Meeting Venue:
Video Conference via Zoom
Meeting date: Wednesday, 10 March 2021
Meeting time: 09.00 - 12.40
This meeting can
be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/11123
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|
Category |
Names |
|
Members of the Senedd: |
Llyr Gruffydd MS (Chair) Alun Davies MS Siân Gwenllian MS Mike Hedges MS Mark Isherwood MS Rhianon Passmore MS Mark Reckless MS |
|
Witnesses: |
Simon Hart MP, Wales Office Geth Williams, Wales Office Debra Carter, Welsh Government Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Trefnydd Gawain Evans, Welsh Government Andrew Jeffreys, Welsh Government Marcella Maxwell, Welsh Government |
|
Committee Staff: |
Bethan Davies (Clerk) Leanne Hatcher (Second Clerk) Georgina Owen (Second Clerk) Mike Lewis (Deputy Clerk) Martin Jennings (Researcher) Owen Holzinger (Researcher) |
1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
1.1 The Chair welcomed Members to the virtual meeting of the Finance Committee.
1.2 The following members of the EAAL committee participated in items 5 and 7, in accordance with Standing Order 17.49:
- David Rees MS
- Huw Irranca-Davies MS
- Nick Ramsay MS
- David Rowlands MS
2 Paper(s) to note
2.1 The papers were noted.
2.1 PTN 1 - Letter from the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd regarding an amended Supplementary Budget Motion – 2 March 2021
2.3 PTN 2 – Letter from the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd regarding allocated funding to support business during the pandemic – 2 March 2021
2.4 PTN 3 - Letter from the Scottish Parliament's Finance and Constitution Committee to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Scottish Government's Budget 2021-22 - 4 March 2021
2.5 PTN 4 - Joint letter from the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales; and the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury regarding Freeports in Wales - 4 February 2021
2.5 PTN 5 - Welsh Government Draft Budget 2021-22 - Welsh Government response to the Finance Committee's report - 5 March 2021
3 Finance Committee Legacy work: Evidence session
3.1 The Committee took evidence from Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Trefnydd; Andrew Jeffreys, Director Treasury; Gawain Evans, Director of Finance; Debra Carter, Deputy Director, Local Government Strategic Finance; and Marcella Maxwell, Deputy Director, Commercial Procurement and Group Strategy on Finance Committee Legacy work.
3.2 The Minister for Finance and Trefnydd agreed to provide:
Further information via the Minister for Education regarding funding allocation for research in Higher Education Institutions.
4 Tax statutory instrument: Evidence session
4.1 The Committee took evidence from Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Trefnydd; Andrew Jeffreys, Director Treasury; Gawain Evans, Director of Finance; Debra Carter, Deputy Director, Local Government Strategic Finance; and Marcella Maxwell, Deputy Director, Commercial Procurement and Group Strategy, on the Tax statutory instrument.
4.2 The Chair thanked the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd, and her officials for the constructive way in which they have engaged with the Committee over the period of the Fifth Senedd.
5 Secretary of State for Wales: Evidence session
5.1 The Chair welcomed members of the External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee who were invited to attend the item with the Secretary of State for Wales.
5.2 The Committee took evidence from the Rt. Hon Simon Hart MP, Secretary of State for Wales; and Geth Williams, Deputy Director of Constitution and Policy, Wales Office.
5.3 The Secretary of State for Wales agreed to:
- Provide further information regarding Gwynedd’s status as a category 3 area in relation to the Levelling Up Fund;
- Speak to HM Treasury regarding HM Treasury control on the amount of money that the Welsh Government can carry over from the ‘block grant’ into the next financial year; and
- Explore the Welsh Government’s claims that the mechanism for devolving competence to introduce new Welsh taxes is not fit for purpose with HM Treasury.
5.4 The Chair thanked the current and past members of the Finance Committee; and all the stakeholders and witnesses for their valuable contributions over the period of the Fifth Senedd.
6 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 (ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting and the meeting on 17 March 2021
6.1 The motion was agreed.
7 Secretary of State for Wales: Consideration of evidence
7.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.
8 Finance Committee Legacy work: Consideration of evidence
8.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.
9 Tax statutory instrument: Consideration of evidence
9.1 The Committee considered the evidence received and agreed to report on the statutory instrument.
10 Draft Public Audit (Amendment) (Wales) Bill: Consideration of draft report
10.1 The Committee agreed the draft report.