, Finance Committee
Papers to note
We'll move on to item 2. There are three papers to note. We have had an opportunity to read them, and I'm going to take them en bloc, unless somebody wants to mention anything.
, Finance Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Good morning and welcome, everyone, to the committee meeting. Thank you for your attendance. This meeting is being broadcast live on Senedd.tv and the Record of Proceedings will be published as usual. I'll just check that the interpretation is working; I take…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Since my election, I've conducted many street surgeries, and a pattern that you often see at these surgeries, when my team are out in Blaenau Gwent, is transportation to the Grange hospital. I know it can take up to 45 minutes to travel from the Grange to…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Diolch, Prif Weinidog. I was recently at COP26 and the overriding theme was that we need radical action to change our fate on this planet. This includes the way we approach public transport. It needs to be more attractive if people are to ditch their cars…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
5. How is the Welsh Government encouraging the growth of public transport use in South Wales East? OQ57211
, Plenary
90-second Statements
Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. It gives me great pleasure to stand here in the Senedd today to speak about an important milestone for Blaenau Gwent. In 1971, in the home of Joyce Morgan of Six Bells, Abertillery town band was founded. Now, 50 years on, the band is…
, Finance Committee
Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting and the meeting on 19 November 2021
I propose therefore, in line with Standing Order 17.42, to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting and the meeting on 19 November 2021. Is everyone content? Great. Thank you. Therefore, we'll go into private.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Thank you very much, Huw, and thank you all for your time this morning. It's been a very interesting and informative session, and we'll be reporting back in due course. One thing I'd like to say is good luck, and continue with your work with the T&S scheme; I…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
You're all right, Huw—as long as everybody's okay, we can go a couple of minutes over.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Thank you very much. I'll bring Huw in now. Thank you.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay, thank you very much. And finally on this section, before I bring Huw in, you've outlined that there is a £26-a-month homeworking allowance in your letter, which has been paid to staff since early in the pandemic, which will continue as part of the T&S…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
With regard to that, have you modelled through when—. If that estimate came through, have you modelled through when that break-even point would be? Is that significantly down the line, or is that fairly soon?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay, thank you very much. On a slightly different point, how does Audit Wales intend to report on savings from the removal of the fixed allowances, and how will those savings be returned to the WCF, or will Audit Wales request to retain that funding?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
I've just got a couple of questions before I move on to Huw, if I may. We were talking earlier about the difference in the working capital being £250,000; I think Nic mentioned it. How does that work in relation to what we're talking about, the £200,000 cost…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Now over to Peter. [Laughter.]
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Oh, hang on. Sorry, have I—? Sorry, Mike. Yes, sorry, it is Mike. Sorry, I missed a page.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay. Thank you very much. I'll invite Peter to ask some questions.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
And at what level are they within the organisation, then?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
How many temporary staff are you likely to be taking on?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Thank you very much. The largest individual increase is £80,000 relating to audit quality. This is a programme over the next two years. What is this funding for? Is it training, staffing or other resources? How will progress be monitored and are the new audit…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay. Thank you very much. I'd like to move on to explore the request for increased funding for 2022-23. Audit Wales has included £74,000 for increased costs to audit work. There's limited specific information in the estimate as to how this figure has been…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
So, we'll see that in next year's draft budget.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Did you say then that the £45,000 will be an annual cost?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay. Thank you very much. You've included the National Fraud Initiative funding outside of your headline change in the Welsh consolidated fund funding. Can you confirm that the additional £80,000 for National Fraud Initiative pilots is also outside that…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2022-23 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Thank you very much. The net cash requirements in the estimate is an increase of 8.5 per cent. This accounts for two non-cash adjustments, including £750,000 for movements in working capital, which increases the cash sought from the Welsh consolidated fund…
