, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
The UK Government’s economic and fiscal policies are responsible for the relatively poor growth of the UK economy. If the Welsh Government’s budget since 2010 had kept pace with long-run growth in the economy before 2010, it would be over £4.5 billion higher…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I absolutely agree that those family engagement officers do excellent work in terms of being that bridge between the school and the family, and, as such, in the 2022-23 budget, we'll be investing £3.84 million in increasing the number of those family…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I think that this is another one of those areas of pressure on local government that your colleague Sam Rowlands was discussing earlier on in the session today, in the sense that their budget, like ours, is worth less than originally envisaged. The prices of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I'm very grateful for the question and absolutely share the enthusiasm for this policy. I don't think it could have been a policy that could have come at a better time, really, because I know that when discussions started about this particular policy, we…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
As a result of the co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru, we anticipate feeding nearly an additional 60,000 primary age pupils in our first year of roll-out. We will implement the scheme as quickly as possible to ensure that every primary school pupil…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you for raising this issue. We've shared as much detail as we can in the regulatory impact assessment, which was published alongside the legislation. We've been keen to provide operators with the largest amount of time possible to adapt their business…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Absolutely. This strand of our policy, in terms of addressing the impact that large numbers of second homes and holiday lets can have on some communities in Wales, is about doing exactly that which Ken Skates has described, and that’s creating sustainable…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Our changes, which form part of our three-pronged approach, will help strike the right balance between capacity within the self-catering tourism sector, and the economic benefits that brings, and supporting viable communities of local residents to live and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Well, I think that your question sets out why it is so important that we have these amendments to the UK Government's Bill, both in terms of the governance of the bank—so, at the moment, it's only UK Treasury Ministers who are allowed to nominate people to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
This is a really important issue, and, of course, the UK Infrastructure Bank is supposed to be the successor to the European Investment Bank, but I think that, if you look at the sums available to it to invest, it really just pales compared to what we would…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I thought I might have been going on too long.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you for raising these issues. I'll begin with your question in relation to where might local government feel particular pressure. I've already had opportunities to meet collectively with all of the leaders of local government, including our new cohort…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I would absolutely recognise that local government did experience real difficulties during the pandemic, both in terms of lost income and those opportunities lost in terms of making up income, and, of course, the additional pressures that they had on a range…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you for the question. As you say, we have a three-year spending outlook now as a result of the UK Government's three-year spending review, which in itself was welcome. But, one of the challenges that we've all recognised is that it was very much…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I'd certainly encourage the Picton Castle Trust in the first instance to engage with the Deputy Minister for culture in order to explore whether there are opportunities for support. As a first step, I would encourage them to write to the Deputy Minister to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you for the question. The mid Wales growth deal final deal agreement was, of course, signed by all parties in January of this year, and that does set out how the Welsh Government will work with the UK Government and the Growing Mid Wales board framework…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
The spending priorities for the next three years are set out within the final budget, published in March this year. This has resulted in a number of investments in mid and west Wales, for example, in health, education and transport, alongside our longer term…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Well, I am aware that women, including those with caring responsibilities, and retirees in fact, are well represented amongst operators of self-catering properties. But it's not, however, clear that such operators would be less able than other people to let…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you very much to Siân Gwenllian for that question. I think she sets out why it is so important that we start to look at our budget through different lenses. GDP is an important source of data and we do have some experimental data looking at GDP on a…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Our approach to gender budgeting in Arfon and across Wales continues to evolve in line with our budget improvement plan and the programme for government. Three pilots are under way and, as well as evaluating their impact, we also continue to learn from…
, Finance Committee
Post-EU funding arrangements: Evidence session 3
So, I think it's fair to say the Chief Secretary to the Treasury was in listening mode on this issue when we met last week, but discussions are mainly taking place at official level.
, Finance Committee
Post-EU funding arrangements: Evidence session 3
Yes. The kind of amendments we would want to be considered are around who appoints directors to the bank and what role the devolved Governments would have in that and then also the setting of the bank's mandate, or the direction of the bank, and what role we…
, Finance Committee
Post-EU funding arrangements: Evidence session 3
Well, at the moment, I wouldn't be in a position to say whether or not I would recommend consent by the Senedd—so, I'd just make that clear—because there are some ongoing discussions with the UK Government. I did meet with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury…
, Finance Committee
Post-EU funding arrangements: Evidence session 3
I would just add that we have exceptionally good relationships with local government, so we are able to have some very open and frank discussions about these matters, which I think is very useful. Just a short while ago, Vaughan wrote to local government…
, Finance Committee
Post-EU funding arrangements: Evidence session 3
Yes. Especially, I think, in the context of what we've literally just been discussing about the importance of those longer-term windows for investment. You can be much more ambitious in the kinds of programmes that you invest in when you do have that longer…
