Public Accounts Committee |
Meeting Venue: |
Committee Room 3 - Senedd |
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Meeting date: |
Tuesday, 2 June 2015 |
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Meeting time: |
09.03 - 10.59 |
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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 Sandy Mewies AM Julie Morgan AM Jenny Rathbone AM Aled Roberts AM |
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Witnesses: |
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Sara Ahmad, Welsh Government John Howells, Welsh Government June Milligan, Welsh Government |
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Committee Staff: |
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Michael Kay (Clerk) Claire Griffiths (Deputy Clerk) Joanest Varney-Jackson (Legal Adviser) Hannah Johnson (Researcher) Nick Selwyn (Wales Audit Office Huw Vaughan Thomas (Auditor General for Wales) Dave Thomas (Wales Audit Office) |
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Transcript
View the meeting transcript.
1 Introductions, apologies and substitutions
1.1 The Chair welcome the Members to the meeting.
1.2 Apologies were received from Jocelyn Davies.
2 Papers to note
2.1 The papers were noted. Members discussed the letter from Dr Peter Higson (Item 2.2) during the private part of the meeting.
2.1 Scrutiny of Commissioners’ Accounts 2013-14: Letter from the Arts Council for Wales (13 May 2015)
2.2 Governance Arrangements at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board: Letter from Dr Peter Higson (15 May 2015)
2.3 Health Finances 2013-14: Additional information from Board of Community Health Councils in Wales (May 2015)
2.4 Welfare Reform: Additional Information from Wales and West Housing Association (May 2015)
2.5 Inquiry into value for money of Motorway and Trunk Road Investment: Letter from Steve Martin Public Policy Institute for Wales (21 May 2015)
3 Welfare Reform: Evidence Session 5
3.1 The Committee took evidence from June Milligan, Director General, Local Government and Communities, Welsh Government; John Howells, Director, Housing & Regeneration, Welsh Government and Sara Ahmad, Economist, Local Government & Communities, Welsh Government, on its inquiry into welfare reform.
3.2 June Milligan agreed to:
· Send a note advising of the sites local authorities have released for housing development on;
· Note on the current situation of housing associations changing their allocations policies so there is no prohibition on tenants who have rent arrears based on housing benefit debts;
· Note on the impact in Wales of the proposed lower benefit cap;
· Breakdown of local authority area of affected households (where available) by the proposed lower benefit cap
4 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business:
4.1 The motion was agreed.
5 Welfare Reform: Consideration of Evidence Received
5.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.
6 Primary Care Prescribing: Briefing from the Auditor General for Wales
6.1 Due to time restraints, this item was not reached. It was agreed that the Auditor General for Wales will brief the Committee on his memorandum on Primary Care Prescribing during the Committee meeting on 9 June.