Chair, Children, Young People and Education Committee Chair, Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee Chair, Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee Chair, Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee Chair, Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee Chair, External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee Chair, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

1 June 2000

Finance Committee: Engagement and Plenary Debate on the Welsh Government’s Spending Priorities 2021-22

 

Dear Committee Chairs

At our meeting on 21 May 2020, the Finance Committee considered its programme of engagement for the forthcoming Welsh Government draft budget and I am writing to all Chairs of subject committees to share our thinking.

As you will appreciate, in light of current social restrictions due to Covid-19, we are unable to undertake a stakeholder event as we have done in previous years. This is very disappointing as it offers a valuable opportunity to hear from our key stakeholder about their priority areas for the Welsh Government spending prior to the draft budget being laid.

Instead, this year we will undertake online initiatives using Twitter to encourage stakeholders and the general public to put forward their views on spending priorities. I would appreciate your assistance in promoting our online questions/polls via your own communication tools to encourage and engage with a wider audiences. This will assist the Finance Committee to contribute to delivering the most coherent and effective scrutiny of the Government’s spending plans during these unprecedented circumstances.  We will share the outcome of this engagement with your Committee’s to assist with your scrutiny of the draft budget.

 

 

 

 

 

The Business Committee has agreed to schedule a Finance Committee proposed debate during the last week of the summer term on the Welsh Government’s spending priorities. We hope the information gathered from our online engagement can be used to inform the debate and holding it prior to summer recess provides a sufficient timeframe for the Welsh Government to take into account the views of the Senedd when formulating its draft budget. Covid-19 will have an impact on public spending for years to come and we believe that holding this debate is vital to ensure the Senedd sets out how it believes the Welsh Government should focus spending over the next financial year. We hope you and Members of your Committees will take the opportunity to contribute to this important debate.

Following the debate, I will write to you again setting out the Finance Committee’s budget focus, consultation details and our timetable for budget scrutiny.

If you have any questions about any aspect of the draft budget process, please feel free to contact me or the Clerk to the Finance Committee, Bethan Davies.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Llyr Gruffydd AM
Chair of the Finance Committee

 

 

 

Croesewir gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg.

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