Agenda and minutes

1. 1 The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting of the Finance Committee.

1.2 Mike Hedges MS declared that he is Chair of the Public & Commercial Service Union cross-party group in the Senedd.

Minutes of the meeting held on 18 September.

2.1 The Committee noted the papers.

Hefin David MS, Commissioner for Budget and Governance, Senedd Commission

Manon Antoniazzi, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Senedd, Senedd Commission

Ed Williams, Director of Senedd Resources, Senedd Commission

Simon Hart, Interim Chief Finance Officer, Senedd Commission

Supporting documents:

FIN(6)-19-24 P1 - Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2025-26

FIN(6)-19-24 P2 – Letter from the Senedd Commission: Further information to support the Senedd Commission’s Draft Budget 2025-26; and an update in relation to Committee recommendations – 27 September 2024

FIN(6)-19-24 P3 - Letter from the Senedd Commission: Further information in relation to recommendations made by the Committee in its report on Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2024-25 - 23 September 2024

Senedd Research Brief

3.1 The Committee took evidence on the Senedd Commission’s Draft Budget 2025-26 from Hefin David MS, Commissioner for Budget and Governance, Senedd Commission; Manon Antoniazzi, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Senedd, Senedd Commission; Ed Williams, Director of Senedd Resources, Senedd Commission; and Simon Hart, Interim Chief Finance Officer, Senedd Commission.

Adrian Crompton, Auditor General for Wales, Audit Wales

Dr Ian Rees, Chair of the Wales Audit Office, Audit Wales

Kevin Thomas, Executive Director of Corporate Services, Audit Wales

Anne-Louise Clark, Executive Director for Communications and Change, Audit Wales

Supporting documents:

FIN(6)-19-24 P4 - Audit Wales: Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24

FIN(6)-19-24 P5 - Audit Wales: Audit Findings report – Year Ended 31 March 2024

FIN(6)-19-24 P6 - Audit Wales: Annual Plan 2024-25

Senedd Research Brief

4.1 The Committee took evidence on Audit Wales’s Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 and the Annual Plan 2024-25 from Adrian Crompton, Auditor General for Wales, Audit Wales; Dr Ian Rees, Chair of the Wales Audit Office, Audit Wales; Kevin Thomas, Executive Director of Corporate Services, Audit Wales; and Anne-Louise Clark, Executive Director for Communications and Change, Audit Wales.

5.1 The motion was agreed.

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

7.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

Supporting documents:

FIN(6)-19-24 P7 - Letter from the Chair of the Finance Committee: Consultation on reviewing the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2013 – 3 July 2024

FIN(6)-19-24 P8 - Letter from Audit Wales: Improvements to audit legislation – 20 September 2024

8.1 The Committee noted the response from the Auditor General for Wales (AGW).

8.2 The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh language, seeking the Welsh Government’s views on the AGW’s priorities for changes to the 2013 Act and other audit legislation.

Supporting documents:

FIN(6)-19-24 P9 – Cover paper: Changes to the Budget Process Protocol

FIN(6)-19-24 P10 – Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office: Proposed Changes to the Budget Process Protocol - 1 August 2024

9.1 The Committee noted the letter from the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office on the proposed changes to the Budget Process Protocol and related budget procedures.

9.2 The Committee agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language on the changes to the Budget Process Protocol and related budget procedures.