Agenda and minutes

FIN(4)-16-14 Paper 1

Don Peebles – Head of CIPFA Scotland and Expert Adviser to the Committee

1.1 The Committee received a briefing from Don Peebles, Expert Adviser.

View the meeting transcript.

2.1 The Chair welcomed the Members to Committee.

2.2 There were no apologies.

3.1 The papers were noted.

FIN(4)-16-14 Paper 2

FIN(4)-16-14 Paper 3

Research Brief

Dame Rosemary Butler AM – Presiding Officer and Commission Chair

Claire Clancy - Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly

Nicola Callow – Director of Finance

4.1 Peter Black AM absented himself for this item and item 8 due to his role as a Member of the Assembly Commission.

4.2 Members scrutinised Dame Rosemary Butler AM, Presiding Officer and Commission Chair, Claire Clancy, Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly, and Nicola Callow, Director of Finance on the draft Assembly Commission budget 2015-16.

4.3 The Presiding Officer agreed to raise at the next meeting of the Business Committee the issue of ushers collecting Members’ notes from the Chamber to help with the Record of Proceedings and also committed to investigating the possibility of alternative travel options for educational visits from schools.

4.4 Claire Clancy agreed to look into the copyright issues relating to the Carbon Trust report and make it available to Members if possible and provide the Committee with information on who owns Ty Hywel.

FIN(4)-16-14 Paper 4

Jane Hutt AM – Minister for Finance

Jo Salway - Deputy Director, Strategic Budgeting, Welsh Government

Matt Denham- Jones, Head of Budgetary Control & Reporting, Welsh Government

Jeff Andrews – Specialist Policy Adviser, Welsh Government

5.1 The Committee scrutinised the Minister for Finance and Local Government on the Welsh Government’s draft budget for 2015-16.

5.2 The Chair indicated she would ask the relevant committee to explore with the portfolio Minister if the cuts to the Supporting People programme will be delivered equally across Wales or will some areas see larger cuts.

5.3 The Minister agreed to:

·         provide a note to the Committee clarifying the position on non-domestic rates providing it does not undermine negotiations with the UK Government;

·         share with the Committee some of the early advice the Government has received on the process of devolving stamp duty land tax;

·         confirm the arrangements for allocating money to Local Authorities specifically for social services;

·         provide the Committee with more information on the prospect of a skills gateway for adults in relation to the Careers Wales service;

·         check on the publication of an evaluation on the Pupil Deprivation Grant and provide the Committee with details; and

·         provide the Committee with details around invest-to-save funding.

Items 7, 8 & 9

6.1 The motion was agreed.

7.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

8.1 The Committee considered the evidence and noted that a draft report will be prepared for consideration at the Committee meeting scheduled for 8 October 2014.

9.1 The Committee discussed the correspondence.