Concise Minutes - Finance Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 4 - Tŷ Hywel

Meeting date: Wednesday, 15 November 2017

Meeting time: 09.03 - 11.32
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/4427

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Attendance

Category	Names
Assembly Members:	Simon Thomas AM (Chair) Neil Hamilton AM Mike Hedges AM Jane Hutt AM David Rees AM Steffan Lewis AM Nick Ramsay AM
Witnesses:	Anne Meikle, WWF Cymru Annie Smith, RSPB Hayley Richards, Oxfam Cymru Huw Vaughan Thomas, Auditor General for Wales, Wales Audit Office Isobel Garner, Wales Audit Office Kevin Thomas, Wales Audit Office Steve O'Donoghue, Wales Audit Office
Committee Staff:	Bethan Davies (Clerk) Catherine Hunt (Second Clerk) Leanne Hatcher (Second Clerk) Georgina Owen (Deputy Clerk) Martin Jennings (Researcher) Owen Holzinger (Researcher) Ben Harris (Legal Adviser)

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

1.1 The Chair welcomed Jane Hutt AM who attended as a substitute for Eluned Morgan AM, following her promotion to the Government as Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Paper(s) to note

2.1 The papers were noted.

</AI2>

<AI3>

2.1 PTN1 - Letter from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales: Estimate 2018-19 - 27 October 2017

</AI3>

<AI4>

3 Welsh Government draft budget 2018-19: Evidence session 6 (Sustainable Development Alliance)

3.1 The Committee took evidence from Anne Meikle, Chair of the Sustainable Development Alliance (WWF Cymru); Annie Smith, Sustainable Development Alliance (RSPB Cymru); and Hayley Richards, Sustainable Development Alliance (Oxfam Cymru) on the Welsh Government draft budget 2018-19.

</AI4>

<AI5>

4 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from item 5 and items 7-10

4.1 The motion was agreed.

</AI5>

<AI6>

5 Welsh Government draft budget 2018-19: Consideration of evidence

5.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

</AI6>

<AI7>

6 Wales Audit Office and the Auditor General for Wales's annual report 2016-17 and estimate of income and expenses 2018-19: Evidence session

6.1 The Committee took evidence from Huw Vaughan Thomas, Auditor General for Wales; Isobel Garner, Chair, Wales Audit Office; Kevin Thomas, Director of Corporate Services; and Steve O’Donoghue, Director of Finance, Wales Audit Office.

</AI7>

<AI8>

7 Wales Audit Office and the Auditor General for Wales's annual report 2016-17 and estimate of income and expenses 2018-19: Consideration of evidence

7.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

</AI8>

<AI9>

8 Tax Collection and Management (Wales) Act 2016: Statutory Instruments

8.1 The Committee considered the following statutory instruments and agreed to report:

· the Tax Collection and Management (Permitted Disclosures) (Wales) Regulations 2017; and

· The Tax Collection and Management (Administration) (Wales) Regulations 2017.

</AI9>

<AI10>

9 Financial implications of the Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Bill

9.1 The Committee considered the financial implications of the Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Bill and agreed to invite the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services in for further scrutiny.

</AI10>

<AI11>

10 Scrutiny of the Assembly Commission Draft Budget 2018-19: Consideration of the Assembly Commission's response

10.1 The Committee discussed the Assembly Commission’s response ahead of the Plenary debate that afternoon.

</AI11>

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