Concise Minutes - Finance Committee

Meeting Venue: Hybrid - Committee

room 3, Senedd and video conference

via Zoom

Meeting date: Thursday, 18 January 2024

Meeting time: 09.30 - 15.15
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/13831

Hybrid

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Peredur Owen Griffiths MS (Chair) Peter Fox MS Mike Hedges MS Huw Irranca-Davies MS (In place of Rhianon Passmore MS)
Witnesses:	Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales Jacob Ellis, Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales Rhiannon Hardiman, Office of the Future Generations Commissioner Darren Hughes, Welsh NHS Confederation Sally May, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board Lance Carver, Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Carys Lord, Bridgend County Borough Council Mary Ann Brocklesby, Monmouthshire County Council Anthony Hunt, Torfaen County Borough Council Llinos Medi, Isle of Anglesey County Council Mark Pritchard, Wrexham County Borough Council Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government Andrew Jeffreys, Welsh Government Emma Watkins, Welsh Government
Committee Staff:	Owain Roberts (Clerk) Leanne Hatcher (Second Clerk) Cerian Jones (Second Clerk) Mike Lewis (Deputy Clerk) Rhiannon Williams (Deputy Clerk) Martin Jennings (Researcher) Owen Holzinger (Researcher) Joanne McCarthy (Researcher)

<AI1>

Registration (09.00-09.15)

</AI1>

<AI2>

Private Pre-meeting (09.15-09.30)

</AI2>

<AI3>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

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

1.2 Apologies were received from Rhianon Passmore MS.

1.3 Huw Irranca-Davies MS substituted for Rhianon Passmore MS.

</AI3>

<AI4>

2 Paper(s) to note

2.1 The papers were noted.

</AI4>

<AI5>

2.1 PTN 1 - Letter from Minister for Finance and Local Government: Second Supplementary Budget 2023-24 - 11 January 2024

</AI5>

<AI6>

2.2 PTN 2 - Letter from the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee Meeting - 12 January 2024

</AI6>

<AI7>

2.3 PTN 3 - Letter from the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Review of the Budget Process Protocol - 15 January 2024

</AI7>

<AI8>

3 Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session 5

3.1 The Committee took evidence on the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25 from Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales; Jacob Ellis, Director: External Relations and Culture; and Rhiannon Hardiman, Policy Lead: Nature & Climate Change, Economy, Food Policy.

</AI8>

<AI9>

Break (10.00-10.10)

</AI9>

<AI10>

4 Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session 6

4.1 The Committee took evidence on the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25 from Sally May, Executive Director of Finance Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Chair of the Directors of Finance Peer Group; Darren Hughes, Director, Welsh NHS Confederation; Lance Carver, Vice President, Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru (ADSS Cymru) and Director of Social Services at Vale of Glamorgan Council; and Carys Lord, Chief Officer Finance, Performance and Change, Bridgend County Borough Council.

</AI10>

<AI11>

Break (11.10-11.20)

</AI11>

<AI12>

5 Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session 7

5.1 The Committee took evidence on the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25 from Cllr Anthony Hunt, Leader, Torfaen County Borough Council; Cllr Llinos Medi, Leader, Isle of Anglesey County Council; Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby, Leader, Monmouthshire County Council; and Cllr Mark Pritchard, Leader, Wrexham County Borough Council.

</AI12>

<AI13>

Break (12.20-13.15)

</AI13>

<AI14>

6 Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: Evidence session 8

6.1 The Committee took evidence on the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25 from Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government; Andrew Jeffreys, Director Treasury; and Emma Watkins, Deputy Director, Budget & Government Business.

6.2 The Minister agreed to provide a note via the Minister for Health and Social Servies in relation to pooled budgets between Local Health Boards and Local Authorities.

</AI14>

<AI15>

7 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 (ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting and the meeting on 31 January 2024

7.1 The motion was agreed.

</AI15>

<AI16>

8 Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2024-25: Consideration of evidence

8.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

</AI16>

<AI17>

9 Second Supplementary Budget 2023-24 requests from Directly Funded Bodies

9.1 The Committee considered and agreed the requested variations to the Audit Wales’s Estimate 2023-24; and the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales’s Estimate 2023-24.

</AI17>

<AI18>

10 Audit Wales Fee Scheme 2024-25

10.1 The Committee approved the Audit Wales Fee Scheme 2024-25.

</AI18>

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