, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting
So, under Standing Order 17.42, I'd like to ask Members to agree to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Okay, thank you very much. Thank you very much for your attendance today, and for that of your three officials. We'll obviously send you a transcript of everything you've said, which you obviously need to ensure is accurate. Otherwise, we look forward to…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Okay. And just lastly—I know we have run over time slightly—Unison is calling for a centrally published list of suppliers that are barred from procurement because they've done something that's—. Clearly, in the light of Grenfell, there are reasons why we all…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
True: see Drax power station, passim. A very specific issue raised by the deputy future generations commissioner is some clarity about the procurement investigation powers that the Welsh Government will have under this Bill with the powers of the future…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
There's obviously quite a lot of law around the construction industry; less around food. What role would you envisage for certification of food so that what it says on the tin is actually what has happened? When people claim that something is organic or it…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
The problems revealed by the Grenfell fire indicate that procurement has been something that hasn't had enough light shining on it. So, specifically in relation to the construction industry, how do you prevent large contractors simply pushing all of the risk…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Finally, just homing in a little bit more on the procurement issues and how we bring everybody up to speed, given that the fire and rescue services said that finding good procurement officers was like hen's teeth, how do you see the procurement centre of…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Very good. We've got 12 minutes, so if we can have short questions and short answers.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Back to Jane Dodds. Did you want to ask anything further on this area?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Peredur, did you want to come in at this point?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Thank you. Moving on now to the socially responsible procurement aspect of this Bill: Jane Dodds, would you like to come in?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Okay, thank you, Minister. I'd now like to bring Sarah Murphy back in to discuss the issues around data rights and the digitalisation of work. Sarah.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Diolch. Can I just ask whether the way you've phrased clause 20 to amend the well-being of future generations Act is because there were concerns about our competence—both the Senedd and the Welsh Government—as a way of getting around that? Because Alan…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Okay. Over to Jane Dodds then.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Okay. Thank you for that. Ken Skates, would you like to come in at this point?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Thank you. If we can move on to Joel James—you wanted to come in about the membership of the council.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Yes.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Okay, thank you. Peredur, you wanted to come in on this.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
What's the purpose, then, of that clause? If it's your intention to work in partnership, why are you putting that clause in?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Very good. Can I bring in Sarah Murphy now?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Okay, sorry, Joel—I failed to see you.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Thank you. Could I now call on Sarah Murphy, who's going to look at the actual role and operation—?
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Okay. Very good. Now, moving on to the financial implications of the Bill, Peredur.
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Good. And no doubt you'll all have read the Auditor General for Wales's report that came out last week about how equality impact assessments are being regarded as a tick-box exercise, and they were unable to find any evidence of actual impact. So, I'm sure…
, Equality and Social Justice Committee
Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill: ministerial evidence session
Thank you, both of you, for that, because it's now on the record, and when in three years' time this committee looks at it, we'll be able to test you against those things. So, Joel, you wanted to have some questions on this.
