Rebecca Evans: Yes. We do evaluate the projects that are funded through the scheme, and that helps us understand where we go in future. Of course, not every scheme is a great success; that's part, I suppose, of the point of these kinds of projects, that we test out what works, and we've had some that in the past that have less successful but part of the challenge then is about learning why it didn't succeed...
Rebecca Evans: I have raised the cost-of-living crisis with the UK Treasury on a number of occasions. Despite the difficult position we have been presented with, due to the UK Government support not going far enough, the Welsh Government will continue to assist people across Wales throughout the crisis.
Rebecca Evans: I do think it is imperative for all Governments in the UK to be working together to solve these issues, and we have excellent meetings with colleagues in Northern Ireland and in Scotland who share many of our concerns about the way in which the UK Government is responding to the cost-of-living crisis in particular, and we've come up with ideas of simple things the UK Government could be doing...
Rebecca Evans: So, in my response to Huw Irranca-Davies, I set out some of the ways in which we've been pressing UK Government to use the levers at its disposal to help families and households here in Wales. But the UK Government does have a real opportunity now on 23 March, when it will be bringing forward its next fiscal statement, and that's a chance, I think, for the UK Government to set out some really...
Rebecca Evans: We're currently consulting on possible local variation of land transaction tax rates for second homes, and that consultation closes on 28 March.
Rebecca Evans: I hope the Member sees some of the irony there in the way in which the Conservatives have opposed our efforts to take action on the second homes situation, when, as the Member says, people are struggling just to buy one, and, for many, it will always be unattainable. So, this is one the reasons why we are taking action on the second homes issue. But, in respect of our starting rate for land...
Rebecca Evans: Yes. Community assets such as green spaces and community buildings are vital to the health and well-being of our communities. We support the community ownership of these assets, which is why we are working with partners to deliver the recommendations from our research into community asset transfers.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for raising this question. Obviously, I would associate myself with what the First Minister said in response to the issue yesterday. We have looked at the situation in England and I know that when the registers were introduced, there was actually quite a mixed response to the scheme when it was introduced in England. And our recently published Welsh Government community asset...
Rebecca Evans: So, as I said in response to the previous speaker, we have undertaken our own piece of research that didn't point to the need for a legislative solution. But we are looking with interest at the IWA report as well as the work that the Wales Co-operative Centre has undertaken, on 'Community ownership of land and assets: enabling the delivery of community-led housing in Wales', which was also...
Rebecca Evans: I have prioritised funding for local government in my budget decisions and ensured that the core local government revenue settlement is distributed according to relative need, using a formula which takes account of a wealth of information on the demographic, physical, economic and social characteristics of authorities.
Rebecca Evans: There is a unanimous determination from across Wales to offer all support possible to refugees from Ukraine and we are exploring options to ensure support can be provided before people begin to arrive. We are seeking to engage with UK Government to understand how any proposed schemes will operate.
Rebecca Evans: The 2022-23 draft Budget published in December, allocated £15m capital and £6.3m revenue over the next three years to continue our investment in the Tech Valleys programme, which is designed to support high value, sustainable jobs, attract investment and create opportunities for the whole South Wales Valleys region.
Rebecca Evans: On 15 February the Welsh Government announced a two-year package of over £330m to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, nearly double the equivalent support available in England. These measures will see money put in people pockets and help them to pay their bills, in what are increasingly difficult circumstances.
Rebecca Evans: Diolch. This supplementary budget presents the Welsh Government's final spending plans for the current financial year. It increases the overall Welsh resources by over £1.1 billion, a further 4.4 per cent increase on the position set out in the first supplementary budget published in June 2021. In this budget, our fiscal spending plans have increased by a total of £2.409 billion. Over 150...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch yn fawr, and thank you to everybody who's contributed in the debate this afternoon. I would agree with what colleagues have said in that good budget management can only happen when we get accurate information from the Treasury, and I know that was repeated by several Members in the conversation that we've had this afternoon. I would agree that it is the case that we must have greater...
Rebecca Evans: I am grateful for the support that we've had this afternoon in respect of flexibility. The Chair of the Finance Committee repeated the Finance Committee's support for our request to have a full calendar year to deal with late allocations, and that's something that we've had in recent years, but for some reason UK Government has stopped that from happening, and, again, that has serious...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. Today, I'm presenting to the Senedd for its approval an amendment to the current year's local government settlement. Following consultation with local government, through the Welsh Local Government Association, I'm proposing to further increase local government revenue funding this year by £60 million through an increase in the revenue support grant, delivered through an amended...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much to Peter Fox for his contribution and also for confirming the Welsh Conservative support for this motion today. So, I'm just happy to respond to those specific questions. So, yes, the amended local government finance report does reflect the £50 million increase in funding, and that was, as Peter Fox says, announced in the publication of the second supplementary budget....
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. I move the motions. The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 provided for the creation of corporate joint committees to further drive collaboration across local government. In March 2021, the Senedd approved regulations establishing four new CJCs in Wales. Those establishment regulations were the beginning of a phased approach to putting in place the regulatory...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. I thank Llyr Huws Gruffydd for raising this particular issue this afternoon. That is our assessment, based on our understanding of the likely workload and the likely impact of including CJCs within the auspices of the local government family. But, of course, we will want to keep all of these matters under review, and I know that the Finance Committee will be taking a...
