The Public Audit Committee looks at reports published by the Auditor General for Scotland to examine whether public money is being spent efficiently and effectively.
On 21 May 2025 the Auditor General for Scotland published the report, the 2022/23 audit of Forth valley College.
The report says "The procurement breach related primarily to a failure by the college to draw up and agree contracts for expenditure totalling over £900,000 over the duration of the project, and a failure by the college to obtain approval to appoint a supplier without competition. The college had financial regulations and a procurement policy and procedures in place. These were not fully followed by college staff. College staff were aware of the absence of a contract and appropriate approvals from the early stages of the project in 2020 but the non-compliant spend was not reported to the Finance Committee until November 2022 despite the opportunity to do so sooner".
The report was discussed at the following Committee meetings in relation to its work programme:
Minutes of the meeting on 25 June 2025 (Work Programme):
In relation to the 2022/23 audit of Forth Valley College report, it agreed to write to Forth Valley College, the Scottish Funding Council and to the Scottish Government.
The Committee has sent and received the following correspondence during scrutiny of the report:
Correspondence from the Convener to Francesca Osowska, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, 11 July 2025
Correspondence from the Convener to Neil Rennick, Director-General Education and Justice, Scottish Government, 11 July 2025
Correspondence from the Convener to Kenny MacInnes, Principal and Chief Executive of Forth Valley College, 11 July 2025
Correspondence from the Convener to Douglas Ross MSP, Convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee, 20 June 2025
Correspondence to the Convener from Stephen Boyle, the Auditor General for Scotland, 18 June 2025