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Confusion and mismanagement were behind the Children’s Society’s decision to pull out of Wales, MPs have concluded after a four-hour question session with the charity’s representatives, writes Alex Dobson.

The charity itself told the House of Commons Welsh affairs select committee that devolution had been partly to blame for the pull-out decision. The society’s finance director, Charles Nall, said that ‘practical issues’ like devolution and the cost of implementing the language policy in Wales had contributed to the difficulties that the charity had encountered in its work in the principality.

Martyn Jones MP, chairperson of the select committee is now planning to write to the Charity Commissioner seeking a review of the way the society handled the affair.

He said: "Essentially it is mismanagement that has caused the society to pull out of Wales, and that was something that became apparent from the answers that were given during the meeting.

"For instance, they conceded that they had made decisions based on wrong information. They were unclear as to when certain projects were actually ending, believing that some projects were to end some 18 months prior to the actual end date.

"It is not surprising that they were acting on incorrect information however since they did not actually consult with anyone in Wales before coming to the decision to withdraw from the 13 advocacy projects across Wales. It became clear during the meeting that they took the easy option to cut Wales off."

Asked why there had been a complete failure to consult with anyone in Wales prior to the decision to cut services, the chairperson of the society Lady Toulson, told the select committee that she had been brought in to make a decision on cost savings, not to carry out a consultation process.

Following the grave financial situation facing the society, she said that the cuts were the ‘only option’ because she said the charity’s work in England could ‘implode’ if savings were not made.

A Children’s Society spokesperson said: "We are pleased that the Welsh affairs select committee took an interest in this matter, which is of great importance. What we really need to do now is to find a way forward so that services can be transferred to other organisations whoever they may be, so that children and young people can have their continuity of service maintained."