, Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill: Evidence Session
Great. Diolch, Cadeirydd. Looking at the human rights elements of this Bill and looking at the explanatory memorandum, there seems to be a lack of detail within that memorandum as to the impact of the Bill on human rights. Why is that?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Diolch.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
So, looking at, then, the way that the development bank appoints its non-exec directors, are you happy with the way that that happens?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
And you think that is right, yes.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
I suppose one of the reservations that we've picked up on through the inquiry has been the perception, essentially, that by taking on an equity investment and thereby having a non-exec member of your company's board that you have—. I'll use the development…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
That's something that we've cottoned on to throughout the inquiry. The FSB raised it as an issue as well, just in terms of that feeling around somebody else from outside of a company coming in. And of course, it's not always going to be suitable for every…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Diolch, Cadeirydd. If I could touch on equity investments, what's your view on the bank's current operations in terms of its equity investments?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Great. Diolch, Cadeirydd.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
The point that, obviously, the FSB have raised with us, was just to give a bit of clarity on the direction the Government would want to take with something like the development bank, then. So, if that wouldn't be the priority for the development bank, then…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Diolch, Gadeirydd. I think the reclassification issue is a complicated issue, but quite an interesting one as well. But my questions aren't going to go so much on the reclassification—we covered that quite a bit with the development bank itself, and I think…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Okay. Good. Diolch. Thank you.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
How would the development bank then deal with a situation where relationships break down, then, between the development bank and the board of directors, or the founder of a business? How would you handle that situation?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
So, in that scenario—because you've mentioned just now that the non-exec director isn't necessarily DBW's person on the board, but that they're for the interest of the business—in that particular situation, then, is there a bit of a conflict with the new…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Would the Scottish development bank be the—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Diolch, Cadeirydd. If I could come back to equity investments—I know we've touched on this quite a bit—I do have a number of questions around process, but I think it'd be worth doing that in the form of a written question, it's then just based on time. But…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Good, diolch. Diolch.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
So, just very quickly, if done right, then, could putting the bank on a legislative footing help with the classification issue, given the classification issue is about Government budget and things like that?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Okay, that's very helpful. Just a final question from me, Chair, just before we pass on to another Member. In your written evidence, at least my impression of your written evidence, around putting the development bank on a legislative footing, it was quite…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Ultimately, then, this is going to restrict any ambitions to grow within the development bank. We've got questions later on about stuff like equity investment and other forms of investment. That's pretty much going to put a solid block on that, isn't it?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
And what are the odds then that you could return back that previous system? Representations, I assume, will be made to UK Government or the ONS, whoever we need to.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Gareth, did you want to come in there?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
So, no matter the merits of any potential proposal that comes your way, if you've reached that limit, that's it.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
—just around the classification of the bank and the reclassification of the bank by the Office for National Statistics, to a Government body, or central Government, actually, is the classification they give. Could you just explain that a bit more?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Diolch, Cadeirydd. If I could look at the status of the development bank for a moment. There was a particular point of your written evidence that was really interesting, actually—. And just for the record as well, Chair, we've had a brief conversation outside…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport: Priorities for Transport: Listening, partnership, making change
I'd like to reiterate the point that Heledd Fychan has made already about home-to-school transport. Something that has become very clear to me since my election to the Senedd is the barrier that that does prove to many families, not just in my own region but…
