The Western Mail reports that the investigation into expense claims made by the Assembly Government’s overseas arm will check to see whether rules relating to air miles and other benefits have been complied with.
The inquiry was set up following the publication of details showing that employees of International Business Wales (IBW) had spent more than £700,000 in a year on taxpayer-funded corporate credit cards.
The money was spent on flights, hotels, living accommodation and food expenses undertaken by IBW staff, whose role is to drum up inward investment from businesses based in locations like North America and the Far East.
First Minister Rhodri Morgan was infuriated when he learnt senior officials had wrongly informed him that IBW staff were not permitted to fly first class.
Mr Morgan was forced to apologise publicly to Welsh Liberal Democrat leader, whom he had accused of telling an “outright lie” in revealing details of the expenditure following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
The paper says that after a suggestion was made to the Western Mail that some IBW employees may have used air miles earned from business trips to reduce the cost of private holidays, an Assembly Government spokeswoman said: “Our policy on air miles states that air miles and other benefits earned through official expenditure should be used for official purposes or forgone.
“We have announced this week that a review of all costs incurred by IBW staff will be conducted and we do not propose to make any further comment until the review is concluded.”
The Government refused to confirm whether the report of the review group will be published.
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alot of meetings can be done via videolink and e-mail. Its a different attitude to money when its not theirs.. IBW should cut back and Rhodder should fly second class or thumb a lift!