Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising that. Of course, bank regulation and the post office network are both responsibilities of the UK Government and we've been very clear time and time again that the UK Government does need to take a more coherent and strategic approach to community banking. We believe that all banks, when they leave a community, do have a responsibility to the customers who have...
Rebecca Evans: Welsh tax policy will be developed in line with the principles set out in our tax policy framework. I will be taking a considered approach, seeking to raise revenue fairly, and engaging widely with taxpayers and other stakeholders.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for that question. Of course, fairness is our No. 1 principle in the tax principles that are guiding us in terms of the development of our tax policy in Wales. I can confirm that I do intend to consult over the next 12 months on proposals to place independent schools and private hospitals on an equal footing with their public sector counterparts in respect of the payment...
Rebecca Evans: I can confirm that most people will be paying tax in their place of residence. However, there is an exception within the rules that means that all Assembly Members will be paying the Welsh rates of income tax regardless of where they live. I will confirm that there will be a comprehensive communications programme to ensure that people are well aware of Welsh rates of income tax and what it...
Rebecca Evans: Together with my officials, I am in regular contact with UK Treasury Ministers about a range of financial issues, including discussing the implications of the current position regarding the impact of Brexit on public spending and our budget.
Rebecca Evans: Absolutely, and the Member is well aware that we were promised that Wales wouldn’t be a single penny worse off as a result of Brexit, and it is absolutely imperative that we hold the UK Government to that commitment. David Rees is right: there's a huge amount of focus on the shared prosperity fund because of the importance of it to our communities, and the investment that it makes, but...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for the question on the Brexit preparedness funding. Of course, we have introduced the £50 million fund for preparedness for Brexit and a number of statements have been made by portfolio Ministers as to how that's been spent. For example, the police partnership resilience scheme has recently been announced, the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru Brexit...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising the important point that it's not simply the quantum of money that is important, although that clearly is—it's actually how that money is made available to us to allocate to our Welsh Government priorities. We can't see a rolling back of 20 years of devolution through attempts by the UK Government to power grab in this area. Proposals such as a city deal kind...
Rebecca Evans: The 2019 pay remit guidance for our sponsored bodies is currently being finalised and will be issued by the end of February.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for raising this issue. The development of that guidance is very much an iterative process, so those bodies should be having discussions with officials in the process of developing the guidance. What I will say is that we can expect the guidance to look similar, in some ways, to the guidance last year, so building on the themes that we were keen to develop there. So, transparency,...
Rebecca Evans: Consideration was given to the care needs of the whole of Wales, including north Wales. For 2019-20, funding of £1.46 billion has been allocated to Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board to improve performance, drive transformation and integration and help people live healthier, independent lives for longer.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for raising this issue. I know, certainly on an all-Wales level, we're seeing some of the lowest levels of delayed transfers of care that we've had since records began, but I appreciate the circumstance you describe is unique in the sense that we're talking about cross-border provision. I'm not aware of the issue but I will certainly have discussions with the health Minister to...
Rebecca Evans: Statistics already exist for problem gambling in Wales from the Gambling Commission. We will include questions on gambling as part of the national survey for Wales in 2020-1.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for raising this issue and for doing it consistently. I know that you've campaigned for this data to be gathered over many years and I'm pleased that it is now going to happen. The chief medical officer I think demonstrated very clearly in his annual report how gambling is becoming a public health issue that we do need to address in Wales. And to do so, obviously, we need good data...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for raising this issue, and also for highlighting what the chief medical officer also highlighted in his report, that the harm caused by gambling is very much unequal in its distribution, and that people who are economically inactive, for example, and live in deprived areas are much more likely to suffer harm from gambling. I will certainly give further consideration to the...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much, and I'd like to start by thanking Bethan Sayed for bringing forward this short debate on such an important topic today and for doing so in such an engaging and interesting way, but also doing real justice to the seriousness of the issue. I think that that was also very much in the contributions of Jack and Lynne as well. The internet is an incredible tool. In a matter of...
Rebecca Evans: Yes, certainly, I'd be happy to write to you with some more information on the research to which I was referring. So, the resources that I was referring to are adding to what is a growing resource on the online safety zone, and schools across Wales are encouraged to use those materials. And next week, of course, on 5 February, we will join in the global celebration in recognising Safer...
Rebecca Evans: In 2018-19, the Welsh Government is providing a grant which gives 100 per cent non-domestic rates relief to all community hydropower projects with a rateable value of £50,000 or below.
Rebecca Evans: In 2018-19, the Welsh Government is providing around £210 million of rates relief to support businesses in Wales, including those in Mid and West Wales. For 2019-20, we are providing an extra £23.6 million of support through our enhanced high street and retail rates relief scheme.
Rebecca Evans: Our council tax reduction scheme for 2019-20 maintains entitlement to support for vulnerable and low‑income households in Wales.
