Relations with the UK Government

Mike HedgesLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

Always be wary of what you wish for. You noted in your written evidence that the timing of UK fiscal events can cause the Welsh Government challenges, which could be mitigated by the UK Government setting dates for its fiscal events well in advance. You must be pleased, as a Minister, that we've got…

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Rebecca EvansLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

I think, critically, those discussions would have to be—or any kind of work stream would have to be—on a four-nations basis. It absolutely couldn't be a Treasury-led exercise, and obviously we wouldn't accept anything that might result in less funding for Wales, for example. So, I think it would be…

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Peredur Owen GriffithsPlaid

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

Not delving into my crystal ball too much about what might or might not happen tomorrow, but if you look at the polls and with a potentially very large majority for the next incoming Government, is it an opportunity to actually advance some of that work and to be able to draw people across the UK to…

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Rebecca EvansLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

So, we have through our bilateral meetings, and also I've mentioned them in the FISC meetings as well, the work that was done in 'Reforming our Union', so that is the way in which we would envisage that kind of needs-based approach being taken forward in future. But that would of course require…

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Mike HedgesLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

Evidence that we've received to this inquiry notes that the UK is the exception when it comes to the absence of an explicit needs-based element in devolved funding. What dialogue have you had with the Treasury regarding an explicit needs-based funding mechanism, and how do you envisage this…

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Rebecca EvansLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

I hope not, because we also have those bilateral relationships with Treasury as well. So, there are things where you would expect all devolved Governments to have a particular interest in, for example, all of us—and the UK Government as well—will be feeling the pressure in terms of public services…

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Mike HedgesLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

I very much welcome that discussion with the other devolved administrations, and hopefully, when we get the regional mayors sorted out, they can also become part of that discussion. The question I've got, though, is: isn't there a danger that the Treasury will see it as everybody ganging up on them?

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Rebecca EvansLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

Yes, I will say—. Just to say as well that when we talked at the start about those principles for inter-governmental relations, about establishing trust, confidentiality and good communication, actually, those meetings that we have on a trilateral basis are very open. We're very open about the…

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Peredur Owen GriffithsPlaid

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

And I think that's one thing that this committee has found useful is our relationships with our equivalents in Scotland and now in Northern Ireland as well, so, working side by side with them on a tripartite basis is quite useful. And something that we might want to explore is how the scrutiny bit…

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Rebecca EvansLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

We have regular meetings on a trilateral basis in any case. So, around every eight weeks, I meet with the Ministers from Scotland and Northern Ireland on that trilateral basis, again to talk about how we can best work together to influence the UK Government, and also to share knowledge and learning…

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Rebecca EvansLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

It is really frustrating because those FISC meetings are really important in terms of being able to set out our particular concerns, our asks, to try to make some progress on those things. But it has been the case, when there's been churn in the UK Government, that meetings have been cancelled at…

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Mike HedgesLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

Perhaps just at a future date we could discuss capital and revenue, and the moves, and capital maintenance and how revenue can support capital and capital can support revenue. I don't think we're going to have time for that today, but I think it is something that is worth further discussion. You…

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Rebecca EvansLabour

3 July 2024, Finance Committee

Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 8

Well, without taking anything for granted, Chair, in terms of what might happen in the election tomorrow, I was pleased to see the commitment within the Labour manifesto, which relates to updating the fiscal framework, and I think that is really important in terms of giving us the tools that we need…

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