, Local Government and Housing Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25 - evidence session 1: Welsh Local Government Association
All right, thank you. Carry on, Chair?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25 - evidence session 1: Welsh Local Government Association
I wasn't sure whether Councillor Jane wanted to add anything to that, but—
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25 - evidence session 1: Welsh Local Government Association
Thank you, Chair, and thank you for taking the time to be with us this morning. It's really appreciated. Just looking back to 2022, when you would have received a multi-year settlement from Welsh Government, I'm just interested to know how helpful that was or…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you for the update, Minister. I'm sure you will acknowledge that there are deep challenges with education in Wales, and, as Laura Anne Jones pointed out earlier, some of the most recent PISA results being further evidence of that. What that points to…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
8. Will the Minister provide an update on plans for changes to school holidays in Wales? OQ60501
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Climate Change
Thank you, Llywydd, for the opportunity to respond to the Deputy Minister's response there. I'm very disappointed to hear the Deputy Minister so easily forget that the UK Government has committed £1 billion of rail investment to north Wales. So, rather than…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Ystadau Cymru
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you, Minister, for this important statement here today. I join Peter Fox in a genuine welcome of it, because I see the value in the work that's being done here. As a member of the Local Government and Housing…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Programme for International Student Assessment results
Thank you for the intervention, Mike. It's certainly worth learning from. I'm sure the front benches—[Interruption.] I'm sure the front benches will be listening to their backbenches for these new ideas as well. Now, those Conservative reforms have borne…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Programme for International Student Assessment results
If it's an intervention, I'll take it. [Laughter.]
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Programme for International Student Assessment results
The latest set of PISA results are a tale of two education systems. As Laura Anne Jones outlined, in a Conservative-run English education system, the maths, reading and science scores are all significantly above the OECD average as the best education scores…
, Plenary
90-second Statements
I want to speak today to celebrate and recognise a choir in my region, Côr Meibion Maelgwn. A choir is the lifeblood of many parts of Wales and part of our nation’s fabric, of course, and Côr Meibion Maelgwn is no exception at all. They offer fantastic…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Thank you, Deputy Minister, and thank you, Llywydd, for allowing this topical question here today. People who use public transport in north Wales, the region I represent, now find themselves in an even more difficult position as a direct result of Welsh…
, Plenary
Topical Questions
2. Will the Welsh Government make a statement on Arriva changing every bus service in North Wales as a result of Wales' default 20 mph speed limit? TQ946
, Plenary
Statement by the Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism: Statutory registration and licensing of visitor accommodation
Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement today. Certainly, in my role as the chair of the cross-party group on tourism, registration and licensing is an issue that has come up a number of times. Just two quick points, really. The first is the move…
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Good afternoon, Trefnydd. I'd like to call for a statement from the climate change Minister that outlines the expectations of using mandatory standards in housing developments and their associated infrastructure developments. I recently spent time with…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you. Thank you, Chair.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
And just to expand on that again, I absolutely understand the process, but do you think there's a risk that there will be a significant increase in businesses looking to go through that formal process, and therefore add more pressure onto the system…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
On the multipliers issues, Minister, do you see any risks in terms of creating potential loopholes for avoidance in the future by creating those different categories—so, potentially, businesses moving from one type to another on paper to therefore pay less…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Can I ask a question, Chair?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Yes, that makes sense. Okay. Thanks, Chair.
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Okay, thank you. That's fine. And then the final point, really, is in regard to the support for local authorities to manage the administration and associated cost impact with those changes to reliefs by regulations. Clearly, every time there is a change…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Okay, and you don't think there's any issue there in terms of centralisation of powers there. Would any of that be better placed with local authorities directly, for them to make those decisions more locally?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thanks for those responses. Just on the—. Within the Bill, you're seeking to take regulation-making powers to confer, amend or withdraw exemptions and reliefs. Perhaps you could just expand on the rationale behind that and how you propose to use those…
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Great. Thanks. Can I continue, Chair?
, Local Government and Housing Committee
Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill: Evidence from the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Okay. That's fine. It's more about the point of, I guess, not every premises or property owner will agree with the valuation every three years and will be challenging back the revaluation by the Valuation Office Agency, and that creates a whole new load of…
