Concise Minutes - Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 3 - Senedd

Meeting date: Wednesday, 15 November 2017

Meeting time: Times Not Specified
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/4403

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Attendance

Category	Names
Assembly Members:	John Griffiths AM (Chair) Gareth Bennett AM Janet Finch-Saunders AM Siân Gwenllian AM Jenny Rathbone AM Joyce Watson AM
Witnesses:	Alun Davies AM, Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services Reg Kilpatrick, Welsh Government Julie James AM, Leader of the House and Chief Whip Rebecca Evans AM, Minister for Housing and Regeneration Jo-Anne Daniels, Welsh Government John Howells, Welsh Government Robert Hay, Welsh Government
Committee Staff:	Naomi Stocks (Clerk) Elizabeth Wilkinson (Second Clerk) Chloe Davies (Deputy Clerk) Jonathan Baxter (Researcher) Osian Bowyer (Researcher) Hannah Johnson (Researcher)

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members and members of the public to the meeting.

1.2 Apologies for absence were received from Rhianon Passmore AM and Bethan Jenkins AM.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Scrutiny of the Welsh Government draft budget 2018-19: evidence session 2

2.1 The Committee received evidence from:

· Alun Davies AM, Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services

· Reg Mitchell-Kilpatrick, Director, Local Government, Welsh Government

· Rob Hay, Deputy Director, Local Government Finance Policy Division, Welsh Government

2.2 During the evidence session the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services agreed to provide:

· The overall reserve figures for all local authorities for 2017;

· An analysis of the reserves drawn upon by local authorities over the last few years;

· Detail of the terms of the specific grants to focus on homelessness, within the communities and children MEG.

</AI2>

<AI3>

3 Scrutiny of the Welsh Government draft budget 2018-19: evidence session 3

3.1 The Committee received evidence from:

· Alun Davies, Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services

· Julie James, Leader of the House and Chief Whip

· Rebecca Evans, Minister for Housing and Regeneration

· Reg Mitchell-Kilpatrick, Director, Local Government, Welsh Government

· Jo-Anne Daniels, Director, Communities & Tackling Poverty, Welsh Government

· John Howells, Director of Housing and Regeneration, Welsh Government

3.2 During the evidence session the Leader of the House and Chief Whip agreed to provide any further information about the new publicly funded Gypsy and Traveller sites to be delivered in 2018-19, when available.

3.3 During the evidence session the Minister for Housing and Regeneration agreed to provide:

· The findings from the future analysis of data collected on all home adaptations, when available;

· The money allocated to the enforcement of Rent Smart Wales and, specifically, what it will be used for.

</AI3>

<AI4>

4 Paper(s) to note

</AI4>

<AI5>

4.1 Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education to the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee in relation to Communities First - lessons learnt

4.1.a The Committee noted the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education to the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee in relation to Communities First - lessons learnt.

</AI5>

<AI6>

4.2 Response from Let Down in Wales to the Welsh Government's consultation on fees charged to tenants in the private rented sector

4.2.a The Committee noted the response from Let Down in Wales to the Welsh Government's consultation on fees charged to tenants in the private rented sector.

</AI6>

<AI7>

4.3 Letter from the Chair of the UK Joint Committee on Women to the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union in relation to Human Rights in Wales

4.3.a The Committee noted the letter from the Chair of the UK Joint Committee on Women to the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union in relation to Human Rights in Wales.

</AI7>

<AI8>

5 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 (vi) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting

5.1 The Committee agreed the motion.

</AI8>

<AI9>

6 Scrutiny of the Welsh Government draft budget 2018-19: consideration of evidence received under items 2 and 3

6.1 The Committee discussed the evidence received under items 2 and 3.

</AI9>

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