Rebecca Evans: As you say, Llywydd, as a mark of respect for our friend and colleague, Oscar, there are a number of changes to today's agenda. The three planned oral statements will issue as written statements, and the Brexit Party debate has been postponed. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out in the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to today's agenda. The draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Rebecca Evans: I thank Andrew R.T. Davies for beginning his contribution by recognising the extreme pressure that Welsh Government is under in terms of responding to the coronavirus crisis. Clearly, the volume of correspondence and the volume of written questions has grown exponentially; so, we've had over 850 in the same time period as we would have had 250 last year. So, clearly, it is putting a huge...
Rebecca Evans: I think the First Minister did respond to the leader of Plaid Cymru on this point earlier on during First Minister's questions, but, clearly, once again, our thoughts are with the people of Rhondda Cynon Taf who have faced terrible flooding once more. I do know that Natural Resources Wales is currently investigating, and we're in close contact with their officers to understand the cause of...
Rebecca Evans: I thank Delyth Jewell for raising this important issue, because COVID-19 in care homes is clearly an issue of paramount concern during this ongoing pandemic. Delyth raises a series of quite detailed questions that would require, I think, a more detailed answer than I'm able to provide today, because I don't have the evidence and so forth, and the advice at my fingertips. Although we have...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. The first supplementary budget for this financial year sets out how we have initially reshaped our budget to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Normally, supplementary budgets are relatively small-scale, primarily technical events, covering modest adjustments to our budgets to reflect the impact of the UK Government's spend on Wales. The evolving response to the coronavirus...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd, and thank you to all colleagues for their contributions in the debate this afternoon. The first supplementary budget is an important part of the budget process, allowing the changes that have been made to be reported to and scrutinised by the Senedd. As I outlined in my opening statement and as colleagues have all, I think, recognised, this is nothing like the more kind of...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. The Welsh Government rejects this motion, and I will address each of the four elements of the original motion in turn. Firstly, in Wales, we have deliberately taken a careful and evidence-based approach to the easing of lockdown, and our primary objective is always to keep Wales safe. We've explained how we're doing this in 'Leading Wales out of the coronavirus...
Rebecca Evans: As we move into the recovery phase I am considering the role taxes might play in supporting businesses in Wales alongside the other fiscal measures available, both devolved and non‑devolved.
Rebecca Evans: Through our ambitious capital plans we are investing in public services infrastructure across all parts of Wales. Investments in South Wales West include £9.7 million to improve the neonatal care unit in Singleton Hospital and the £29 million twenty-first century schools development at Cefn Saeson in Neath Port Talbot.
Rebecca Evans: Our innovative policy approaches are having a positive impact. Wales-based suppliers now win 52 per cent of the annual £6.467 billion procurement expenditure, up from a 2004 baseline of 35 per cent.
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. There are no changes to today's agenda. Draft business for the next three sitting weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Rebecca Evans: I'll certainly investigate why those responses haven't arrived, certainly going back to such a date. If you let me have the numbers that would be helpful, otherwise I can liaise directly with the Table Office to get that information for you.FootnoteLink
Rebecca Evans: I thank Mick Antoniw for that suggestion. Over the summer, I'll be having some discussions with colleagues about the debates that they would wish to bring forward, and I know that they'll be considering the requests that colleagues bring forward today, and have done in recent times as well, in terms of setting out that agenda of Government business for the next term, which I hope will, to a...
Rebecca Evans: I thank Caroline Jones for raising this. I do think that the criteria for the grants related to non-domestic rates are quite clear, in the sense that they are set out on the Business Wales website. The situation you describe certainly sounds as if it would only be the one business that would be eligible for the business rate related grant, because those grants are directly related to those...
Rebecca Evans: I will certainly make sure that the Minister is aware of your request for a statement and clarity on farm payments, particularly in the timing of those payments within this financial year. On the second issue that you raise about the Wales Audit Office report, obviously, we're grateful for the work that was done there, and we'll ensure that officials respond to them in due course. I do know...
Rebecca Evans: Well, a really wide range of circumstances are considered throughout our three-weekly rolling review of the regulations, and, clearly, we are considering many different types of employment and employment circumstances. So, obviously, there are circumstances across Wales—I've had guitar teachers who teach at home, for example, wanting to know what the rules mean for them. So, I know that we...
Rebecca Evans: We're working closely with local authorities to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the income from local taxes. Our package of rates relief is providing £580 million of support to ratepayers during 2020-21, and our council tax reduction scheme provides guaranteed support to low-income households.
Rebecca Evans: I thank Caroline Jones for raising this issue. Local government finance is particularly important during the COVID-19 crisis because they are very much, alongside their colleagues in health, on the front line in terms of supporting people and our communities. And that's one of the reasons why I've been able to recognise that pressure by providing over £180 million thus far to the local...
Rebecca Evans: I'm really keen to explore what more we could do or what we could do differently, in fact, in the field of local government finance, and particularly of course non-domestic rates, but also council tax, because they are two pillars that support local government. That's one of the reasons why I commissioned a range of research that will help us understand what the options are for the future....
