, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of The Landfill Disposals Tax (Tax Rates) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
Moving on. We've had the carbon budget, we've had the financial budget. How do they align and what do you expect the carbon impact of this year's budget to be?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of The Landfill Disposals Tax (Tax Rates) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
Just moving on to the same area, how does the budget support green industry and what are we going to see in terms of increasing green industries?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of The Landfill Disposals Tax (Tax Rates) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
I won't push it any further, but surely, when you decide to give money to each portfolio, they make a case and that case has outcomes relating to that case, and I'm just asking that we have the same knowledge as the Minister and the department on what…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of The Landfill Disposals Tax (Tax Rates) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
I won't ask you to talk through them, but can you publish what is expected in each area, so that we know that if we're spending money in housing, for example, and zero-carbon housing, how many zero-carbon houses we expect to have, and if we're spending money…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of The Landfill Disposals Tax (Tax Rates) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
Diolch, Cadeirydd. First of all, I welcome the figure of £1.8 billion targeted investment for the climate and nature emergency. What has the Minister said she will achieve via that expenditure?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of The Landfill Disposals Tax (Tax Rates) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
Very briefly, I think it also can't be used for local government. In fact, it excludes any public sector organisation. What I would like to ask is—and I asked it in the business statement—will you publish exactly how it has been spent, and how you intend to…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
Yes, financial transactions money is as Rhianon just explained it. It mainly goes to housing associations, to registered social landlords, and to whatever the Welsh Government bank is. But it can go out to any business. It can't be spent on public sector…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
Obviously, I agree with you on that. I think the important thing is you go in and see what you want. I'm going to go with women's clothing, because that's what I was buying for Christmas—not for me, I hasten to add. You could actually see it, and if they…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
Yes, certainly.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
Thank you.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
The more successful retailers are those that have both, aren't they? They've got a major store and they've got a very good online offer, and they mix the two together. I've queued in a well-known retailer in Swansea on several occasions in the run-up to…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
My question now is to Sara. Does the Welsh Government's vision for the future of town and city centres match yours, and do you feel it recognises the impact of the pandemic on the retail sector, especially the impact of turbocharged online purchases, which…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
Certainly. You would like to see targeted support for digital literacy for business operators. Does the budget start addressing that?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
A question for Suzy this time. You said you'd like to see targeted support for digital literacy for business operators. Does the draft budget address this at all?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
Thank you. Moving on—
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
Moving on to a different area, the budget narratives stressed that businesses need to adapt to climate change. Is there enough support for businesses to do so?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
Well, they will fill the gap. The rates gap would be filled by rent increases. That was the point they were making.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
That is what the witness said. Of course, a number of people, especially in retail, pay combined rent and rates, and when rates are not paid, the total amount they pay for rent and rates stays exactly the same.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
Yes.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
They have no problems with rents.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
You mean they have no problem with rent.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 7
Diolch, Gadeirydd. An earlier witness in our discussion said that if you cut business rates, all you do is inflate rents. Their view was that the major winners in rates reduction are landlords. Do you have any comments on that?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 6
That's me finished, Chair.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 6
I agree with you entirely. I think that many of us have been fighting to save it rather than increase it over recent years, and I think that's been a huge success of keeping it in place, and £30 is an awful lot more than nothing. Can I return to housing now…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2022-23: Evidence session 6
I agree with you entirely, but I think perhaps we ought to give the Welsh Government credit for keeping the education maintenance allowance in Wales, whilst the Conservatives in England did away with it.
