Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. There are several changes to this week's business. Immediately after this business statement, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs will make a statement to update Members on the emergency flood summit. Later this afternoon, the Counsel General and Brexit Minister will make a statement on legislation related to leaving the European Union. To accommodate these...
Rebecca Evans: The Minister for Housing and Local Government, who's responsible for both of the areas on which you've asked for a statement, has obviously been here to hear your concerns, and she's asked me to ask that you write to her, both on the issue of the street arts to celebrate and promote the Bang programme, and also the issue of coercive control. You'll be familiar with the work that's going on in...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you to Nick Ramsay for raising both the issue of the metro projects and also the separate issue of the Welsh Government's response to the coronavirus. As Nick Ramsay said, today, the chief medical officer will be providing an update for Assembly Members in person, so that they're able to ask any questions that they have, and the health Minister has committed to providing an update, at...
Rebecca Evans: On the first issue, the short answer is that it's too soon to say yet what any consequentials might be coming from the UK Government in terms of the announcements that have been made. The UK Government has a habit of making re-announcements, so it's very difficult to say today what, if any, funding will be coming to Welsh Government. It's important to recognise as well that the funding that...
Rebecca Evans: The transport Minister's been indicating to me during your contribution that he is happy to provide an update to Members on the issues that you raise, but I do know that Transport for Wales are very aware of the capacity issues, particularly on the Rhymney line, and they've been exploring options to address the issue. Since taking over the franchise, it's fair to say there's been increasing...
Rebecca Evans: The issues of infrastructure and service provision are clearly crucially important when local authorities are considering their local development plans and exploring the burden of additional homes locally. In the first instance, I think the concerns you describe would be best made to the local authority in terms of representations on behalf of your community in relation to the specific...
Rebecca Evans: On the first issue that Mike Hedges raised, which was the use of single-use plastic on the Welsh Government estate and the public sector estate more widely, I'm really pleased to report that there has been continued progress in reducing the environmental impact of our Welsh Government estate in key areas, including single-use plastics. Of course, I published the Welsh Government's 'State of...
Rebecca Evans: Leanne Wood will be familiar with the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 and the importance that Welsh Government attaches to that in ensuring that children and young people do get the support that they need at the earliest possible point in their educational journey. And it is entirely appropriate to take up those individual cases with the local authority....
Rebecca Evans: I'm grateful to Darren Millar for raising this issue, and I do know that the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales is in current discussion with the Department for Transport in England to better understand the proposed scheme and how it might work, and then obviously to give consideration to the matter here. And obviously the Member will be aware that we do have a more generous...
Rebecca Evans: There is one change to this week's business. Business Committee has agreed that tomorrow's Conservative debate will take place immediately after questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services. Draft business for the next three weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to Members electronically.
Rebecca Evans: I thank Mike Hedges for his contribution. I would reiterate again that I have been listening carefully to colleagues and the arguments are well made. When the appropriate point does come, I will indicate any priority areas for additional funding, should additional funding come forward.
Rebecca Evans: The draft budget for 2020-21 delivers on our promises to the people of Wales and invests for the future of our planet, including £324 million extra for the Welsh NHS, almost £200 million extra for local government, and a new £140 million package to help tackle climate change.
Rebecca Evans: Over the last three years, across Wales, we've been working collaboratively with NHS health boards and trusts to design a control framework for expenditure on agency and locum staff, and those measures include increased levels of board scrutiny, minimising the deployment of locum staff, and improving value for money through capping rates and more effective procurement. There's been an ongoing...
Rebecca Evans: I have regular discussions with the Minister for Health and Social Services, covering a range of financial matters within his portfolio, including those relating to the NHS staff resources, which we discussed only earlier this week.
Rebecca Evans: We're making progress with the UK Government to secure powers for a vacant land tax in Wales. The next step is a joint Exchequer committee meeting, and I will update the Assembly with further detail after that meeting has taken place.
Rebecca Evans: Yes, I do. I think a vacant land tax is potentially a really exciting tool that we can have in our armoury, if you like, when we're looking to improve our high streets and beyond. I'm really pleased, now, that we seem to be making some progress with the UK Government. It's been quite difficult up to this point, but I think that we are starting to turn a corner. Of course, this is the first...
Rebecca Evans: So, as a result of the terms of the withdrawal agreement that was negotiated by the EU and the UK, obviously, EU law continues to apply during the transition period. But we are looking ahead to demonstrate what our priorities will be in terms of future relationships, because, obviously, the UK will be able to enter into free trade agreements. Most of those will have procurement chapters...
Rebecca Evans: So, you'll have heard my answer to Hefin David in terms of the importance of public services boards. We're holding an engagement event tomorrow, to which all of the public services boards who have expressed an interest in this have been invited, and that will be part of the Valleys taskforce work. We expect that that will lead to a focused action plan for using procurement to deliver those...
Rebecca Evans: I'm grateful to Hefin David for raising this issue and for his particular interest in it. We believe that the focus of the foundational economy accords very well with public services boards' own well-being plans, which reflect their local priorities. Many of those PSBs have identified developing the foundational economy as one of their local priorities within those well-being plans, and we've...
Rebecca Evans: Okay. Well, I'm afraid I'm not able to provide the detailed answer to how we are sifting and awaiting those responses, or able to give information on the timescale, but I know my colleague the Minister for local government will be able to do so, and I will ensure that you have a full response to that.FootnoteLink
