Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 4 - Tŷ Hywel. View directions

Contact: Owain Roberts 

Media

Senedd.TV: View the webcast

Transcript: Transcript for 29/09/2021 - Finance Committee

Items
Expected timing No. Item

In accordance with Standing Order 34.19, the Chair has determined that the public are excluded from the Committee's meeting in order to protect public health. This meeting will be broadcast live on www.senedd.tv

Private pre-meeting - Informal (09.15-09.30)

(09.30)

1.

Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Minutes:

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members to the virtual meeting of the Finance Committee.

(09.30)

2.

Paper(s) to note

Minutes of the meetings held on 2, 8, and 14 July, and 15 Sept 2021.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

2.1 The papers were noted.

2.1

PTN 1 – Letter from the Llywydd and Chair of the Business Committee: Committee timetable – 14 July 2021

Supporting documents:

2.2

PTN 2 – Letter from the Llywydd and Chair of the Business Committee: Plenary debate on the Welsh Government’s spending priorities 2022-23 – 16 July 2021

Supporting documents:

2.3

PTN 3 - Letter from the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Revised Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) code for Subordinate Legislation – 1 July 2021

Supporting documents:

2.4

PTN 4 - Letter from the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Land Transaction Tax - Independent Review – 28 July 2021

Supporting documents:

2.5

PTN 5 - Letter from the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Additional information on Barnett consequentials and business support - 19 July 2021

Supporting documents:

2.6

PTN 6 - Letter from the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Finance Ministers' Quadrilateral Meeting on 20 July - 14 September 2021

Supporting documents:

2.7

PTN 7 - Scrutiny of Welsh Government First Supplementary Budget 2021-22: Welsh Government response - 23 August 2021

Supporting documents:

2.8

PTN 8 – Letter from the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Statement of Principles for Directly Funded Bodies – 2 August 2021

Supporting documents:

2.9

PTN 9 - Letter from the Chair of the Llywydd's Committee: Financial oversight of the Electoral Commission - 9 September 2021

Supporting documents:

2.10

PTN 10 – Letter from the Chair of the Children Young People and Education Committee: Children and young people’s priorities for the Sixth Senedd – 20 July 2021

Supporting documents:

2.11

PTN 11 – Letter from the Chair of the Equality and Social Justice Committee: Joint working between committees in the Sixth Senedd – 10 August 2021

Supporting documents:

(09.30-10.30)

3.

Introductory session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Evidence session

Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government

Andrew Jeffreys, Director Treasury, Welsh Government

Matthew Denham-Jones, Deputy Director Financial Controls, Welsh Government

 

Supporting papers:

Research Service Brief

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

3.1 The Committee took evidence from Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government; Andrew Jeffreys, Director Treasury; and Matthew Denham-Jones, Deputy Director Financial Controls.

 

3.2 The Minister agreed to provide the following:

 

·         an update on the progress of the Budget Advisory Group for Equality and the wider role it can play in looking at the budget process;

·         a note on how consequential funding from the National Insurance increase will flow into the Welsh Government's budget.

Break (10.30-10.40)

(10.40-11.40)

4.

Oversight of Audit Wales – Scrutiny of the Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21 and the Annual Plan 2021-22: Evidence session

Adrian Crompton, Auditor General for Wales

Lindsay Foyster, Chair of the Wales Audit Office 

Kevin Thomas, Executive Director of Corporate Services

 

Supporting documents:

FIN(6)-05-21 P1 - Audit Wales - Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21

FIN(6)-05-21 P2 - Audit Wales - Audit Findings Report – Year Ended 31 March 2021

FIN(6)-05-21 P3 - Audit Wales - Annual Plan 2021-22

Research Service Brief

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.1 The Committee took evidence from the Auditor General for Wales; Chair of the Wales Audit Office; and Audit Wales officials.

 

4.2 Peter Fox MS temporarily chaired part of the item due to technical issues, in accordance with Standing Order 17.22.

 

4.3 Audit Wales agreed to provide the following:

 

·         a note on the 5 year strategic plan being developed to prioritise the key points of organisational transformation.

·         a note on the review of travel and subsistence polices.

(11.40)

5.

Motion under Standing Order 17.42 (ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting.

Minutes:

5.1 The motion was agreed.

(11.40-11.50)

6.

Oversight of Audit Wales – Scrutiny of the Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21 and the Annual Plan 2021-22: Consideration of evidence

Minutes:

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

(11.50-12.00)

7.

Introductory session with the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Consideration of evidence

Minutes:

7.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

(12.00-12.20)

8.

Draft Public Audit (Amendment) Wales) Bill

Supporting papers:

FIN(6)-05-21 P4 - Draft Public Audit (Amendment) Wales) Bill

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

8.1 The Committee agreed to consider this item at a future meeting.