Agenda and minutes

1.1 The Chair welcomed everybody to the meeting. Apologies were received from Ken Skates AM.  Jenny Rathbone AM substituted.

Leighton Andrews, Minister for Education and Skills

Jeff Cuthbert, Deputy Minister for Skills

2.1 The Chair welcomed Leighton Andrews AM, Minister for Education and Skills, and Jeff Cuthbert AM, Deputy Minister for Skills to the meeting. Members questioned the Ministers.

2.2 The Minister for Education and Skills agreed to send the Committee:

• Examples of college mergers that have provided savings.
• Figures on the additional funding required to cover the rise in tuition fees for Welsh students and where this additional funding has come from.
• A note on the funding increase for Coleg Ffederal and the University Heads of the Valleys Institute.
• A note on whether the budget allocation for the Welsh Language Delivery Unit is to be used for Welsh adult learners.
• A note on the budget allocation for Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin

Edwina Hart, Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science

James Price, Director General, BETS
Rob Hunter, Deputy Director, Finance and Corporate Services

3.1 The Chair welcomed the Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science, and her officials to the meeting. Members questioned the Minister.

3.2 The Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science agreed to send the Committee:

·                     A note on the budget transfers that have taken place so far within the differing areas of the Minister’s portfolio.

·                     A paper on the repayable business finance scheme

·                     Details of any successful projects and what savings will be achieved as a consequence of these, in relation to the Invest-to-Save and Efficiency and Innovation Programme.

Welsh Government Draft Budget Proposals 2012-2013: Evidence from Huw Lewis

4.1 The Committee noted the following correspondence:

·         Welsh Government Draft Budget Proposals 2012-2013: Evidence from Huw Lewis

View the meeting transcript.