Concise Minutes - Finance Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 1 - Senedd

Meeting date: Thursday, 15 March 2018

Meeting time: 09.31 - 12.39
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/4620

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Attendance

Category	Names
Assembly Members:	Simon Thomas AM (Chair) Neil Hamilton AM Jane Hutt AM Nick Ramsay AM David Rees AM
Witnesses:	Alison Gerrard, Wales Audit Office Anthony Barrett, Wales Audit Office Nicola Evans, Wales Audit Office Martin Peters, Wales Audit Office Ann-Marie Harkin, Wales Audit Office Suzy Davies AM, Commissioner Manon Antoniazzi, Chief Executive & Clerk of the Assembly Nia Morgan, Director of Finance
Committee Staff:	Bethan Davies (Clerk) Leanne Hatcher (Second Clerk) Georgina Owen (Deputy Clerk) Joanne McCarthy (Researcher) Owen Holzinger (Researcher) Ben Harris (Legal Adviser) Gareth Howells (Legal Adviser)

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting.

1.2 Apologies were received from Steffan Lewis AM and Mike Hedges AM.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Paper(s) to note

2.1 The papers were noted.

</AI2>

<AI3>

2.1 PTN1 - Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to the Chair - Horizon 2020 in Wales Annual Report 2017 - 7 March 2018

</AI3>

<AI4>

2.2 PTN2 - Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to the Chair - Capital Investment Bonds - 8 March 2018

</AI4>

<AI5>

2.3 PTN3 - Letter from the Assembly Commission to the Chair - Scrutiny of the Assembly Commission Draft Budget 2018-19 - 9 March 2018

</AI5>

<AI6>

3 Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013: Evidence session (Wales Audit Office)

3.1 The Committee took evidence from Alison Gerrard, Board Member, Wales Audit Office; Anthony Barrett, Assistant Auditor General; Martin Peters, Head of Law and Ethics, Wales Audit Office; and Nicola Evans, Head of Finance, Wales Audit Office on the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 fee regime.

</AI6>

<AI7>

4 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from items 5 and items 8-11

4.1 The motion was agreed.

</AI7>

<AI8>

5 Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013: Consideration of evidence

5.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

</AI8>

<AI9>

6 Inquiry on the Remuneration Board’s Determination Underspend: Evidence session 1 (Wales Audit Office)

6.1 The Committee took evidence from Anthony Barrett, Assistant Auditor General; and Ann-Marie Harkin, Financial Audit Lead for the audit of the Assembly Commission’s accounts, Wales Audit Office in relation to its inquiry on the Remuneration Board’s determination underspend.

</AI9>

<AI10>

7 Inquiry on the Remuneration Board’s Determination Underspend: Evidence session 2 (Assembly Commission)

7.1 The Committee took evidence from Suzy Davies AM, Commissioner for Budget and Governance; Manon Antoniazzi, Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly; and Nia Morgan, Director of Finance, Assembly Commission in relation to its inquiry on the Remuneration Board’s determination underspend.

</AI10>

<AI11>

8 Inquiry on the Remuneration Board’s Determination Underspend: Consideration of evidence

8.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

</AI11>

<AI12>

9 Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill: Consideration of Stage 1 Committee reports

9.1 The Committee considered the Stage 1 reports on the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill from the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee and the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee.

</AI12>

<AI13>

10 Assembly Procedure for Section 116C Orders in Council

10.1 The Committee considered a letter from the Business Committee regarding proposed changes to Standing Orders in relation to an Assembly Procedure for Section 116C Orders in Council and agreed to respond.

</AI13>

<AI14>

11 Devolution of fiscal powers to Wales: Consideration of draft report

11.1 The Committee agreed the draft report with minor changes.

</AI14>

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