Meeting Venue:
Committee Room 3 - Senedd
Meeting date: Monday, 14 November 2016
Meeting
time: 14.00 -
16.51
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/3745
|
Category |
Names |
|
Assembly Members: |
Nick Ramsay AM (Chair) Mohammad Asghar (Oscar) AM Mike Hedges AM Neil McEvoy AM Rhianon Passmore AM Lee Waters AM |
|
Witnesses: |
James Price, Welsh Government Simon Jones, Welsh Government Mick McGuire, welsh Government |
|
Wales Audit Office: |
Gillian Body Matthew Mortlock Mike Usher |
|
Committee Staff: |
Meriel Singleton (Second Clerk) Claire Griffiths (Deputy Clerk) Joanest Varney-Jackson (Legal Adviser) |
View the meeting transcript (PDF 999KB) View as HTML (999KB)
1.1 The Chair welcomed Members of the Committee.
1.2 Apologies were received from Neil Hamilton AM. There was no substitute.
1.3 Lee Waters declared that he is personal friend of the Chair of Cardiff Airport, Neil McEvoy declared an interest as having been a Director of a company which applied for a Welsh Government grant and Mike Hedges declared an interest as having previously been employed in the aluminium and steel industry.
2.1 The minutes were agreed.
3.1 The Committee scrutinised James Price, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Economy, Skills and Natural Resources Group and Mick McGuire, Director, Sectors and Business, Welsh Government on the Welsh Government’s Funding of Kancoat Ltd.
3.2 James Price agreed to:
· Provide an explanation of how metal-coil coating process has been categorised as being within the ‘Advanced Materials and Manufacturing’ business sector and how that conclusion was reached;
· Send details of the failure rate of business finance in the Welsh Government in the previous administration;
· Share the risk assessments undertaken as part of the due diligence for the Kancoat application; and
· Check the record regarding his response on the nature of the remediation costs and if required, send corrections.
4.1 Member’s noted the Welsh Government’s response to the previous Committee’s recommendations from their inquiry into the Acquisition of Cardiff Airport.
4.2 The Committee questioned James Price, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Economy, Skills and Natural Resources Group and Simon Jones, Director Transport and ICT Infrastructure, Welsh Government on Acquisition of Cardiff Airport.
4.3 James Price agreed to:
· Send details of the performance indicators that have been developed by Holdco;
· The impact the Future Generations Act 2015 will have on the operation of Cardiff Airport;
· Share the correspondence in relation to the role of the Chair of CIAL on the Holdco Board;
· Send a copy of the Master Plan for Cardiff Airport, when available, in 2017;
· Provide an update on the instrument landing system; and
· Advised that he would revisit the due diligence applied to Cardiff Aviation and comment accordingly.
5.1 Member’s noted the Welsh Government’s update to the previous Committee’s recommendations from their inquiry into the Intra-Wales - Cardiff to Anglesey - Air Service.
5.2 The Committee questioned James Price, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Economy, Skills and Natural Resources Group and Simon Jones, Director Transport and ICT Infrastructure, Welsh Government on the Intra-Wales - Cardiff to Anglesey - Air Service.
6.1 Member’s noted the Welsh Government’s update to the previous Committee’s recommendations from their inquiry into the Welsh Government investment in next generation broadband infrastructure
6.2 The Committee questioned James Price, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Economy, Skills and Natural Resources Group and Simon Jones, Director Transport and ICT Infrastructure, Welsh Government on the Welsh Government investment in next generation broadband infrastructure.
6.3 James Price agreed to send further information explaining the initiatives being undertaken to raise awareness and increase digital skills for users of the internet.
7.1 Member’s noted the Welsh Government’s update to the previous Committee’s recommendations from their inquiry into the Welsh Government investment in next generation broadband infrastructure
7.2 The Committee questioned James Price, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Economy, Skills and Natural Resources Group and Simon Jones, Director Transport and ICT Infrastructure, Welsh Government on the Welsh Government investment in next generation broadband infrastructure.
7.3 James Price agreed to send an explanation of the input the Future Generations Commissioner will have on the consultation of the National Transport Plan.
8.1 The motion was agreed.
9.1 Members discussed the evidence received and agreed the following:
Kancoat
Members asked the Clerks to prepare a summary of the evidence received together with possible recommendations for their consideration. Members also noted that the Auditor General for Wales has scheduled an audit of Welsh Government Business Support Mechanisms to be undertaken in 2017.
Cardiff Airport
Members agreed to receive a further progress report in 12 months’ time.
Air Link
Members requested that the results from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure’s review of the North-South airline be made available to the Committee when published.
Broadband
Members agreed that due to the planned inquiry by the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee on Broadband, no further updates will be sought.
Trunk Roads
Members agreed to revisit whether any further updates will be required on receipt of the National Transport Plan, when available.