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Public Accounts Committee |
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Meeting Venue: |
Committee Room 3 - Senedd |
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Meeting date: |
Tuesday, 16 September 2014 |
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Meeting time: |
09.00 - 10.43 |
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This meeting can be viewed on Senedd
TV at: |
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Concise Minutes: |
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Assembly Members: |
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Darren Millar AM (Chair) William Graham AM Mike Hedges AM Alun Ffred Jones AM Julie Morgan AM Jenny Rathbone AM Aled Roberts AM Sandy Mewies AM |
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Witnesses: |
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Emma Giles, Wales Audit Office Steve Martin, Wales Audit Office Mike Usher, Wales Audit Office Matthew Mortlock, Wales Audit Office Michael Palmer, Wales Audit Office Martin Peters, Wales Audit Office Andy Phillips, Wales Audit Office |
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Committee Staff: |
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Michael Kay (Clerk) Claire Griffiths (Deputy Clerk) Joanest Varney-Jackson (Legal Advisor) |
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Transcript
View the meeting transcript.
1 Introductions, apologies and substitutions
1.1 The Chair welcomed the Members to Committee.
2 Papers to note
2.1 The papers were noted subject to the following actions:
· Minutes of the previous meeting (15 July 2014): Sandy Mewies requested that her declaration as a fellow of Glyndwr University be added.
· Unscheduled Care: Letter from the Minister for Health and Social Services (24 July 2014): The Committee agreed to revisit aspects of this issue early in 2015.
· Meeting the Financial Challenges Facing Local Government in Local Government: Letter from June Milligan (22 July 2014): It was agreed that the Chair would write to the Minister for Public Services seeking his perspective on collaborative partnerships, local authority reconfiguration and related costs.
· Governance Arrangements at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board: Letter from Dr Peter Higson (29 July 2014): It was agreed that the Chair would write to the Vice-Chair at BCUHB asking for further information in relation to improvements relating to healthcare associated infections. Governance arrangments would be considered later in the term and BCUHB revisited in 2015.
· Grants Management in Wales: Letter from Sir Derek Jones (11 August 2014): It was agreed that the Chair would write to the Permanent Secretary asking whether any further consideration of the issues arising from the AWEMA case can be shared with the Committee now that criminal proceedings have concluded.
2.1 Unscheduled Care: Letter from the Minister for Health and Social Services (24 July 2014)
2.2 Meeting the Financial Challenges Facing Local Government in Local Government: Letter from June Milligan (22 July 2014)
2.3 Governance Arrangements at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board: Letter from Dr Peter Higson (29 July 2014)
2.4 Memorandum for the Accounting Officer of the Office of Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW): Letter from the PSOW (4 August 2014)
2.5 Grants Management in Wales: Letter from Sir Derek Jones (11 August 2014)
2.6 Higher education finances: Letter from the Wales Audit Office to Mike Hedges AM (15 August 2014)
2.7 Covering Teachers’ Absence: Letter from the Minister for Education and Skills (20 August 2014)
3 Young people not in education, employment or training
3.1 The Committee agreed that the Chair should write to William Graham as Chair of the Enterprise and Business Committee to share the Welsh Government’s response and the Auditor General’s note to assist their inquiry. The letter will emphasise the Committee’s concerns with the proportion of young people considered to be NEET in the 19-24 age group and the collection and sharing of data. The Committee asked that they receive an update from Enterprise and Business Committee when it undertaken its work and will then give further consideration as to whether they wish to undertake any work of their own on this issue.
4 The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Bill
4.1 The Committee considered the letter from the Auditor General for Wales and agreed the Chair should write to Alun Ffred Jones as Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, copied to the Minister for Natural Resources, asking that during the Committee’s scrutiny of the Bill, the points raised by the AGW relating to his powers and responsibilities be considered.
5 Intra-Wales - Cardiff to Anglesey - Air Service: Consideration of the Welsh Government's response
5.1 The Committee considered the Welsh Government’s response and agreed that an update be sought in Spring 2015 by which time the new contract should have been awarded. The Committee also agreed that, in the interim, the Chair should write to the Welsh Government requesting that it shares the information it is able to do with the Committee regarding the full scope, content, methodology and timescale for the ARUP review as well as the tender document for the air service.
6 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business:
6.1 The motion was agreed.
7 Glastir: Briefing from the Wales Audit Office
7.1 The Committee received a briefing on the Glastir report from the Auditor General for Wales’ staff. The Committee agreed to seek a response from the Welsh Government which will be shared with the Environment and Sustainability Committee. The Chair will write to the Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee with the Welsh Government’s response, when received.