, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
So, it might be a bigger theme next year, and we'll probably hear more about this as the competitiveness plays out, I suppose.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
It's a really good point the Chair's raised here actually and leads to a couple of other questions, because, obviously, we've said that the estimate is based on no growth or new initiatives. However, we've just identified quite a considerable new pressure and…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
I can understand that. Thank you for that.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Yes. Thanks for that. I'm content with that. I'd just like to explore the practical impact of the new accounting standards. I don't know if that captures some of the other wicked issue of the international auditing standard. I just wonder what the impact was…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Yes, and I suppose it resonates with one of those wicked issues you highlighted earlier—the threat from the private sector coming in. You're going to end up having to be more competitive, I suppose. So, I can see a bit of a dilemma there.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Thank you. I'd like to just explore a bit on the draft fee scheme. I know the proposed average increase in fee rates is about 4.8 per cent, with an increase of between 12 per cent and 18 per cent for audit of accounts work. I just wonder what the views were…
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
I was being stupid—sorry.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Demand going from fees. Yes, of course—sorry.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
Sorry, I'm being stupid; I'm sorry.
, Finance Committee
Audit Wales—Scrutiny of the Estimate 2023-24 and Interim Report: Evidence session
So, in the scenario that something happened there and there was a switch, that would lessen the percentage increase that you'd want in the estimate—
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
It's the same scenario as the other side of the coin.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
You wouldn't increase the payments, particularly, to use spare moneys up.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Just some final questions on money, so, let's play the other side of the coin, that if take-up wasn't so good, it didn't need £278 million, what happens to surpluses? Are they ring-fenced to your department, or would it enter pillar 2 equivalent, or would it…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
The historical system was really quite unfair, if you go back, and it was all based on what subsidies you claimed many, many years ago, and that's what sort of got converted to your entitlements and things. At least this now gives a clean sheet for anybody to…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
—entering schemes and they do themselves an injustice.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
I wanted to just confirm. I have to say, back in the early days, when we had the integrated administration and control system forms and all of those things, we had to go and get maps and we had to map out every tree trunk and all of these different things on…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes. Thank you for that.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes, and understanding how using too much of one input can alter the natural balance of the ground and things. I see that, yes. Thanks for that. The preferred option—I note the administrative cost, excluding inspections and in-situ visits, is around £24.6…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
That will be that assessment that James spoke about, yes.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes. Thanks for that. I can understand that as well. So, I'm assuming, once the SLM scheme is finalised, you will be attempting to quantify what the benefits are and we can—that can be fed back into us.
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Yes, I accept that; it's pretty challenging. Moving on, then, to other benefits, there is a range of benefits included in the RIA relating to areas such as the future support of forestry, again, and these haven't been quantified. What work did you undertake…
, Finance Committee
Financial implications of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill: Evidence session
Thank you. If I can just move on to forestry, the RIA notes that the private sector costs relating to forestry are rising as a result of adding conditions to new licenses have also not been quantified. How have you assessed the impact of these potential costs…
, Finance Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Thank you, Chair. I declare an interest under item 3 as I am a farmer and a tenant farmer, so I declare an interest in that regard.
, Plenary
Plaid Cymru Debate: Global impact of domestic consumption
I thank Plaid for bringing forward this debate. It's certainly a very interesting and certainly very important motion, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss an issue that perhaps gets overlooked when we discuss climate change, and that's how our…
, Plenary
Debate on the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee Report—'Annual Report 2021/22'
I welcome the opportunity to contribute today. It was a pleasure to be a member of the committee following my election last May, and I'm really grateful for the way the Chairman and members of the committee welcomed me to that position as a new boy. I also…
