, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 2)
I'll kick off. This originally arose, Tim, in an exchange in the oral evidence between ourselves. The first question is could we have the information collated, please, and over the period of 'Reflecting Wales in Running Wales'. That would seem appropriate…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 2)
Okay. Thank you very much.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 2)
Just on that general point in terms of transparency and being open in terms of the issues in regard to these internal audit reports, do you believe that you could provide additional information in the public domain, so that we know in thematic terms or in…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 2)
I'm grateful for that comprehensive response. The overall assurance opinion given by the head of internal audit on seven audit reports in 2022-23 provided limited assurance for seven reports and no assurance at all for one report. Could you tell us more about…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 2)
Okay. During 2022-23, you have, as a Government, increased the residual risk for major projects and programmes to 'very high' and 'critical', and Welsh Government directors have recorded a 29 per cent reduction in their confidence level for project delivery…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 2)
Do you have an objective or a timetable in mind at present for the completion and publication of that work?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 2)
When do you believe that you'll be in a situation to publish the amended version of 'Managing Welsh Public Money'?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 2)
In response to a recommendation by a previous committee, you've already committed to publishing at least an agenda and summary of meetings of the audit and risk assurance committee. When do you intend to do that?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
Finally, I'd like to just ask about sickness days in the reporting year, which are the highest since 2014-15. According to your analysis, what is the reason for that? What are you doing to tackle it? And just before you answer that, returning to Local…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
And possibly linked to the proposed national school of government.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
I think that these are recent changes—that's my impression. But if that's not the case, then—.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
Turning to the long term, and thinking about the problems and the challenges that you referred to—and also, the Children, Young People and Education Committee themselves have written to this committee to share their concerns—about capacity how is the plan…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
You do partly own it.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
One element in the growth that there has been in the head count—in the figures that I have, just under half of the growth in the total over the last five or six years is identified as 'other staff', so they are not permanently employed. What is driving that?…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
So, did the budgetary limit, rather than head count limit, therefore, did that feed into some of the problems in specific areas you referred to in terms of the number of lawyers? The Minister for Climate Change has said—to endorse what you've said—in her…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
And the First Minister—the former First Minister by now—he didn't impose any cap on recruitment.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
I'm grateful for the explanation about bringing things back in-house to the civil service, but, just in terms of understanding the policy, there was no general policy to cap the level of civil servants under a certain figure during that period.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
Just to be—
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
You referred to the head count, a total of about 5,800, at least that's the latest figure. That's a significant increase of about 700 or 800 since 2017. At any period, during that time, has there been anything that you could describe as a cap imposed on the…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
So, where are the capacity problems at present?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
I'm going to ask you a number of questions relating to the workforce in the Welsh civil service, or the Welsh Government civil service. First of all, is there a capacity problem in terms of the civil service for the Welsh Government?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session: Scrutiny of the Welsh Government's Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23 (Part 1)
Thank you, Chair, and good morning to you.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Papers to note
Given that the chief operating officer is going to appear before us this morning, there will be an opportunity for us to respond to the latest letter.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Papers to note
Content to note, yes.
, Plenary
Nomination of the First Minister under Standing Order 8
Rhun ap Iorwerth.
