, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session 1
If we grow the tax base, then we will have more money, won't we? I'm not sure why we can't have in-year reconciliation, or certainly one-year-later reconciliation. Why do we have to wait three years to get the reconciliation? Have you had this discussion with…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session 1
The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts for devolved Welsh taxes, published alongside the autumn statement, were revised upwards by around £150 million for 2024-25 compared to the March forecast. Do you anticipate any changes to funding due to…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session 1
To me, it appears ridiculous—and I don't know whether the Minister agrees—that we don't have the same powers over borrowing and the same powers over use of reserves that exist with Swansea Council.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session 1
Just finally on that, the National Farmers Union—the Farmers Union of Wales, to get it right; it's the Farmers Union of Wales—have said that basic farm payments should be capped. Why don’t you agree with them?
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session 1
I want to make one comment. You can always reprofile capital, can't you, and you can always drift it on; just drifting it from March to April moves it into a future year. So, I assume that that's going to be happening. There are areas, and you've mentioned…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes, but making things available and having people applying are entirely different, and what I'm saying is that, if you show people who have been appointed, I think that people will see, 'Ah, people like me can be appointed', otherwise it's only for other…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Moving on to awareness of opportunities, we talked a lot about that earlier. You can only apply if you know the vacancy occurs, and there does seem to be a group of people who are in the know and a huge portion of the population who are not in the know. What…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
You stated in written evidence that the PBU were working with knowledge and analytical services and the race and disability evidence units in Welsh Government to collect diversity data for boards of regulated public bodies. You said that questionnaires were…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Fine. I think perhaps we can agree to differ on that. A couple of more questions I've got: how do the actions set out in the year 1 action plan relate to the work the PBU is carrying out with the knowledge and analytical services and the race and disability…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Should every board have a Welsh speaker?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
People like Adam choose to speak Welsh.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I'll follow on from Adam.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I'm only asking you about data that you've got. You've got people's employment; they fill it in, don't they? And you've got where people live, because they fill in their postcodes. These are things you've got. I'm not asking you to collect data you haven't…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Therefore, shouldn't you be collecting employment data? I think you should collect postcode data and look at that, but we've gone through that. But on employment data, you do tend to get a group of people—. If I can go on to something that's nothing to do…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Or where people are employed. Again, I would guess that solicitors and other people in legal professions are massively over-represented. But you talk about diversity; if you had four solicitors, and one was LGBT, one was of south Asian origin, one was female…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
That's why I said the first part of the postcode. Because SA6, where I live, covers about 10,000 to 15,000 people, so you don't have a GDPR problem with it and you actually identify areas, and what you'll find is the areas where you don't get anybody. I would…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Can I move on to data on diversity? Do you collect the first part of the postcode of everybody you appoint, and do you actually map that out to see if some areas have many, many more people on boards and some areas have none?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Evidence gathered by the committee highlighted that many of the issues identified in the 2020 strategy remain of significant concern. Are you disappointed that these same issues don’t appear to have improved during the three years since the strategy has been…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Witnesses have said that they have seen no evaluation or information on progress to deliver the strategy. Can you clarify how progress has been monitored and measured, and why hasn't it been more widely communicated?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
What is the current status of the action plan? We had an action plan for year 1, but nothing has been published beyond year 1. Can you explain why?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Thank you very much. An action plan for year 1 was published that included targets for delivery in 2021-22. Were all those targets met?
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Public Appointments: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Diolch, Gadeirydd. I'd like to ask some questions on the diversity and inclusion strategy. In written evidence to the committee in January 2022, the Permanent Secretary told the Committee that the Welsh Government’s diversity and inclusion strategy for public…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Introductions, apologies and substitutions
Yes, it is.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Introductions, apologies and substitutions
Just for the record, I'd like to declare that I live in Morriston. That's mentioned in one of the reports.
, Plenary
Debate on a Member's Legislative Proposal: A Bill on the regulation of debt collectors
I support the Bill brought forward by my colleague Jack Sargeant. Why do people end up in debt, and what can be done to help them? Some end up in debt due to substance abuse or gambling compulsion. What these people need is help and support, not debt…
