Concise Minutes - Finance Committee

Meeting Venue:

Video Conference via Zoom

Meeting date: Thursday, 21 May 2020

Meeting time: 14.06 - 15.31
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/6230

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Attendance

Category	Names
Assembly Members:	Llyr Gruffydd MS (Chair) Alun Davies MS Siân Gwenllian MS Mike Hedges MS Rhianon Passmore MS Nick Ramsay MS Mark Reckless MS
Witnesses:	Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Trefnydd Margaret Davies, Welsh Government Andrew Jeffreys, Welsh Government
Committee Staff:	Bethan Davies (Clerk) Georgina Owen (Second Clerk) Martin Jennings (Researcher)

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1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members to the first virtual meeting of the Finance Committee.

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2 Paper(s) to note

2.1 The minutes were noted.

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3 COVID-19: Evidence session with the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd

3.1 The Committee took evidence from Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Trefnydd; Margaret Davies, Deputy Director of Strategic Budgeting; and Andrew Jeffreys, Director Treasury on the financial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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4 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting

4.1 The motion was agreed.

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5 COVID-19: Consideration of evidence

5.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

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6 Senedd Commission's First Supplementary Budget 2020-21

6.1 The Committee considered and noted the First Supplementary Budget 2020-21 request from the Senedd Commission.

6.2 The Committee agreed to write to the Senedd Commission to request information on the financial implications of COVID-19 on its budget.

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7 Public Services Ombudsman for Wales's First Supplementary Budget 2020-21

7.1 The Committee considered and noted the First Supplementary Budget 2020-21 request from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

7.2 The Committee agreed to write to the Public Services Ombudsman to request information on the financial implications of COVID-19 on his budget.

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8 Welsh Government's Draft Budget 2021-22: Approach to scrutiny

8.1 The Committee considered its approach to scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s Draft Budget 2021-22. In light of the current social restrictions due to Covid-19, Members agreed to undertake online engagement initiatives to include stakeholders and the general public in their scrutiny of the draft budget, in place of a Stakeholder Event. In addition, the Committee agreed to write to the Business Committee and the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd to request a Committee-proposed debate prior to the summer recess on the Welsh Government’s spending priorities. It is intended that the outcome of the online engagement will inform the debate. 

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