, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: evidence session with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Thank you, and thank you to you, Minister. I'm not quite sure, with all due respect, that you have answered Tom's question fully. This is to scrutinise the budget. Now, I agree with the analysis that you've outlined this morning that every department has to…
, Plenary
Debate on a Statement: The Draft Budget 2024-25
Of course it's not a good use of public money, but it's not great for a human being either. What we have to do is ensure—[Interruption.] What we have to do is invest in people. And do you know, when I look around Wales and when I look around the United…
, Plenary
Debate on a Statement: The Draft Budget 2024-25
I’ve got the advantage over the Member for the Vale of Clwyd because I’ve got a longer memory than him, and I remember Rab Butler saying something different on a different occasion. I also remember a Conservative leader who attended debates in this place…
, Plenary
Debate on a Statement: The Draft Budget 2024-25
I must say, I’ll start my contribution this afternoon by sympathising with the Minister. She opened this debate by explaining the difficulties facing the Government and the country in terms of the resources available to us, and she’s had to spend the last two…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
I'm grateful to you, Presiding Officer. We know that the autumn statement led to greater inequality, both within individual societies and across the United Kingdom. That's already been demonstrated by the analysis of the autumn statement. But, last night…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
I thought that the Minister had answered a lot of those questions through earlier questions.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Okay. I'm grateful.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
And just for the public record, my assumption is that the Government will give an undertaking to consult before exercising those powers.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
And the statement of policy intent refers to the Bill enabling in-year changes to council tax reduction schemes. I'm interested as to how you would see that happening in year.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
You're also taking powers to change the reference point for calculating council tax from band D. I was interested to understand how you would anticipate making use of the power and what impact you believe the use of that power would have.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Can we look at section 17 and the powers contained therein? Could you explain to us, Minister, how you intend to use those powers?
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
I think it's the principle of the balance of where the rightful powers of Government and the powers of the legislature rest. Finding that balance is the important part, and I would very much agree with the points that Adam Price has made in questioning you…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Well, let's try it, is it? Let's try it, because the conversation, which I enjoyed listening to, between the Minister and Adam Price, is one we've had before, of course, around the Finance Committee's consistent recommendations that the Government make use of…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Okay.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
I accept that, Minister. I've got no issue with that. A final question in this section would be about the Non-Domestic Rating Act 2023. You've mentioned, perhaps in passing, as you've been answering the questions, your relationship with the United Kingdom…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
I understand that. I appreciate those arguments and I have no issue with that at all. I'm just concerned that the argument is that we're providing these powers for Wales and the rest of it—I accept that—but we're actually providing a lot of powers to the…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
You used interesting terminology in answering the questions, Minister, in terms of providing flexibility. It's a Bill that provides you with powers to do a wide range of things that aren't necessarily understood today. And by the time this Bill reaches the…
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
No, but you can move forward with that proposal, surely.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
But you can do that anyway.
, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Thank you. You've put forward a number of different proposals for reform in terms of local government finance recently. I'm not convinced that they all need legislation in terms of what you were proposing a few weeks ago. So, what does this Bill do? What's…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
And this parent would like to hear that as well, I can tell you. Can I just ask you one more question, then, in terms of this wider remit? I said earlier that I like the philosophical approach, but I'm not sure about what it actually delivers in reality. And…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
So, which bits are you going to focus on and which bits aren't you going to focus on?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
So, the relationship is good on a formal and informal basis, and that's a good thing. I'm glad to hear that. So, how does that affect your thinking and how do those conversations affect your thinking? For example, to what extent do you see yourselves as…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
But going back to my earlier question, I think the committee would probably appreciate a bit more clarity from the amgueddfa on some of the answers we've had in terms of where we're going with—. We understand the answer to Llyr's question about the 'museum of…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Scrutiny of Museum Wales - Autumn 2023
I agree with a great deal of that philosophical response, if you like, Nia. I'm not sure about the reality of that, because I don't know whether moving something from the main museum in Cardiff to a far smaller museum helps people in my constituency, for…
