16 Hydref 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Yr Economi Sylfaenol: Panel 4 - Tai a datgarboneiddio
Just to ask you on that, because much of the evidence is about additional grants, additional funding, how about making sure that, for the money we've already spent, these values are mainstreamed into that? So, take the social housing grant as an example. I…
16 Hydref 2024 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Yr Economi Sylfaenol: Panel 4 - Tai a datgarboneiddio
I just want to develop Iwan's point about the high-growth sectors and the fixation on that. It strikes me that part of the problem the foundational economy has—and whether you use the term is irrelevant, I agree—is it's not seen as sexy; it's seen as low…
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Relatively good.
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Powys comes out well from the audit report, actually.
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Yes, I know; I was referring to your official. I think that just underlines my concern, really, that this really isn't anywhere near top of the agenda, and we have now a series of evidence to show that performance is poor. Half of local authorities don't have…
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
I just think it's quite telling that you can't exactly recall whether or not it's been on the recent agenda of the partnership council.
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
And do you ask them if they're doing that when you meet them? Is this an agenda item?
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
There seems to be a parallel here—and this is true not just about you and your organisation; it's true about the NHS and elsewhere—where senior leaders seem to think of digital as a technical function, in a way that you wouldn’t think of procurement or audit…
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
That's £5 million out of a budget of—
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Well, not really, in the grand scheme of things, because—. More than you were spending before, which was very little, but £4.2 million for the CDPS in this financial year, in the grand scheme of the local government budget, is not a considerable amount of…
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
My slight concern is that, given the discussions that we’ve been having about the pressures on local authorities, both to reduce overheads but also to continue to provide first-rate services, it’s widely acknowledged that digital has an important role to…
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
And do you think they've been recruiting at a sufficient level, because it's a very competitive field and skill set, particularly working in local government, which is a difficult context at the best of times? Do you think they're taking this sufficiently…
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Okay.
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Is there somebody in post in that role now?
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Half, not some.
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
The trouble is this report isn’t terribly flattering on what the sector is doing.
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Yes.
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
You say a number of local authorities have digital strategies—the report finds that half do not. And I must say I found it a pretty underwhelming report, with a pretty pedestrian landscape painted of the pace of change in local government. And the reason I’m…
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Thank you. I suppose, a question, if I can start with, for Reg Kilpatrick. It’s about the most recent Audit Wales report, 'Digital by design?', a look at local government performance on digital. I just wondered if you’ve had a chance to look at it and what…
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Okay. Thank you.
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
I know it's important. What I'm asking is whether, in terms of those grant schemes, there's a particular emphasis on getting those numbers up in town centres.
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Okay. It's just in terms of town centres in particular. Obviously, there are a couple of different interventions you have there: there's the Transforming Towns loan, and then there's the transitional accommodation capital programme, which could be used by…
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Can I just ask—
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
Okay. Interesting. And in terms of training and supporting enforcement officers, which goes back, I guess, to the original question about that centre of excellence, best practice, support, what progress is there on that?
10 Hydref 2024 , Local Government and Housing Committee
Sesiwn i graffu ar waith y Gweinidog—Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Lywodraeth Leol a Thai
It's like most Government seasons, isn't it? So, then, the register of empties, where are things with that?
