Y Pwyllgor Cyllid
Finance Committee
Huw Lewis,
Minister for Education and Skills,
Welsh Government
29 January 2015
Dear Huw,
Qualifications Wales Bill
At the Finance Committee meeting of 21 January 2015, the Committee considered the financial implications of the Qualifications Wales Bill. The Members had two queries in relation to the Bill, which we would appreciate your views on.
ICT costs
While Annex B to the RIA identifies that you have undertaken detailed work into the costings associated with ICT, the RIA does not set out detailed information on how these costs have been reached. In comparison, the staffing and premises costings are much more detailed, and show the assumptions used to calculate additional costs in these areas. Given that the RIA states that you have undertaken a detailed scoping study around costs in this area, it would be helpful to have further details of these.
Total and additional costs of the preferred option
You stated in evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee at its meeting on 11 December 2014, that the Bill will be funded “within the agreed education budget” and that you “do not have access to an additional resource”[1]. We’d be grateful if you could confirm which specific budget will be used to cover the total and additional costs that will result from implementing the legislation.
I would be grateful if you were able to respond to these points by 20 February 2015. I am also copying this letter to the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee.
Yours sincerely,
Jocelyn Davies AM
Chair