, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25—Pre-budget scrutiny
I was going to say there's a real moral dilemma with this, because it just seems unfair that some parts of public service can get this and others won't be able to. I would hope that perhaps a Government who stands alone as a government should say, 'Well…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25—Pre-budget scrutiny
Thanks. I was going to ask a question to you, but it's already been covered, really, about how you're considering the impacts of divergence of income tax and things. I think we've covered that with the WRIT. I see that, yes, that money is reconciled, and we…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25—Pre-budget scrutiny
Obviously, the First Minister made quite a powerful statement about the pressures that are going to happen. That's sort of laying the ground for, usually, difficult decisions. Are there areas of efficiencies—? Looking at that holistic approach you've taken as…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25—Pre-budget scrutiny
We've covered a lot of things in the earlier conversations. Ministers will be facing big challenges trying to understand where they might need to cut, especially in the face of the cost-of-living crisis. I just wondered how you are identifying the…
, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25—Pre-budget scrutiny
So, this situation is, obviously, altering the way you have to consider things. We know this is likely to happen, so is there a lot more forward planning, or running alternative budgets? You create perhaps two or three budget models at the same time ready to…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The Restricted Roads (20 mph Speed Limit) (Wales) Order 2022
Thank you. That section took months to take out, it cost thousands and thousands of pounds and caused a huge amount of issues. The reality is it will be the cost that will prohibit councils from pursuing any further changes that they would want to make to…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: The Restricted Roads (20 mph Speed Limit) (Wales) Order 2022
I welcome this debate today. The public want us to discuss this. It cannot be overstated just how much concern that this—and I will use the word, I'm sorry—blanket 20 mph speed limit has created across Wales. This will escalate to new levels, believe me, next…
, Plenary
Finance Committee Debate—The Welsh Government’s spending priorities for the 2024-25 budget
I want to begin by thanking everyone who took part in the engagement sessions for their invaluable input. I'd also like to recognise the hard work of my colleagues on the committee and the clerking team. We are very fortunate to have absolutely first-class…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you for that, Minister. I'm glad there is engagement going on. The important thing is: is there a listening mode as well as the engagement, and that those key issues are taken on board? This week, it emerged that unemployment rose again to the highest…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Thank you for that, Minister. We welcome the support that's gone into business, but there is clearly still anxiety over the tourism tax. As you know, the overwhelming majority of businesses in the tourism sector in Wales oppose the introduction of a tourism…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Finance and Local Government
Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, we all know that families are being hit by the rising costs of living, but many small and medium-sized enterprises are also faced with the rising cost of doing business. As we all know, the tourism and hospitality industry faced two…
, Plenary
Debate: Welsh Government Annual Report—Delivering the Government’s priorities and legislative programme
I move this amendment in the name of my colleague Darren Millar. When I read the Welsh Government's annual report, I was disappointed. I was quite amazed, actually. Anybody would think that things were fine here. The lack of a real, on-the-ground perspective…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I agree—community-focused schools are absolutely wonderful places, when they're done right, and they offer huge opportunities not only to the learner, but to the community, to strengthen social cohesion, create opportunities around sport, and everything like…
, Plenary
Debate: The First Supplementary Budget 2023-24
Could I thank the Welsh Government for today's debate on this first supplementary budget? In today's debate, I will be contributing as the Welsh Conservatives' spokesperson for finance, and we'll be voting against. I appreciate that this year's original…
, Plenary
Legislative Consent Motion on the Procurement Bill
Can I thank the Welsh Government and the Minister for bringing forward today's LCM on the Procurement Bill, which we, the Conservative group, will be supporting? As we know, the purpose of the Bill is to introduce revised legislation to the processes and…
, Plenary
Welsh Conservatives Debate: Rural communities
I would like to begin by declaring the fact that I am myself a farmer. And as we've heard from Paul, who opened the debate so well, last week was NFU Cymru's celebration of Welsh Food and Farming Week, a time when we came together to raise awareness and show…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services
Thank you, Minister. In November, as you are quite aware, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales issued a report highlighting the need for urgent improvement in the emergency department at the Grange hospital. The inspection identified that Aneurin Bevan University…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services
8. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of access to healthcare at the Grange University Hospital? OQ59745
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Thank you, Minister. As you know, the latest data shows that, despite a UK-wide improving picture, Wales continues to fall behind in terms of employment and continues to see a rise in unemployment. According to the latest Open University's business barometer…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
2. What action is the Welsh Government taking to reduce unemployment in Wales? OQ59746
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
That makes sense. Thank you, Chair.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Thank you for that. The last question from me is probably a bit of a technical one. For significant infrastructure projects, the Bill proposes a tier of optional thresholds and criteria below the compulsory levels. Can you outline the process for classifying…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Thank you for that. That clarity is helpful. The RIA also talks about fees and reimbursed costs, and these are netted off in overall costs in the RIA. Can you outline why you have taken this approach, how the approach to fees might change under the new…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Thank you, Minister. The RIA also sets out that the provisions within the Bill will generate around £2.2 million of savings over the five-year appraisal period. To what extent is this due to the lower number of applications accounted for under the new regime?
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Infrastructure (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Morning, Minister. I just have a couple of questions around exploring the cost of the proposed systems and the key areas of uncertainty around that. We know the RIA includes the cost of transition into the new arrangements covering IT, training, et cetera. I…
