Concise Minutes - Finance Committee

Meeting Venue: Hybrid - Committee

room 4 Ty Hywel and video conference

via Zoom

Meeting date: Wednesday, 15 January 2025

Meeting time: 09.00 - 12.13
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/14790

Hybrid

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Peredur Owen Griffiths MS (Chair) Mike Hedges MS Rhianon Passmore MS Sam Rowlands MS
Witnesses:	Lis Burnett, Leader, Vale of Glamorgan Council Anthony Hunt, Leader, Torfaen County Borough Council Nia Jeffreys, Leader, Gwynedd Council Andrew Morgan, Leader, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Darren Hughes, Director, Welsh NHS Confederation Catherine Phillips, Executive Director of Finance, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Chair of the Executive Directors of Finance Peer Group Lance Carver, Chair, Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru (ADSS Cymru) and Director of Social Services at Vale of Glamorgan Council Jane Thomas, Director of Corporate Services, Powys County Council (also the s.151 Officer representing the Society of Welsh Treasurers) Dr Victoria Winckler, Director, Bevan Foundation
Committee Staff:	Owain Roberts (Clerk) Sian Giddins (Second Clerk) Mike Lewis (Deputy Clerk) Rhiannon Williams (Deputy Clerk) Ben Harris (Legal Adviser) Owen Holzinger (Researcher) Božo Lugonja (Researcher) Joanne McCarthy (Researcher)

<AI1>

Registration

</AI1>

<AI2>

Private pre-meeting

</AI2>

<AI3>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

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

</AI3>

<AI4>

2 Paper(s) to note

2.1 The Committee noted the papers.

</AI4>

<AI5>

2.1 PTN 1 - Letter from the Llywydd to the Chairs' Forum: Representation on inter-parliamentary bodies - 7 January 2025

</AI5>

<AI6>

2.2 PTN 2 - Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language: Further information from the Cabinet Secretary on the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill, following his attendance at Finance Committee on 5 December – 7 January 2025

</AI6>

<AI7>

3 Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 5

3.1 The Committee took evidence on the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 from Cllr Lis Burnett, Leader, Vale of Glamorgan Council; Cllr Nia Jeffreys, Leader, Gwynedd Council; Cllr Andrew Morgan, Leader, Rhondda Cynon Taf Borough Council; and Cllr Anthony Hunt, Leader, Torfaen County Borough Council.

3.2  The Committee agreed to write to the Welsh Local Government Association with an additional question on the Shared Prosperity Fund that wasn’t reached during the evidence session.

</AI7>

<AI8>

Break

</AI8>

<AI9>

4 Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 6

The Committee took evidence on the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 from Darren Hughes, Director, Welsh NHS Confederation; Catherine Phillips, Executive Director of Finance, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Chair of the Executive Directors of Finance Peer Group; Lance Carver, Chair, Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru (ADSS Cymru) and Director of Social Services at Vale of Glamorgan Council; and Jane Thomas, Director of Corporate Services, Powys County Council (also the s.151 Officer representing the Society of Welsh Treasurers)

</AI9>

<AI10>

5 Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Evidence session 7

5.1 The Committee took evidence on the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 from Victoria Winckler, Director, Bevan Foundation.

</AI10>

<AI11>

6 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 (ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting.

6.1 The motion was agreed.

</AI11>

<AI12>

7 Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26: Consideration of evidence

7.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

</AI12>

<AI13>

8 The Land Transaction Tax (Tax Bands and Tax Rates) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

8.1 The Committee considered the briefing note on the Land Transaction Tax (Tax Bands and Tax Rates) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2024; noted the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee’s report on these regulations and decided not to issue a separate report.

</AI13>

<AI14>

9 The Land Transaction Tax (Modification of Special Tax Sites Relief) (Wales) Regulations 2025

9.1 The Committee considered the briefing note on the Land Transaction Tax (Modification of Special Tax Sites Relief) (Wales) Regulations 2025; noted the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee’s report on these regulations and decided not to issue a separate report.

</AI14>

<AI15>

10 Consultation on revision of the Code of Audit Practice of the Auditor General for Wales

10.1 The Committee noted the paper on the consultation on revision of the Code of Audit Practice of the Auditor General for Wales and decided not to respond formally.

</AI15>

<AI16>

11 Audit Wales Fee Scheme 2025-26

11.1 The Committee approved the Audit Wales Fee Scheme 2025-26.

</AI16>

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