To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the (a) name, (b) professional and academic qualifications and (c) relevant experience are of the chief accounting officer of his Department. (76837)

As set out in the annual report (Col. 6385, published 25 May 2006), the Wales Office pays grant to the National Assembly for Wales, accounting directly within the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) for its own expenditure of some £5 million a year. Its director is appointed as an additional accounting officer to the DCA permanent secretary. The director combines these duties with responsibility for the overall organisation, management, staffing and procedures of the Wales Office.

The director is Alan Cogbill, a graduate entrant to the civil service. He has no professional accountancy qualification. He has experience as finance director of the DCA, and has undertaken civil service training in Government finance and accounting. He is assisted by professionally qualified accountants in DCA as need be.