Agenda and minutes

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members and members of the public.

Christopher Chapman, Programme Manager – Efficiency and Procurement, Welsh Local Government Association

Jonathan Fearn, Chair of the joint CLAW / ACES Property & Estates Group

2.1 The Chair welcomed Christopher Chapman, Programme Manager – Efficiency and Procurement, Welsh Local Government Association; and   Jonathan Fearn, Chair of the joint CLAW / ACES Property & Estates Group.

2.2 Members questioned the witnesses.

2.3 The Committee agreed to write to the WLGA with questions which were not raised during proceedings.

FIN(4) 03-13 – Paper 1 – NHS Shared Services

Neil Davies, Assistant Director Facilities Service, NHS Wales Shared Services

3.1 The Chair welcomed Neil Davies, Assistant Director Facilities Service, NHS Wales Shared Services.

3.2 Members questioned the witness.

Action points:

NHS Shared Services Partnership agreed to provide:

·         Case studies identifying how the NHS in Wales has collaborated with other public bodies in Asset Management to enhance service delivery.

·         A list of examples where bodies in the NHS in Wales have effectively used the Land Transfer Protocol.

FIN(4) 03-13 – Paper 2 – Welsh Council for Voluntary Action

Phil Fiander, Director of Enterprise and Regeneration, WCVA 

Mathew Brown, Communities Investment Fund Manager

Peter Williams,Director, Development Trusts Association Wales

4.1 The Chair welcomed Phil Fiander, Director of Enterprise and Regeneration, WCVA; Mathew Brown, Communities Investment Fund Manager; and Peter Williams, Director, Development Trusts Association Wales.

4.2 The Committee questioned the witnesses.

Action point:

The WCVA agreed to provide:

·         A note outlining examples of organisations in the voluntary sector, where assets are managed as a resource to aid service delivery and where it forms part of their overall strategy.

FIN(4) 03-13 – Paper 3 – Welsh Government’s Supplementary Budget 2013-2014

Jane Hutt AM, Minister for Finance and Leader of the House

Jo Salway, Head of Strategic Budgeting
Matthew Denham-Jones, Head of Budgetary Control & Reporting

Jeff Andrews, Specialist Policy Adviser

5.1 The Chair welcomed Jane Hutt AM, Minister for Finance and Leader of the House; Jo Salway, Head of Strategic Budgeting; Matthew Denham-Jones, Head of Budgetary Control & Reporting; and Jeff Andrews, Specialist Policy Adviser.

5.2 The Committee scrutinised the Minister on the Welsh Government’s Supplementary Budget 2013-14.

Action points:

The Minister agreed to provide:

• Clarification on the request in the supplementary budget motion for a reduction in the amount to be paid from the Consolidated Fund, due to other sources of income being higher than originally forecast, and a breakdown of these sources and the forecast amounts.
• Clarification on funds allocated in this financial year to the NewBuy (Mortgage Guarantee Scheme) and Welsh Housing Bond – and whether there is likely to be any draw down on these funds given the likely launch dates.  Also an explanation as to how it is intended that the NewBuy scheme will be provided for in the budget, at the time where provision is made, and in the event of any default resulting in a cost to the Welsh Government.
• Further information on the transfer of capital funding from Invest-to-Save repayments to address IT costs and details of how the revenue funding for the Fund has increased as a result of further transfers.

FIN(4) 03-13 – Paper 4 – Invest to Save – Notes from Members’ visits

FIN(4) 03-13 – Paper 5 – Invest to Save – Welsh Government – Response to action points from meeting on 16 January 2013

Minutes of previous meeting

6.1 The Committee noted the paper on Invest to Save visits; correspondence from the Welsh Government in response to action points from the 16 January meeting; and the minutes of the previous meeting.

Items 8 to 10.

8.1 The Committee discussed the financial implications of the Social Services Bill and agreed to invite the Minister for Social Services to be scrutinised by the Committee at a forthcoming meeting.

9.1 The Committee discussed the evidence received on the Welsh Government’s Supplementary Budget 2013-14 and instructed the Clerk to prepare a draft Committee report.

10.1 The Committee discussed the evidence received on Asset Management and potential witnesses for forthcoming meetings.

10.2 The Committee agreed to prepare a survey to be addressed to Chief Executives of public bodies to gain further evidence for the inquiry.

View the meeting transcript.