, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2027-28 - Pre-budget scrutiny: Cabinet Minister for Finance
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Sera.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2027-28 - Pre-budget scrutiny: Cabinet Minister for Finance
Thanks. Just before I bring Sera in, just one last point from me on this, then. So, whilst there may not be anything concrete ahead of the Chancellor's budget at the end of this month, I'd be interested in any mood music that you may be hearing as to what…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2027-28 - Pre-budget scrutiny: Cabinet Minister for Finance
Sure.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2027-28 - Pre-budget scrutiny: Cabinet Minister for Finance
Thank you, Cabinet Minister—
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2027-28 - Pre-budget scrutiny: Cabinet Minister for Finance
Is it different to what you expected in terms of the challenges you're facing?
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2027-28 - Pre-budget scrutiny: Cabinet Minister for Finance
Thank you, Cabinet Minister, and you’ve outlined those challenges in terms of the real-terms cuts that you will be having to manage. Clearly, there are areas outside of your control, outside of many of our control, in terms of global events and the pressures…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2027-28 - Pre-budget scrutiny: Cabinet Minister for Finance
Diolch yn fawr. Thank you again for being with us this morning. We have just over an hour together to talk through this pre-budget scrutiny. I appreciate, Cabinet Minister, it's your first budget to plan for and work towards. I'm just wondering, perhaps, as a…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2027-28 - Pre-budget scrutiny: Cabinet Minister for Finance
Welcome, everybody, back to our Finance Committee meeting here today. The next item on our agenda is item 6, which is the Welsh Government draft budget 2027-28—pre-budget scrutiny. We're really pleased to have Cabinet Minister for Finance with us here this…
, Finance Committee
Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from items 5 and 7
So, Members, we're going to move into item 4, which is a motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from items 5 and 7. Are Members content? Great, I can see that you are. Thank you.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Thank you so much, and thank you for all your time with us this morning; it's very much appreciated.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Yes. As the newish auditor general, what sort of plans will you want to present, sooner rather than later, to get those measures up to the place where you'd want them to be, and to continue to support institutions here in Wales to establish that trust?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Diolch yn fawr iawn. The work of audit, generally, is so important and powerful in that trust issue, certainly at a time in public life and in institutions where the risks are around trust and how organisations are perceived, so we value your work immensely…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Okay, thank you. I'll bring Sera in to wrap things up. Sera.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
So, before we look forward a little bit—Chair's prerogative—a few more little questions. I'm interested, on the KPIs, there's a particular KPI around social media, which is an interesting thought, and you measure trying to achieve a certain amount of…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Diolch yn fawr. Okay. Ben, we've got about 10 minutes and then we'll wrap things up.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Diolch yn fawr. Huw.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Huw, perhaps before we move on to something slightly different from your side. From a board perspective, Ian, I wonder how you get those assurances that the balance is about right between temporary staff to deal with peaks and troughs and then permanent staff…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Thank you. We'll have to move on, I think, because time's really flying here. I do apologise. I know, Huw, you had some questions as well.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Diolch yn fawr iawn. Thank you. Lyn, back to you.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Sera, I will come back to you, and then I will come back to you in a moment, Lyn, okay?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
It's a slightly strange thing to be challenged on, because it's an underspend not an overspend, isn't it, so I appreciate that, but I guess when you're coming here looking for estimates for next year, it is about understanding how accurate those may or may…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
The evidence seems to show that you are, doesn't it?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Before we go any further on this, to be clear on this, the 3.2 per cent underspend, essentially, are you over-egging your estimates every year? In the previous financial year it was 3.2 per cent, this time 3.2 per cent—quite a way from the 2 per cent target…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Thanks for that. Lyn, before you jump back in, Sera, do you want to pick up anything on this point here now?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26 and the Annual Plan 2026-27: Evidence Session 1
Okay, diolch yn fawr iawn. Thank you. Lyn.
