY</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">93,595</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">94,531</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.00%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">21</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">GWYNEDD</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">168,441</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">170,197</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.04%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">20</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">CONWY</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">144,405</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">146,042</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.13%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">19</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">DENBIGHSHIRE</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">134,698</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">137,920</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2.39%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">6</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">FLINTSHIRE</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">183,618</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">186,989</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.84%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">12</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">WREXHAM</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">157,409</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">162,294</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">3.10%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">POWYS</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">179,219</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">181,012</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.00%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">22</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">CEREDIGION</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">98,978</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">101,042</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2.09%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">9</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">PEMBROKESHIRE</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">159,957</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">162,181</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.39%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">17</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">CARMARTHENSHIRE</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">247,315</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">251,678</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.76%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">13</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">SWANSEA</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">296,521</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">302,028</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.86%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">11</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">NEATH PORT TALBOT</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">195,419</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">198,861</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.76%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">14</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">BRIDGEND</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">176,092</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">180,723</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2.63%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">4</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">148,613</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">152,161</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2.39%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">7</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">RHONDDA CYNON TAFF</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">340,172</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">348,653</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2.49%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">5</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">MERTHYR TYDFIL</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">85,654</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">87,343</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.97%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">10</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">CAERPHILLY</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">248,483</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">254,083</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2.25%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">8</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">BLAENAU GWENT</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">107,958</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">109,593</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.52%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">16</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">TORFAEN</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">129,087</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">131,169</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.61%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">15</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">MONMOUTHSHIRE</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">97,790</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">98,904</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">1.14%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">18</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">NEWPORT</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">191,062</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">196,974</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">3.09%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">CARDIFF</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">382,753</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">394,093</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2.96%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">3</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">Wales</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">3,967,239</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">4,048,471</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">2.05%</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 147px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 73px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 27px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td colspan="7" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 399px;" valign="middle"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial;">Footnote :1. 2010-11 figures include the transfers in and out of the settlement, 2009-10 figures are therefore adjusted to include the 2009-10 value to allow comparison at local authority level. This results in a slight difference (0.02%) when compared with the overall increase in funding before the inclusion of transfers.</span></div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 19px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 61px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td><td style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px; width: 62px;" valign="middle"><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #175309; font-family: 'Al Bayan';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
</div><div></div>AC/AMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152165722890348890noreply@blogger.com0