Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Local Authorities (Capital Finance and Accounting) (Wales) Regulations 2003 (“the 2003 Regulations”) and apply in relation to local authorities in Wales. They alter the ordinary accounting treatment of certain financial losses suffered by local authorities by allowing an affected local authority to record an offsetting credit in its accounts of up to the value of the loss. The effect of this is that whilst the authority’s accounts continue to fully show the loss that has been incurred, the effects of the loss on the authority’s budget calculations are mitigated. This is a temporary arrangement: the offsetting credit must be fully reversed in the financial year beginning on 1 April 2010 if it has not already been reversed by then.

A regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on business, charities or the voluntary sector is foreseen.