, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
Okay.
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
That's helpful, yes.
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
I understand that these things will come to light, and that you would have set your three-year plan back in 2021, but it would have come to light in mid 2022 perhaps that there needed to be a refocus, a change of direction, before the next budget was set. I'm…
, Finance Committee
Update on Welsh Government 2023-24 in-year financial position: Evidence session
Yes, there's an issue sort of sticking with me, Minister, and lots of other people, because you admit you knew that the inflationary pressures were there—the indicators of pressure within the health service and everything were there—way before we set the last…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: International Men's Day
Absolutely. We take nothing away from the terrible problems that some women have to face day in, day out, but there are men and boys who are facing terrible situations as well, and they do need to be able to access the support they need to help them through…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: International Men's Day
This is such an important debate to have today on International Men's Day. As we've heard, men's health encompasses a range of issues, both mentally and physically, and focusing more on mental health as a theme today, it's an incredibly important discussion…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
Thanks, Ann-Marie. Thank you.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
Yes. I've got one last formal question: 2024-25 is a year of increased costs for the national fraud initiative. In September you spoke about the funding returned for 2022-23 associated with this activity. Do you foresee any similar issues arising in 2024-25?…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
And that would require quite a significant uplift in resource, I presume.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
So, basically, they're expecting you to do 20 per cent more work per year in that area.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
No, fair enough.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
Okay, that makes sense. You have included additional funding of £41,000 for work associated with the extension of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. Have you spoken to the future generations commissioner about this, and do you know if…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
Well, that's what I'm assuming the question—[Inaudible.] [Laughter.]
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
That makes sense. Thank you for that. I’ll move on to a slightly different area. You say funding for both audit work not funded through fees and your good practice exchange is increasing in line with the proposal for fees. Why are you taking this approach?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
Thank you for that. You talked about the importance of the trainee scheme. How many more trainees will this additional funding in the estimate enable you to recruit and what additional resource will you need to deliver an expanded programme? Given issues…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
Are you satisfied, then, that after the uplifts outlined in the estimate your staff pay is at a level sufficient to resolve some of those recruitment and retention issues?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
Yes. With the shortage of staff you've got and trouble to recruit, you'd think there would be a pretty good progression opportunity through the organisation, wouldn't you? That's an aside from my—
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
Have you had any feedback from staff who are leaving on why they're leaving? Is the money a big issue, or—?
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales - Scrutiny of the Estimate 2024-25 and Interim Report 2023-24: Evidence session
Yes. Thanks, Chair. Good morning. On the same sort of theme, then, is the proposal for the pay award across all grades and roles, or are you going to take more of a targeted approach, where you're perhaps feeling more pressure in retention?
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Water quality
I want to begin by highlighting the fact that water cleanliness in Wales is the direct responsibility of Welsh Government. I know that's obvious in here, but, to a lot of people out there, they don't always see that, and it is disappointing to see the current…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you, Minister, and you've answered lots of questions already on this today, and I want to pick up on the theme that my colleague Russell George made. Minister, I wrote to you in September around one organic farmer. I'm yet to receive that reply, but I'm…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
4. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the end of the Glastir scheme on farmers who receive funding from it? OQ60203
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Well, thank you for that. But, clearly, the needs-based elements of the formula were enabling money—more money—to be invested in those areas, which are now lacking, and it all comes—. Governance comes down to making choices and prioritising, and clearly the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Well, thank you for that, Minister. It's surprising, actually, that the Government at that time were making that forward assessment, thinking that there was enough going forward, and, clearly now, it seems that we need to revise that again, and I hope that…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, I'll start by building on, perhaps, the first question you had today, and a conversation in here between Rhun ap Iorwerth and the First Minister yesterday. We know that, in 2016, the current First Minister, then finance Minister…
