, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
I will ask Tracey, perhaps, to come in on some of the reflections about the evidence that we received and that went forward to the UK Government overall. But have Welsh contracting authorities and suppliers been able to influence the Bill? Absolutely they…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
We're exploring doing that through primary legislation and officials are looking at a range of options at the moment to provide the health Minister with advice on that, because she will be taking that forward. And just to confirm, really, that I met Jacob…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
There were two committee sessions scheduled for the Lords last week, but for obvious reasons, they've been pushed forward. So, there's a slight delay there.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
Just to stress that resourcing and capacity wasn't a consideration in the decision to move forward with the UK Government. It was taken following the engagement that we had with stakeholders, both on the buyer and supplier side, which had a strong preference…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
So, I'll ask, perhaps, Emma to come in on that particular question.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
The GPA. So, the work that we've done in terms of making sure that Welsh businesses are able to access through the GPA a much wider range of opportunities is important because we want Welsh suppliers to be able to supply in Wales, of course, but we also want…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
I think we want to make things as simple and straightforward as we can for businesses to operate and take opportunities both in Wales and outside of Wales as well. And some of the work that has been undertaken in terms of wider procurement, the general—…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
I think that, we in Wales represent such a small fraction—around 5 per cent, I think—of the entire public procurement opportunities available that we would want to have our businesses having access to the maximum opportunities, which is why we've taken the…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
So, I think from a stakeholder perspective, there's definitely been that opportunity to challenge and to influence and to scrutinise, in that sense, and having our officials working so closely with the UK Government, we've been able to scrutinise there. And I…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
Well, obviously, we're undertaking scrutiny today and I obviously want to make myself and officials available to this committee and to the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee at your convenience in terms of answering questions. And just to think…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
I think that the approach we've taken with this Bill is very much consistent with our overall principles for recommending consent to UK Bills, and obviously you'll be familiar with that document, which has been shared with the Senedd. Essential to those…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
I think that, given the fact that the Bill itself is quite large—116 clauses across 11 schedules—but that we've only had to call out, as it were, a handful of areas in which to have derogations made, it does demonstrate that we see the way in which the Bill…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
We will want to make sure that everybody who's captured under the definition of Welsh contracting authorities is fully aware of the responsibilities on them, and equally, we want to ensure that all suppliers are aware of the opportunities presented to them as…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
Well, I suppose it goes back to that point about already working to two sets of legislation, and our commitment to ensure that we work constructively and collaboratively with the UK Government to ensure that any training and guidance that comes forward from…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
I think there will need to be a considerable amount of training and support provided, both to buyers and suppliers, as a result of the new legislation coming in to help them understand that, and I think that the role of guidance will also be really important…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
I should probably have said at the start, Chair, that I think that working on this Bill has been a really good example of how the UK Government can engage constructively with the Welsh Government. I think it's been a really positive overall experience in…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
I think the increased transparency that the UK Government's Bill will bring will help in terms of that kind of ability of SMEs to work collaboratively, but I'll invite Tracey in to say a little bit more.
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
I think there's no difference, really, in what we would want to seek to achieve, and what the UK Government would want to seek to achieve in terms of how we do procurement. In terms of support for Welsh SMEs, for example, we see that very much reflected in…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
Thank you for the question and the opportunity to speak to committee today. So, yes, I'm happy to address that particular question. I think that it comes down to a clear fact, really, that the two pieces of legislation are seeking to address two quite…
, Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee
Evidence Session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government - UK Procurement Bill Legislative Consent Memorandum
Shall I start and then ask officials to introduce themselves? I'm Rebecca Evans, Minister for Finance and Local Government.
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Visitor Levy Consultation
Well, I think you're wrong in the sense that we're not introducing a tourism levy imminently. I think this is something that I do regret that the Conservatives have been portraying to people in the tourism industry as if this is something that the Welsh…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Visitor Levy Consultation
So, I'll begin by just responding to that very specific question in terms of local authorities being penalised through the RSG. I just want to be really clear that there is no link whatsoever to the revenue support grant from this work at all. This is about…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Visitor Levy Consultation
So, I will address that point where the Member asked about the difference between a tourism tax and a visitor levy and why the language around that changed, because I do think that’s an important question. The reason that we moved away from the word 'tourism'…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Visitor Levy Consultation
So—[Interruption.]
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Visitor Levy Consultation
So, I'll just begin with this point about it being a time of economic crisis, which it absolutely is. We're facing a cost-of-living crisis, and let's hope that the Chancellor comes forward with a seriously strong package of support for business when he makes…
