, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
If I may, and I might be trampling over something you'll ask later, one of the things that this committee has done with the committees in Scotland and in Northern Ireland is set up an inter-parliamentary forum that tries to look at the commonality of the…
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
Peter.
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
We saw in the autumn, when the then Minister for Finance and Local Government, now Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office, put out a statement to say that one of things that she was hoping to do to manage a £900 million black hole in…
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
[Inaudible.]—not necessarily Crickhowell community council or town council, but local authorities have got a lot more fiscal flexibility than the Welsh Government have in borrowing powers and that element. Some of that hasn't changed for a decade or more, so…
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
Okay. There we are. Well, I'll bring Mike Hedges in to take things forward.
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
One of the key differences between some of the others and FISC is that FISC does have a secretariat that is able to drive some of that. So, rather than the rules, they have a body that tries to do some of that work. Does that stem out of the Treasury liking…
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
But it might be, then, that it's more down to, as you both said earlier, relationships, and that the interpersonal relationships of Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries might have more of a bearing than the actual rules that are laid out.
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
No, but hypothesise.
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
Okay. You talked earlier about FISC and that that was something that has been happening, and Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries have been liaising on that and working. We've also heard that FISC has its own rules compared with other standing committees. What…
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
It may be a bit—
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
So, it feels that one of the key principles is transparency and being able to understand what's happening, because I suppose if you're trying to design something new you'd need to know what you're dealing with to start off with, and if that's cloaked in some…
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
So, is there an element there, as Mike says, as mayoral areas are finding their feet more and more, and that sort of devolution is happening within England—? Does it open the door to a conversation around Barnett and fiscal structures and understanding how…
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
Right.
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
So, you've both worked in Whitehall and around Westminster. Are Westminster and Whitehall geared up to deal with devolution?
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
So, do you think—? I suppose it's early days yet to see how that beds in, but, because of that churn, is it that we're not able to draw any conclusions yet or are there encouraging shoots there?
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
There we are. Any thoughts in general, really, on the reforms that have been going through and some of that work that—?
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
Lovely. Well, thank you very much. Thank you. We appreciate your time this morning—coming in and sharing your, hopefully, expertise with us this morning and your thoughts on inter-governmental relations when it comes to fiscal aspects. I'd like to start this…
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
Thank you very much.
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
The next item is the fiscal inter-governmental relations evidence session 6. And I'd like to welcome our witnesses here—croeso cynnes. It's good to see you both. I wonder if you would introduce yourselves for the record, please.
, Finance Committee
Fiscal Inter-governmental Relations: Evidence session 6
Welcome back to this meeting of the Finance Committee. We will move on now to item 8.
, Finance Committee
Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the items 5, 6, 7 and 9
I'm now going to propose, in accordance with Standing Order 17.42, that the committee resolves to exclude the public from items 5, 6, 7 and 9. So, we'll go into private. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
, Finance Committee
First Supplementary Budget 2024-25: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Yes. Excellent. Well, thank you very much for your time this morning, and at pretty short notice as well, so I do appreciate that. There will be a transcript available for you to check for accuracy.
, Finance Committee
First Supplementary Budget 2024-25: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
And now to the last question, from Peter.
, Finance Committee
First Supplementary Budget 2024-25: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
Peter.
, Finance Committee
First Supplementary Budget 2024-25: Evidence session with the Senedd Commission
If we were to be minded to agree this, does that help in those trade union negotiations, to be able to show a statement of intent, I suppose, or that support?
