A DAMNING report into how the scrapped Circuit of Wales project was handled by the Welsh Government has been met with an angry reception.

The report found a series of failings in the Welsh Government's handling of the scheme, which was scrapped in October last year, including ministers not being informed of decisions made by officers.

And, addressing Carwyn Jones in the Senedd yesterday, leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies said the report by the Welsh Assembly's Public Accounts Committee "makes for depressing reading".

"It indicates a lack of ministerial oversight on many of the decisions that were taken and press releases that were put out that were contrary to the evidence that the committee then uncovered that showed that the department was aware of what was going on with this money," he said.

"You are head of the government. How on earth can a government department operate in such circumstances as the report identifies today, which basically indicates that the department was being run by the officials rather than the minister?"

Mr Jones replied: "There are questions that we will need to address in the response to the committee's report but, of course, as the committee has reported it's absolutely right that there should be a full response at the right time."

Pressing the first minister further, Mr Davies said: "How on earth can the officials run the department without the minister having oversight of these decisions?

"That's a very serious accusation that needs an answer and surely today you, as head of the government, can give us that answer and that reassurance that the changes in place will not allow this situation to happen again?"

Mr Jones replied: "It wouldn't be right for me to prejudge a full response. This is a serious report that deserves a serious response and that has to be done at the right time."

The project was scrapped despite already being handed £9.3 million of taxpayer's money.

Senior Plaid Cymru AM Adam Price, who had previously raised a number of concerns around the project, has also spoken out about the report.

"The way the Welsh Government has dealt with this will probably go down as a landmark example of mismanagement," he said.

He added: "In terms of getting investment into Wales the Welsh Government has made Wales into a laughing stock."