Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising this important issue this afternoon. I absolutely join you in recognising the vital role that our local government staff play in terms of serving their communities. I'm very sorry I'm not able to meet the Bridgend graduates in person myself this afternoon, but it's wonderful to see them at the Senedd. I think that there are some really important things that...
Rebecca Evans: Local authorities deliver their essential services through their talented staff. While each local authority is responsible for its own recruitment, the Welsh Government continues to provide support through Academi Wales leadership programmes including the all-Wales public service graduate programme, personal learning accounts and our wider apprenticeship programme.
Rebecca Evans: I'm really keen to impress upon UK Labour the same argument that we've been making to HM Treasury in terms of the fiscal flexibilities that Wales needs. Our borrowing powers are not fit for purpose, really, in the sense that we have such a limited annual ability to borrow. I think that that obviously needs to be addressed. The year-end issues really need to be addressed in the sense that our...
Rebecca Evans: I would say that the Barnett formula and the fiscal framework that was agreed by the First Minister when he was in this role with the UK Government actually does provide some advantages to Wales in terms of the fact that the Barnett formula does recognise relative need. I think that's important and that's certainly something that we wouldn't want to move away from. I think that, where there...
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Government does work very, very closely with the tourism sector, and we do listen very carefully to the representations that they make on behalf of their members. I think that Sam Rowlands will recognise that we are trying to strike a balance here between supporting the tourism industry and allowing that to thrive and supporting that to thrive, but at the same time recognising that...
Rebecca Evans: We have looked at the case made by you and by others in respect of where a property is run by a charity, and I think that the circumstances will depend on the particular situation relating to that property. Some will already be covered by an existing exemption or by the new exemption, and, in cases where that's not so, authorities do have discretionary powers that they can use. The nature of...
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Government has tried to set out a position where we recognise the pressures on businesses, but also believe that the owners of properties should be making a reasonable contribution to the communities in which those properties are situated. We have recognised that some self-catering properties are restricted by planning conditions, preventing permanent occupation as somebody's main...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you to Russell George for raising this issue this afternoon. I am aware of the particular application to which he refers, which was called in and then subsequently refused. The reasons for that are set out in the decision letter, and, because it is open to the applicant to challenge the decision in the High Court, I won't say any more about that application today. But I understand the...
Rebecca Evans: Local authorities are burial authorities and responsible for their own cemeteries and crematoriums. It is for local planning authorities to identify suitable sites for new crematoriums. Proposals for new crematoriums would be subject to planning and environmental law.
Rebecca Evans: I'd like to begin, really, by joining Mark Isherwood in recognising the importance of mentoring schemes. I've been a mentor myself in one of the schemes, and I found that probably as valuable to me as to the mentee, so I would absolutely encourage all colleagues to look at opportunities to support those kinds of schemes. One of the things that we have been doing is trying to widen our...
Rebecca Evans: A range of work is ongoing at the moment in order to try and ensure that we have a more diverse group of people putting themselves forward for election, for both town and community councils, and county and country borough councils, in future. And those include the reviewing of the access to elected office fund, which was very successful in supporting a number of candidates to become town and...
Rebecca Evans: I welcome the actions being taken across Wales to encourage individuals to put themselves forward for elected office. Diversity delivers better, more inclusive decision making. In advance of the 2027 local elections, work to encourage diversity includes the programme for government commitment to extend the access to elected office fund.
Rebecca Evans: The use of statistics and evidence is an integral part of the policy-making process. Welsh Government statisticians routinely collaborate with policy makers to identify statistical needs, and inform policy through the regular collection, analysis and publication of a wide range of statistics about Wales.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much to Llyr Gruffydd for those questions this afternoon. We have considered and consulted on the appeals reform over several years. In relation to access to digital connectivity, that wasn't raised as a particular barrier to our new proposals in terms of access to the VOA's digital platform. Bearing in mind that this is the system for non-domestic rates, most businesses will...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch. I move the motion to approve the Non-Domestic Rating (Alteration of Lists and Appeals) (Wales) Regulations 2023. The regulations provide for the Valuation Office Agency's digital platform and check, challenge, appeal process to be extended to Wales. They also enable the changes to make the arrangements for appeals to the valuation tribunal for Wales more effective and efficient. A...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. I'm grateful to colleagues for their contributions in the debate today. Of course, the second supplementary budget is an important part of our budget process. Its approval will authorise the revised spending plans of the Welsh Government and those bodies directly funded from the Welsh consolidated fund, and, of course, it sets the limits against which our final outturn position...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch. This supplementary budget presents the Welsh Government's final spending plans for the current financial year. It increases the overall Welsh fiscal revenue and capital resources by £163 million, a 0.7 per cent increase on the position set out in the first supplementary budget, published in June 2022. In the main, this small increase is driven by transfers from other Government...
Rebecca Evans: Mike Hedges raised this with me in committee scrutiny last week, when we were scrutinising the second supplementary budget. I have committed to go away and find out what more information we can be providing for those who are involved in what is quite a niche sport, I think, of looking at the underpinnings of local government settlements. But I will certainly go and have a look at what further...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch yn fawr. Thank you to colleagues for their comments in this debate. I'll just respond to some of the specific issues that were raised. Of course, the interest in reserves was raised this afternoon, and of course, the level of local authority reserves are a matter for those local elected members. They will of course reflect those longer term plans as well as their efforts to manage...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch. Today I'm presenting to the Senedd for its approval the 2023-24 local government settlement for the 22 unitary authorities in Wales. First, I'd like to record my thanks to local government, both elected members and staff across local government services, for the critical work that they do for communities, people and businesses across Wales. It's been an incredibly busy number of years...
