, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24: Evidence session 2
Okay.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24: Evidence session 2
Yes, I understand that. So, it does depend—sorry, Chair—specifically on what we're looking at in terms of a bespoke evaluation.
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24: Evidence session 2
Yes. That sounds sensible, so when would—? And you've referred to, perhaps, smaller governments or legislatures. I'd be interested to know which ones. But, on the performance evaluation aspect of that, in those cases of what we seem to deem to be the holy…
, Finance Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24: Evidence session 2
It was interesting.
, Plenary
Debate on the Finance Committee Report—'Post-EU funding arrangements'
As a member, also, of the Finance Committee, I was very keen that the committee undertake this hugely important piece of work for Wales as a matter of priority, both for fairness and honesty and fair funding as principle, and for the fulfilment of political…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Response to the UK Government Autumn Statement and Economic and Fiscal Forecasts
—in future trivia pub questions, his policies of austerity are not trivial. My question—I will come straight to it, Deputy Llywydd: what more can the Welsh Government do to mitigate this misery being inflicted unrelentingly on the people of Islwyn and Wales…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Response to the UK Government Autumn Statement and Economic and Fiscal Forecasts
Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. I agree with my colleagues Joyce Watson and Carolyn Thomas. This unfine economic mess that we're in is not just purely the fault to be laid at Putin's war. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the OECD…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
Minister, I have also been contacted by Islwyn constituents who work for Nexperia, who are very deeply concerned about their job security following the decision of the UK Government. In a letter to the UK Government's business secretary, Grant Shapps, the…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay. It's got 'recruitment of a new research and development team' here in my brief. It's already there. Okay. That's fine. Thank you, Chair. I'm just trying to understand.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
I think it's recognised that the public sector versus the private sector, at this point in time, is in a much more difficult place than it ever has been, but it's always been the case that this issue is here. So, I recognise Peter's comments. I'm just trying…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay. Thank you, Chair.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Thank you. And in your estimate, again you note the implications, potentially, of the proposed extension of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 to agencies. What resource implications do you feel that this could have for Audit Wales, and is…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay. Right. And in September you presented information that suggested your lease cost would be £261,000, but your estimate shows it is £280,000. Is there any explanation around that difference?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
So, if—. Sorry. So, then, if we scale that back, if it were £100,000—and I'm sure it wouldn't be—then what would happen to that movement of working capital? Where would that then go?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay. Thank you. And I've got one more: in your estimate, you note dilapidations costs of over £0.5 million include working capital movement, as we've discussed, of the value. Can you confirm whether that movement relates to the dilapidations, and do you…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay. Thank you. And finally, the estimate indicates that you anticipate doubling the capital investment for the change programme to £400,000 in 2024-25, and the next two subsequent years. Why is that cost, then, increasing?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Thanks. Your estimate proposes capital investment of £310,000; £200,000 relates to the change programme that we've gone into depth around, which includes the future workplaces project. How much of that investment relates to this project? And given that you…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
No, no, that's perfectly understandable now you've set it out in that way.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
—non-transparent. So, your estimate—
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
I, for one, found it a little bit—
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Yes, go on.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
So, you feel that it's optimum. Yes. Okay. I'll move on to my questions. So—
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
So that would be your reasoning for doing that.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Okay. And just in regards to the example that I've given you, in terms of the dilapidations being set out as movement in working capital, is that the most accessible way of doing that?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Yes, I accept that.
