, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Jack.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
My final point on this, before I invite members of the committee, is how important, given this is a budget meeting, is the money offered to companies along with the skills agenda? We’ve talked about premises, business parks, et cetera, as well as that…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you for that background information. On foreign direct investment, obviously, that is a portfolio responsibility as well. There is a tightening of foreign direct investment coming into the UK in the last year, the figures indicate. Wales, historically…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
And we have got a charitable donation from Duncan with his phone going off, we have, then—I'm sure you'll inform the committee. Going on the sustainable part of the budget and the funding allocations, obviously, in last year's budget, there were significant…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
Thank you very much. That's for the record. I'll open the questions, because we've only got an hour to discuss the budget, which is not far off a £1 billion budget, so there's quite a bit to discuss and look through. Cabinet Secretary, when you were…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership
We'll move straight into the evidence session. For the first session today, we have Rebecca Evans in and Jack Sargeant, who is the Minister. Would the officials like to introduce themselves, please?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Papers to note
And I draw the committee's attention to my declaration of interest, being a partner in a farming business and should any matters around the agricultural department or agricultural support be noted in this meeting, the interest would be declared. Okay, thank…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Papers to note
Okay. I'll just do a couple of housekeeping notes, if I may, before we get stuck in to the evidence session with the Minister. The meeting is bilingual and is broadcast on Senedd.tv and there's simultaneous translation available. We have received apologies…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Papers to note
I think we're due responses to various letters from the twenty-third of the month onwards, from what my conversations with the clerking team yesterday were. Obviously, we will press to get those responses as quickly as possible, but sadly, as we sit here…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Papers to note
Sorry. The disability employment gap, the future of Welsh steel and—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Papers to note
That is a very good question. On 2.8, the legislative consent—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Papers to note
Moving on, there are papers to note, which I think Members have had sight of. Is everyone content with those papers to note?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions, and declarations of interest
Good morning, everyone. It's great to welcome everyone to the first meeting of the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee for 2025. The evidence we'll be taking today will be related to the Welsh Government budget. But before we get into that, I'd just…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thank you for that answer, First Minister, and the answers you’ve given to other colleagues this afternoon, which don't inspire confidence that your Government has a grip on waiting times here in Wales. Yesterday morning, I was approached by a constituent who…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
6. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve health outcomes for residents in South Wales Central? OQ62082
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The First Minister's first 100 days
By all means. You talked about warm hubs. Are you proud that you're a member of a party that withdrew the winter fuel allowance and has taken that away from 570,000 pensioners here in Wales, which will see 4,000 premature deaths? Are you proud as a First…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The First Minister's first 100 days
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I formally move the motion standing on the order paper today, and I also reject the two amendments that have been added by the opposition party and the governing party in relation to the motion. Most politicians seem to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Minister, thank you for that answer. I recall the First Minister saying last week in First Minister's questions that the Welsh Government had done an analysis, but I think, in response to Llyr Gruffydd's question, you indicated that it was more of a general…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
5. What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the impact on Welsh agriculture of the UK Government's autumn budget? OQ61855
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Thank you, finance Minister. It's a bit of a groundhog day standing here asking you questions. Obviously, one of the measures that came out of the UK Government budget was the increase in national insurance contributions to employers. That, potentially, has a…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
2. What discussions has the Cabinet Secretary had with the UK Government regarding the UK Government's autumn budget? OQ61856
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I still haven't had a single figure from you, despite twice asking and wishing you well in your endeavours, because the consequences of the blockages in our health service were shown again down in west Wales, in Nantgaredig Rugby Football Club, where a player…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thank you for the word soup, First Minister; I was looking for some real hard and fast targets, because in those 100 days since you’ve become First Minister, there have been an additional 9,000 pathways added to waiting lists here in Wales, there have been…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, your hundredth day in office is on Thursday, and you rightly at the outset of taking up the office highlighted bringing waiting times down as being of top priority for the Government and that all agencies of the…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Welsh Government response to UK Government budget
I’m grateful. Thank you, finance Secretary. Could you pinpoint to me where the OBR—because you use this as a line of defence for the budget and the £22 billion supposed black hole—could you pinpoint where the OBR highlighted the existence of that £22 billion…
