Rebecca Evans: Thank you to Darren Millar for raising both of those issues. Clearly, there's absolutely no place for antisemitism anywhere in Wales, and I'd be pleased to ask the Minister for Education to write to you on that specific issue that you raised, regarding the adoption of the IHRA definition. And, on the issue of gyms and swimming pools, I'm afraid I don't have anything further that I can add to...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. There is one change to today's agenda. The motion to approve the Agricultural Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021 has been postponed until next week. Draft business for the last week of term is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Rebecca Evans: I will just finish my remarks by putting on record my thanks to the Finance Committee and the other scrutineers for the work that they've done with this budget, but also their work over the past extraordinary years, and I again thank my officials for the extraordinary work that they've done. I commend the motion to colleagues.
Rebecca Evans: And I'm frankly still reeling from a quite extraordinary meeting that I had yesterday alongside Ken Skates and Jeremy Miles with the Minister at the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Wales, where we were essentially treated to a stakeholder briefing on the levelling up fund, and there's been absolutely zero engagement with the Welsh Government on that in...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. I've welcomed this afternoon's opportunity to debate our final budget for 2021-22, and I thank all Members for their contributions. As I outlined in my opening statement, this is a budget that's taken place amidst uncertainty and evolving circumstances, and I'm grateful to everybody for their contributions. I'd like to seek to respond to some of those key themes. In doing so, I'll...
Rebecca Evans: We're a Government that allocates funding where it can deliver the greatest impact. This pandemic has shaken our economy's foundations, and we recognise the need to act now to inject jobs and demand into a recovery that takes root today. Our final budget includes a capital stimulus of more than £220 million to move this work forward. This includes an additional £147 million to ramp up house...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. I'm pleased to open the debate on the final budget for 2021-22, in what is the final budget of this administration. The extraordinary circumstances that have shaped this year's budget preparation are well documented, but I am proud that we have risen to the challenge with a 2021-22 budget aligned with our values. We are an administration that delivers on our promises and stands by...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much to Mark Reckless for his comments in the debate. I have an update for him that might change his mind in terms of the value of Welsh rates of income tax, because based on current forecasts, the net impact of WRIT is an increase of £30 million in 2021-22, and that, of course, is in contrast to the minus £35 million forecast in the Welsh taxes outlook in December. And...
Rebecca Evans: I'm afraid you're on mute, Deputy Presiding Officer. Or at least I can't hear you.
Rebecca Evans: Yes.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for the opportunity to open this debate on the Welsh rates of income tax. As you know, Welsh rates of income tax were introduced in April 2019 and apply to income tax payers resident here in Wales. The Welsh rates for next year were set out in the draft budget announcement in December. In keeping with previous commitments, there will be no changes to Welsh income tax levels in...
Rebecca Evans: This third supplementary budget is a really important part of the budget process. Approval of this supplementary budget will authorise the revised spending plans of the Welsh Government. It sets the limits against which our financial outturn position will be compared. It also authorises the cash that can be drawn from the Welsh consolidated fund to support that spending. I do thank Members...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. This supplementary budget presents the Welsh Government's final spending plans for the current financial year. It revises the financing and expenditure plans approved by the Senedd in the second supplementary budget in November. It increases the overall Welsh resources by £2 billion. This is a further 8 per cent increase on the position set out in the second supplementary budget...
Rebecca Evans: I am really grateful for the way that Delyth Jewell has just framed the work that the cross-party group has undertaken. If a copy hasn't yet found its way to the Welsh Government, I'd be really keen for us to have a copy, so that we can consider and explore those recommendations that you've just described. Because I completely agree that the framing of some of the debate that we've had...
Rebecca Evans: Nick Ramsay will have heard the First Minister outlining the steps that we're taking as we move towards that three-weekly review on 12 March. He'll be considering all the representations that colleagues have made over the recent weeks, but then also, of course, taking the advice that we receive from our scientific and medical advisers in terms of determining where we are able to make those...
Rebecca Evans: On the first issue, which was the request for a statement on the mental health and well-being benefits of angling, I know that the Minister with responsibility for mental health will have listened very carefully to that request. Of course, when we're deliberating all matters relating to restrictions that we are putting on people's lives, we do understand how difficult things are for people....
Rebecca Evans: Thank you to Huw Irranca-Davies for raising this. I can see on the corner of the screen my colleague the Deputy Minister for tourism, and he's been listening intently to the situation that you have described this afternoon. I know that he will be keen to explore what support we can offer to the small businesses that are affected within the tourism sector and will look forward to your...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for raising two really important issues. On the first, I just want to reinforce what Leanne Wood has said this afternoon about how important it is to go to your GP should you have any concerns about symptoms that might be related to cancer. The message really is that your NHS is still there for you in these difficult times. Our cancer recovery guidance has been part of the NHS...
Rebecca Evans: I'd be very pleased to ask my colleague the Deputy Minister and Chief Whip to provide that update to colleagues on Welsh Government efforts to tackle domestic abuse in Wales. It's been a continuing concern for us throughout lockdown and the fact that, for many people, home isn't a safe place. And I'm sure that the Deputy Minister will be very pleased to provide the latest on Welsh Government...
Rebecca Evans: Well, Welsh Government absolutely shares the concerns that Jenny Rathbone has been raising for a long period of time about the impact of a thin deal on the standards that we have in respect of food, and also wider standards in respect of the environment and workers' rights, and so forth. I will ask Lesley Griffiths to provide that update to Jenny Rathbone on what the implications are of the...
