, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 put in place a new sector-led performance regime to drive improvement in local authorities across Wales. To support implementation, I have agreed £800,000 of funding for the Welsh Local Government…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Absolutely, and I share Mike Hedges's passion, if you like, for invest-to-save and everything that that means for the future way in which we fund various things across Wales. And at this point, I just really recognise the work that Jane Dodds has done in this…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes, I will. Since its introduction in 2009, the invest-to-save programme has supported approximately 200 projects, with an aggregate value in the region of £200 million. Most recently, it has provided funding for three new projects, helping us to deliver our…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I'm really grateful to Jenny Rathbone for raising this and, in anticipation of her question this afternoon, because I know how passionate Jenny is in terms of ensuring food security and the availability of good quality food, I have asked officials to look at…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes. Public services boards are an effective vehicle for cross-public-service collaboration. Each has its own strengths and priorities. PSBs are now publishing their updated local well-being plans, and I'm working with the future generations commissioner to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I think there is a great deal of joint working going forward now and CJCs, I think, are now really starting to work very well together. We have managed to work with the UK Government, actually, to deal with some of the key operational issues that were facing…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I'm very grateful to John Griffiths for the question. On this occasion, Llywydd, I might ask the Minister with responsibility for transport to provide a more detailed response to that, because my role in respect of corporate joint committees is more around…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I am grateful to local authority partners for their work and progress in establishing corporate joint committees. These were provided for by the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 to support regional working where it makes sense to do so.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I would refer the Member to the previous question in terms of our approach to ring fencing of funding and that we're moving in a different direction, really, about having that relationship of trust with local authorities, understanding that they know their…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you for the question. So, we are working with partners, and with over 3,000 children, actually, to deliver that strategy, and also working with the organisations in the sector. The strategy that we will consult on sets out what we’ve heard, what we’re…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
We have provided over £3 billion of support to those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis, including support channelled through local authorities. I continue to engage closely with the Minister for Social Justice on this issue, including through our…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
So, the local authority would need to undertake the borrowing fully within the prudential borrowing framework. It does allow local authorities to typically borrow for capital investment purposes, also to refinance existing debt, and then temporary borrowing…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you for the question. So, we have used supported borrowing in the past in terms of supporting local authorities with some of their road maintenance programmes in particular, and that was very much along the model that you described, where the Welsh…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I discuss a range of financial issues with local authorities across Wales through regular standing and other meetings. Decisions on the use of their borrowing powers to invest in local priorities are a matter for local elected members.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you very much for that question. The Member will be aware that Audit Wales concluded that the Welsh European Funding Office and the Welsh Government, despite some challenges including delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, have managed to commit all of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I'm very grateful for the question and also to take this opportunity, as you have, to recognise the important work that people in local authorities and those delivering these schemes provide. I will say that the question really is a policy and budget question…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Well, Wrexham is the only local authority in Wales not to have an adopted local development plan in place, and obviously that is a really disappointing position for them to be in. In not adopting a plan, it does remove certainty for communities, for…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
We're working really closely with the Welsh Local Government Association, but also with One Voice Wales, because we know that levels of abuse are increasingly concerning to members of town and community councils as well as principal councils. And we are now…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes, I'm very grateful to Sam Rowlands for raising this, and, actually, it's a topic he returns to frequently in spokesperson's questions, which I think is really, really important, because it is one that I think transcends those party political lines, and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I'm very grateful for this question this afternoon as well, and I just want to reassure Siân Gwenllian that we are very much seeking to ensure that any redevelopment of the site does deliver new and affordable housing to alleviate the current housing…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes. The former Welsh Government office building in North Penrallt is the only empty building owned by the Welsh Government in Caernarfon. The Minister for Climate Change has already written to Gwynedd county council on this matter, and officials are in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
I'm very grateful to Joel James for this question this afternoon, and also for recognising Academi Wales as the centre of excellence that it is in terms of leadership development in Wales. So, Academi Wales does have a range of leadership interventions…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you. Academi Wales delivers a range of leadership interventions to public service leaders across Wales. In 2022, total delegates numbered 2,502, of whom 1,057 were NHS staff. For the first quarter of 2023, a total of 946 delegates have participated so…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
So, I also agree that the mutual investment model won't be right for every kind of project. So, one of the reasons why it works well in the schools context is because you do have that long pipeline of projects coming through, which are well advanced and well…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
The local government capital settlement for 2023-24 provides £180 million of unhypothecated capital funding for Welsh local authorities, of which the Isle of Anglesey County Council receives £4.376 million. In addition, the council will receive support for…
