, Finance Committee
Introductory session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Evidence session
Yes, good morning, Chair, and good morning, committee. I'm Rebecca Evans, Minister for Finance and Local Government. I'll ask officials to introduce themselves.
, Plenary
Debate: Using the UK Government Spending Review to address coal tip safety in Wales
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. It's so disheartening to hear the Welsh Conservatives state, week after week, that they think that Wales is somehow overfunded, or even sufficiently funded, and I would ask the Welsh Conservatives just to do their own research and to…
, Plenary
Debate: Using the UK Government Spending Review to address coal tip safety in Wales
The legacy of our mining past, the benefits of which were shared across the whole of the UK, is the more than 2,100 disused coal tips across Wales. When these tips were created, the full impact of carbon emissions from coal, oil and gas in driving climate…
, Plenary
Debate: Using the UK Government Spending Review to address coal tip safety in Wales
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Our climate is changing. The Met Office reported in July this year that we should expect a pattern of wetter weather, more frequent storms and heavier rainfall. There's no doubt that we are seeing destructive climate change unfold…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
First of all, I'd like to begin by recognising the tremendous importance of the tourism sector to many parts of Wales. It's the absolute lifeblood of many communities and we want to be sure that we provide everybody with a warm welcome when they come to visit…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes, I agree that this is only part of the picture and that action is required urgently, because we know that there are communities in Wales really feeling the pressure in this regard. It's why we've taken some early action, such as the additional 1 per cent…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
This consultation implements one of the actions set out in our three‑pronged approach to address the impact of second homes on communities in Wales. It seeks views on potential changes to local taxes, including local authorities' powers to apply council tax…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Well, you're absolutely right to say that the raising of national insurance contributions does have a differential impact as compared to that which would have been achieved by raising rates of income tax, partly because of the way in which the thresholds sit…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
We have committed not to take more in Welsh rates of income tax from Welsh families for at least as long as the economic impact of coronavirus lasts. All of our taxes are informed by our tax principles, which are set out in our tax policy framework and which…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I think that the situation that Mark Isherwood has described does show that there are many factors at play here in terms of people's motivations to buy properties. We've taken the deliberate decision to try and increase the higher rate of land transaction…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Well, funding from land transaction tax already supports local authorities and others in terms of supporting our agenda for building more social homes. But I do have to say there are a couple of things that I do need to put on record. So, the additional rate…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Since April 2018, land transaction tax has raised over £800 million. The funds raised have been used to fund our valued public services, including investment in social housing.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
As yet we haven't had those discussions with the UK Government, because they haven't yet responded to our letter from August seeking that urgent meeting. But I think it's fair to say that any kind of open-ended commitment by the Welsh Government to match the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
There's been no real progress since July, unfortunately. And, in frustration, in August, I wrote a joint letter with Ministers from the other devolved Governments to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury seeking an urgent meeting on free ports, and I'm very…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Whilst we are willing to engage constructively with the UK Government on this issue, we still haven't received a formal proposal from the UK Government to establish a free port in Wales. Hence, in the absence of detail, we're unable to assess fully the tax…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes, we've been calling for multi-year settlements too, alongside local government in Wales, for many years. I think it was 2017 when we were last able to publish a budget for more than one financial year. We understand that the next one will be for three…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you very much for raising that point and for recognising the incredible work of the Welsh public sector in terms of responding to the pandemic. You'll be familiar with the report that was published a little while back now that looked at the various…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
We are undertaking a full and comprehensive spending review for capital investment programmes across Wales. This will consider all costs associated with the planning of strategic and economic development and will feed into our new Wales infrastructure and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I will, and I'll inform the Member that Wales actually doesn't get more than its fair share; on a good day we get our fair share. I'm very interested that the Member seems to be opposed to the funding that Wales gets as a result of our unique social and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Huw Irranca-Davies, obviously, is right that we are many steps ahead of the UK Government in terms of the thinking that we’ve done on this issue and, of course, Huw was the original chair of that inter-ministerial group which pulled together interests from…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Funding for health and social care has always been a priority in Wales, highlighted by the additional £550 million provided in August to support recovery. We acknowledge the additional funding resulting from UK Government decisions, however the outcome of the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Well, you’ll be very aware of the work which was undertaken by the committee in the last Senedd which recommended the devolution of various aspects of the administration of the welfare and benefits system here in Wales. This is absolutely something that we…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I think there are two things that we need to do here. The first is to address the immediate pressures that we see within the social care sector here in Wales, which are quite acute now, and you will have heard my colleague, the Minister for health, talking…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you for raising this important issue this afternoon. I think there's a great deal to be concerned about in terms of the UK Government's approach to the future funding of health and social care, not least because the measures will disproportionately…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I'm aware of the letter to which you refer and the concerns around the Rhondda issue in particular, which is why I'm reluctant to go into too much more detail in terms of a response to that particular issue this afternoon. But I will endeavour to have some…
