, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes, okay. Minister, it's a pretty complicated scene, really, I think, isn't it, in terms of the way that the law around council tax has grown incrementally, really, over some 30 years now. One possibility, I guess, would have been a consolidation Bill that…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
If you could share that, Minister, it would be useful. We always welcome any information that's going to aid us in our deliberations. In terms of accountability, could you expand on your statement that this Bill, if it goes ahead as planned, would result in a…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes, Carolyn, please.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Okay.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes, okay. Nonetheless, the explanatory memorandum states 'There is a future choice in respect of whether to continue to raise local revenues based on property or on other measures of wealth and ability to pay.' It goes on to talk about some of the risks and…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes, although in the—[Interruption.]—explanatory memorandum—. Sorry, Debra—go on.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Minister, one possibility, of course, is a local tax system based on income. Has that been ruled out?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
In terms of that, obviously, this Bill is about operating better, as Welsh Government would say, within the current context of the established non-domestic rates and council tax systems, and, as you say, there is other work going on, Minister, but…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you very much, all of you. And, yes, don't worry at all, Debra. Many of us are suffering slightly with pre-Christmas ailments that tend to be going around and we're well used to dealing with hearing and amplification issues on the committee, so thank…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Item 2 on our agenda today is an evidence session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government regarding the Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill. Croeso. Welcome, Minister, to committee this morning, and welcome to your officials as well. Would you…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Welcome, everyone, to this meeting of the Local Government and Housing Committee. We've received apologies today from Luke Fletcher MS, and Mabon ap Gwynfor MS is substituting for his colleague. Welcome back to the committee, Mabon. The meeting is being held…
, Plenary
Debate on a Member's Legislative Proposal: A Bill on the regulation of debt collectors
Could I start by congratulating Jack for bringing forward this Member's legislative proposal today, and also pay tribute to Citizens Advice, for the very good work that they do with so many people who rely on their services, particularly during this time of a…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session - the co-operation agreement
Okay. Just very quickly, if I might, Chair: at this stage, then, is there anything you could say about timing and resource for implementing the findings of this study?
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session - the co-operation agreement
Yes, on public transport, in terms of the west Wales corridor innovation study, carried out by Transport for Wales, is that going to be published shortly, and do you agree with the findings?
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session - the co-operation agreement
I hear what you say about the uplift, First Minister, which, obviously, was very welcome. Cymorth Cymru and Community Housing Cymru conducted a survey that found that 75 per cent of housing support providers are running at a deficit, and 77 per cent are…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session - the co-operation agreement
Diolch yn fawr, Cadeirydd. I wonder if we could move on to the commitment to end homelessness, that it should be brief, rare and unrepeated. It's that time of year now, I think, when the weather is bad, that it's even more concerning to see people sleeping…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Warm and fed this winter
Okay. Thank you, again, for that. Just finally from me, Chair, if we move on to the discretionary advice fund, we saw record demand last winter, and I think we probably all expect to see even greater demand this time around. So, what can you say in terms of…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Warm and fed this winter
If we move on to advice and the funding of advice, I heard what you said earlier on that matter, but, nonetheless, I wonder what Welsh Government's counter-analysis is in terms of the single advice fund and the sufficiency of funding available, given the…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Warm and fed this winter
Okay. Thank you very much, First Minister.
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Warm and fed this winter
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, First Minister, and, indeed, the Bevan Foundation here in Wales have done some useful work, I think, in terms of providing a little bit more clarity on the basics of addressing need and helping vulnerable families and people in…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Warm and fed this winter
Diolch yn fawr, Cadeirydd. First Minister, if we could go back to what you were saying earlier about Welsh Government spend and the extent to which it reaches those most in need. Obviously, we're in the context of 13 years of austerity and the effects of…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Warm and fed this winter
I hope so, Chair. I'm just looking at what the expert group said, Prif Weinidog, about maximising the benefit from expenditure, because there's so little resource around, as we know. In Newport, there was an event the other week where a supermarket was…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public for the remainder of the meeting
Item 5 is a motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting. Again, is committee content to do so? I see that you are. We will move into private session.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Papers to note
Okay. The next item on our agenda today, then, is item 4, which is papers to note. Paper 1 is a response from the Minister for Finance and Local Government to our report on diversity in local government. And we do note that our recommendations have been…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution
Thank you for coming in.
