Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 4 - Tŷ Hywel. View directions

Contact: Fay Bowen 

Media

Senedd.TV: View the webcast

Transcript: Transcript for 23/11/2020 - Public Accounts Committee - Fifth Senedd

Items
Expected timing No. Item

(09.30)

1.

Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Minutes:

1.1 The Chair welcomed the Members to the meeting.

(09.30 - 11.10)

2.

Scrutiny of Accounts 2019-20: Evidence session with the Welsh Government

Research Briefing

Audit Wales - Commentary on the Welsh Government’s Consolidated Accounts 2019-20

PAC(5)-24-20 Paper 1 – Welsh Government Consolidated Accounts 2019-20

PAC(5)-24-20 Paper 2 – Joint letter from the Permanent Secretary, Welsh Government and the Auditor General for Wales (6 November 2020)

PAC(5)-24-20 Paper 3 – Letter from the Permanent Secretary, Welsh Government (29 October 2020)

 

Shan Morgan - Permanent Secretary, Welsh Government

Gawain Evans – Director of Finance, Welsh Government

David Richards – Director of Governance, Welsh Government

Andrew Slade – Director General for Economy, Skills and Natural Resources Group, Welsh Government

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The Members scrutinised the Permanent Secretary on the Welsh Governments’ Consolidated Accounts and Report 2019-20.

2.2 The Permanent Secretary agreed to:

·         Send a copy of the technical assessment paper prepared for HM Treasury and subsequently for consideration by the Financial Reporting Advisory Board (FRAB) regarding the procedure for dealing with grants in extra-ordinarily circumstances.

·         Provide an overview of the number and nature of any contracts that exist, if any, between the Welsh Government and the UK Government for Covid-19 related services.

·         Confirm if a contract was in place with Lighthouse Labs, and if so if it included clauses for turnaround times and whether poor performance would have amounted to breaches of contract.

·         Confirm if the Welsh Government has a contract or other written agreement with the UK Government for the sourcing and delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine.

·         Provide additional information on forecast timing of EU programme receipts.

·         Provide a rationale as to how the Department of Education model, used to calculate student loan write-offs, has been adapted for use in Wales.

·         Confirm how much interest was payable on the guarantee fee together with the associated legal costs with regard to the write off for the Circuit of Wales project.

·         Provide a table detailing the amount paid for land and buildings, and the amount they were subsequently sold for, following the announcement the M4 corridor scheme would not proceed. The purchase price will also show the blight price and the true valuation price.

2.3 Andrew Slade agreed to include a commentary regarding the additional finding agreed for the International Convention Centre in his letter on busines finance, currently being prepared for the Committee.

(11.10 - 11.15)

3.

Paper(s) to note

Minutes:

3.1 The paper was noted.

3a

The Regeneration Investment Fund for Wales (RIFW): Letter from the Welsh Government (11 November 2020)

Supporting documents:

(11.15)

4.

Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business:

Minutes:

4.1 The motion was agreed.

(11.20 - 12.00)

5.

Scrutiny of Accounts 2019-20: Consideration of evidence received

Minutes:

5.1 Members considered the evidence received. The Committee will continue their scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s Consolidated Accounts and Annual Report 2019-20 on 7 December 2020.

(12.00 - 12.15)

6.

Forward Work Programme: Spring 2021 work programme

PAC(5)-24-20 Paper 4 – Spring 2021 work programme

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

6.1 The Members noted the spring 2021 work programme.