, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24—Pre-budget scrutiny
That would be very helpful, because I have no worries that we slip one primary school from February to April. It would be more of a concern if you were slipping more than that. So, I think a letter on that in terms of the finance rather than the policy would…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24—Pre-budget scrutiny
No, I would have thought it would be higher than that. I haven't got the figures you've got, I haven't got the officials you've got, but I'd have been working on the cost of schools going up by about 10 to 20 per cent, probably averaging 15 per cent over the…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24—Pre-budget scrutiny
I'm very pleased at the number you gave, because £15 million is less than one secondary school—
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24—Pre-budget scrutiny
Okay. My next question is on capital. We know what the inflation headline numbers are. We also know that the value of the pound is going down and is likely, in my opinion, to keep on going down—Peter probably wouldn't agree with that, but I think it's likely…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24—Pre-budget scrutiny
But it might include different local authorities, different schools, et cetera, who will have entered in that time. Inevitably, some will have done so.
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24—Pre-budget scrutiny
For the record, can you confirm that the announcement on energy costs will cover the Welsh public sector between now and March 2023?
, Plenary
Short Debate: Water in Wales: Challenges relating to water poverty and quality
Can I thank Joel James for giving me a minute in this debate? In the nineteenth century, there was a belief that you could put anything into the sea and rivers and it would dissipate, no problem at all—it would just dilute down to nothing. In the second half…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you, Minister. The Environment Agency modelling suggests that the sources of pollution in the Wye come predominantly from agriculture. Phosphorous pollution is known to cause the process of eutrophication in rivers, a highly problematic issue that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
10. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the effect of agricultural pollution on Welsh rivers? OQ58423
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Response to the UK Government Financial Statement
Can I welcome the Government's statement? We have had a catastrophic Westminster Government financial statement. Inflation and interest rates are increasing, but the pound is collapsing. The Bank of England's interest rate still remains at a historically low…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
I'm asking for two Government statements. Will the Government make a statement on Welsh Government policy on the outsourcing and privatisation of the Welsh Government-funded public sector in Wales? Can the statement include what arm's-length bodies, funded by…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
Thank you.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
What do you think the impacts of this Bill will be in Wales, different to that in England and Wales—i.e. is there anything in there that would have either a beneficial or non-beneficial effect on Wales in there that it won't have in England?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
And finally from me, what do you think the specific impacts of the Bill may be in Wales as compared to across England and Wales?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
Moving on to the impact of the Procurement Bill, the Minister has decided that you didn't want a clause-by-clause analysis. That's your decision, and I'm not going to challenge that. How have you satisfied yourself that the Procurement Bill represents an…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
Just for the sake of completion for this committee, would it be possible for you to drop us a note saying, if there was, what differences there were?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
On engagement with Welsh stakeholders, is the Minister satisfied that Welsh stakeholders have had sufficient opportunity to inform the process of drafting the Procurement Bill? Welsh local government, like most things in Wales, are about 5 per cent of the…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
Yes. I think you're absolutely right that SMEs find it very difficult to bid for contracts, but that's because of the size of the contract. I think that one of the things that would make life easier for small and medium-sized enterprises is to make contracts…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Cost of living
Would you also agree that probably the thing that's easiest to do and needs to be done immediately is to end standing charges? People are putting £10, which they've taken a week to save up, into the meter, to find out that a quarter to a third of it has…
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Cost of living
Will you take an intervention?
, Plenary
Topical Questions
First of all, can I say I chair the PCS cross-party group in the Senedd? Can I also say that I'm politically opposed to the outsourcing of services by the Welsh Government—absolutely, unequivocally opposed to it? Not-for-profit's a really interesting thing…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
I thank the Minister for that response. Can I correct something that's been said earlier? School budgets are not the responsibility of the headteacher; they're the responsibility of the governing body in law. That's an important point to remember. Yes, maybe…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
11. What assessment has the Minister made of the effect of inflation on 2022-23 school budgets ? OQ58383
, Plenary
Finance Committee Debate: The Welsh Government's spending priorities for 2023-24
Thank you, acting Presiding Officer. The priorities in every budget are the same: to improve health, support local government, improve the environment and reduce carbon emissions, improve educational attainment, improve the economy and improve the quality of…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
In one of the richest countries in the world, no child should go hungry. No child should live in a house that is in poverty. Unfortunately, very many do. The expansion of free school meals—which I've asked for over several years, and was then taken up by…
