Rebecca Evans: Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I am pleased to open the debate on our 2022-23 final budget—a three-year budget that has used every lever to strengthen public services, to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, to improve educational opportunities, and to respond to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Yet again, we have felt an incredibly different set of circumstances, and I want to begin by...
Rebecca Evans: I'm grateful to both speakers in the debate this afternoon, and recognise the particular query that they have in respect of the Welsh Government's commitment not to increase income tax for as long as the economic impact of the pandemic lasts. The economic impact of coronavirus, including its duration, its scale and legacy of course is monitored on an ongoing basis, and particularly now in...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. Thank you for the opportunity to open this debate on the Welsh rates of income tax resolution for 2022-23. Welsh rates of income tax were introduced in April 2019 and apply to income tax payers resident in Wales. Welsh rates of income tax raise around £2 billion each year towards the funding of the Welsh Government budget. The Welsh rates for the next financial year were...
Rebecca Evans: I'll just take the opportunity to thank, again, the Chair of the committee for its work and for his recognition of the way in which we've tried to set out information in an accessible and detailed form, and I know that will help colleagues across Government in terms of the information that we provide to committee in respect of future pieces of legislation.
Rebecca Evans: I'm so used to wearing my mask, I forgot I was wearing it, Llywydd. [Laughter.] I am pleased to bring the Local Elections (Miscellaneous and Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2022 before the Senedd today. As suggested by the title, the regulations principally make provisions that are consequential to the rules for the conduct of local government elections in Wales that were made...
Rebecca Evans: One of the key concerns that I have about the proposals on the part of the UK Government is that there is absolutely no assisted areas map. That was a way in which we could channel and focus spend on the deprived areas of Wales and across the UK under the previous regime, and that is completely gone. There will be no way now in which investment can distinguish between Mayfair and Merthyr, and...
Rebecca Evans: I haven't finished yet. [Laughter.]
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. I would like to begin by thanking the Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for their work and for their efforts to engage with the UK Government and to get clarity. It is a matter of regret, I think, that a response hasn't been forthcoming. I must say that the Welsh Government has engaged completely in good faith with the UK Government on this matter...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. I move the motion. I am grateful to the Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee and the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for their reports on the Subsidy Control Bill, and I thank them for their comments. A supplementary legislative consent motion was laid on 6 January, clarifying our position on the clauses the LJC committee noted and no further actions...
Rebecca Evans: And I think that you would agree with me that, when we do publish our annual report of local government reserves, it is just a snapshot in time, and that many councils do have plans, and they have earmarked money within reserves for plans. So, it does only reflect a snapshot at that point in time. And, of course, we have seen a couple of extraordinary years, so local government reserves I...
Rebecca Evans: Of course.
Rebecca Evans: And I'm just about to come on to exactly that point. The formula is constructed and governed in such a way that it can't be manipulated unfairly by any one authority or group of authorities, or by politicians, whether they're locally elected councillors or Welsh Government Ministers. And, of course, there have always been calls for a fundamental review of the formula, and some have been made...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch. I welcome the first part of the motion. We all, of course, want to thank local government staff and elected members for the work that they've done over the last two years. And they've been exceptional times and local government's response has truly been exceptional. I look forward to continuing the really strong working relationships that we've developed during what's undoubtedly been...
Rebecca Evans: I move.
Rebecca Evans: Llywydd, I'm going to resist the temptation to talk in my response about the benefits or disbenefits that I see of either voting system, because I genuinely think that this is a matter for local authorities to decide themselves, but, of course, the issues that Sam Rowlands has described will be amongst the thinking of those local authorities, as will the other issues that have been raised...
Rebecca Evans: Of course.
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. This has been a really excellent debate, and I have really enjoyed listening to the different perspectives. I'm really grateful for this opportunity to talk about the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021. I'm extremely proud of what the Act means for local democracy here in Wales, providing, as it does, for the establishment of a new and reformed legislative...
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Government absolutely wants Wales to have its fair share of additional officers, but let's consider what 'additional' means in this sense. The police force across England and Wales has been decimated in numbers throughout the period of austerity, so the UK Government is only seeking to make good on some of the decreasing numbers of police officers that we have seen over the years...
Rebecca Evans: Yes, of course.
Rebecca Evans: Absolutely. I think that Jack Sargeant said it very well in terms of how you can't just have it both ways. You can't call for Welsh Government to be doing more in the area of policing and oppose the devolution of policing whilst at the same time not delivering on UK Government promises for policing in our Welsh communities. While the settlement does, on the face of it, seem to be a good one,...
