13 January 2026 , Plenary
& 12. The general principles of the Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill and the financial resolution in respect of the Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I'm pleased to propose that the Senedd agrees the general principles of the Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill. As you would expect, I want to thank the Chairs and members of the Economy, Trade…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
So, let me just end, Dirprwy Lywydd, by thanking the committee once again for their work on the report. I look forward to continuing to work alongside them as we develop our thinking in this policy area.
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
I thank Siân Gwenllian, Dirprwy Lywydd. The area of housing is the area where we do use the majority of these FTCs, but if there's more that we can do and we can be more flexible in the way that we use FTCs in the area of housing, then, of course, I want to…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
Of course.
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
The report will undoubtedly help us to continue to develop this relatively new financial instrument, making sure that we are able to deploy it effectively in the future. As you’ve heard, I’ve already responded formally to the report and to each of its…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report, 'Financial Transactions Capital'
Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. May I start by welcoming the Finance Committee's report and thanking the Chair and members of the committee for the work that they have done?
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Well, many congratulations to Hannah Blythyn on her use of Welsh on the floor of the Senedd and, of course, for her success over the summer months. And thank you for the opportunity to highlight the fact that the National Centre for Learning Welsh does…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
I thank Hannah Blythyn for the question. Llywydd, £15.5 million is being invested in the national centre this year to provide opportunities for adults and young people to learn Welsh. The draft budget includes an investment of £16.7 million for the next…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Well, I thank Lee Waters for that. He is right, Llywydd, there were two budgets in the last financial year. In the autumn statement, Wales received an additional £7 million for all our capital needs, and in the spring budget we received an additional £1…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
I thank Lee Waters for that, Llywydd. The draft budget aligns the revenue support and the capital investment available next year against the four priorities of the Government, funding a healthier Wales, jobs and green growth, opportunity for every family and…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Well, Llywydd, I understand the points that the Member has raised, and it is why, indeed, those points and others have been drawn to the attention of Treasury Ministers in London. I've raised them orally and I've written to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
What I'm saying is that there are decisions are to be made. Every week we hear Plaid Cymru calling for more money for everything: the arts last week, local authorities, the health service, free school meals. At the end of the day, we have decisions to make…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
As I explained to Heledd Fychan this afternoon, I'm not in a position to divert funding intended for devolved responsibilities to supplement non-devolved budgets. Next year, the third sector support grant in Wales will rise by 7 per cent, at a time when…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
I began my political experience as a locally elected member of South Glamorgan County Council, as a number of colleagues on these benches did too, and I've always had an enormous admiration for the work that local authorities do—and that's local authorities…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Thank you for those questions. Let me assure the Member that had there been a council tax freeze in Wales, then the increases in precepts that local authorities would need to make now in order to make up for that would well exceed those that councils in Wales…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
I thank the Member for that question. The setting of budgets and council tax levels every year is a matter for democratically accountable local councils. I ask those local authorities to consider carefully the balance between maintaining services and the…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Llywydd, I'll set aside the hubristic start to the Member's question to agree with him that there is a strong case for updating the figures that lie behind the fiscal framework. The UK Labour manifesto at last July's election commits the Government to do…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Llywydd, I remember the many occasions on which Paul Davies has made that case. Of course, in calling for reform of the Barnett formula he was echoing what Lord Joel Barnett himself called for many times later in his career. We set out in ‘Reforming our…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
I thank Alun Davies. I too saw that Gerry Holtham had accepted an invitation from the Northern Ireland Executive to help them in conducting an independent review of the level of funding needed in Northern Ireland. I agree with what Alun Davies has said…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
I thank Alun Davies for that, Llywydd. We have long argued that resources should be allocated across the United Kingdom on the basis of relative need. Our priority in the near term is to ensure that the current funding formula delivers for Wales, by focusing…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
I probably can't do that accurately enough this afternoon. I’m very happy that those figures can be made available to Members.FootnoteLink The leader of the opposition won’t be surprised to learn that, during the COVID period, there was less of an ability on…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
I thank Mike Hedges for that question and for his consistent support of the invest-to-save programme. He's absolutely right, Llywydd, of course, that the investments we are making in the public sector cover a very wide range of individual schemes in the…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
The invest-to-save programme has supported approximately 200 projects with an aggregate value of around £200 million. Funds are being used to support projects related to green growth and care-experienced children. Ministers are currently considering a…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Well, Llywydd, on that first point that Heledd Fychan made, there will be an opportunity for Plaid Cymru to demonstrate the importance that they place on investment in public services in Wales when the final budget comes before the Senedd, where £1.5 billion…
29 January 2025 , Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Well, Llywydd, what the UK Government are still saying is that they are working on the funding that will be provided to mitigate the impact of the increase in national insurance in the public sector. So, we will receive support from the Government in…
