, Plenary
Topical Questions
There are difficult choices for us and for local government, in terms of public services, but also very difficult choices for households. The news today was not good news for households. The Office for Budget Responsibility has set out today that living…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Well, I think the Member was listening to a different autumn statement to the one that I was listening to very carefully this afternoon. I think that it's evident today that the UK Government cares absolutely nothing for public services. We didn't hear any…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
I've issued a written statement setting out our initial assessment of the implications of the UK autumn statement for Wales. The Chancellor has failed to recognise the increasing pressures on public services and provide them with the vital investment they…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: The Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill
I'm very grateful for those questions. It is important that the VOA has the latest and most up-to-date information about properties, because that can, obviously, improve the accuracy of the ratings list. So, improvements to the flow will, obviously, benefit…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: The Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill
I'm very, very grateful to Carolyn Thomas for raising that this afternoon. I've been really concerned at the level of misinformation that there's been out there about our proposals for council tax reform. I'm particularly concerned about it because whilst it…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: The Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill
I’m grateful to Mike Hedges for those questions, and just to say that the issue of the levies has been raised with me also by local authority leaders outside of the discussions around council tax reform, and it's something that I'm interested in exploring…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: The Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill
I'm grateful to the Member for those questions, and for recognising the important link to the work that we're doing through the co-operation agreement in terms of making council tax fairer. I'm very grateful to the designated Member for all the work that he's…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: The Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill
In terms of the purpose of the Bill, then—and I don't want to conflate the discussion that we had on the phase 2 consultation on council tax reform last week with the work that we're doing now, nor on the reviews that we're doing in terms of the discounts and…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: The Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill
I'm grateful to the Member for those questions—an awful lot there to go through, and I know that we'll have many more opportunities to get into the depth of it through the committee scrutiny process. But just to reassure colleagues that this has been a…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: The Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill
Yesterday, the Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill and explanatory memorandum were laid before the Senedd. This Bill will make a significant contribution to the delivery of a major package of reforms to the local taxation systems in Wales, addressing many…
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
So, I'll begin, and then perhaps hand over to Andrew. In terms of recurrent funding, obviously, I can't say anything for future years until we publish the draft budget later on this year. But, certainly, the anticipation of further pressures in the future is…
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
I think I'd have to take that one to the education Minister, because that would be within his portfolio, I'm afraid.
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
So, on the demand-led programmes, it shouldn't make a difference to the services that people receive—because they are demand led, if the demand is there, we still will have to provide that service. So, for example, the money that has been released in respect…
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
So, in-year, I've had lots of discussions with local government, through a number of forums, but particularly so through the finance sub-group of the partnership council for Wales—that's the main forum in which we talk about the budget and the pressures…
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
Is it still primary?
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
So, you would have to have a vote in the Senedd to change the RSG within the financial year. That would be the process to do it.
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
I think it is fair to say that there are going to be difficult decisions made right across the public sector, because we're taking this action in this financial year, but we know that, next year, the pressures are also going to be there and we're not going to…
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
So, we were able, as part of this exercise, to protect the revenue support grant, and that was very much part of our consideration in terms of allowing local government to continue delivering the services it can. So, I think that protecting the RSG was an…
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
So, within Transport for Wales, we felt that £125 million would meet the pressure. And the thing is, if we don't meet the pressure, we're just going to be coming back later on in the year to do a similar kind of exercise again. But, in health, the £425…
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
Again, I might bring Andrew in in a bit to say a bit more about the work that officials do with the NHS and with Transport for Wales, but essentially those figures were based on what the NHS was telling us that it needed, and also Transport for Wales in…
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
I wish. [Laughter.]
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
Yes. That's when we've done it in the past, so during COVID, for example, we provided an addendum to the SIIA, and that was done at the supplementary budget. So, we'll be—. That would be, I think, a sensible point at which to bring it forward.
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
We announced reductions in capital spending limits of £147 million in the statement on 17 October.
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
No. Our assumptions are around £100 million from reserves, around £150 million in respect of consequential funding, and then we've asked for a capital to revenue switch of up to £200 million. At the moment, we're including £147 million in our plans.
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
No—
