Rebecca Evans: There's one change to this week's business: tomorrow's vote on the debate under Standing Order 25.15 on the Government of Wales Act 2006 (Amendment) Order 2019 will take place immediately after the debate, rather than at voting time. Draft business for the next three sitting weeks is set out on the business statement and announcement, which can be found amongst the meeting papers available to...
Rebecca Evans: Formally.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much, Mike Hedges. You've certainly articulated some of the concerns that the economy Minister has also articulated, in terms of ensuring that wealth and opportunity are there to grow across Wales and to ensure that all parts of Wales are able to thrive. I know that he will give consideration as to what the best opportunity will be to provide colleagues with an update on his...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you, Nick Ramsay. The health Minister was here listening to what you had to say, and he would be happy to write to all Members providing an update on Welsh Government action in this particular area.
Rebecca Evans: Building safety is certainly a very complex area. I think we've already had that demonstrated in the contributions from yourself and from Andrew R.T. Davies. And there are many, many partners with different responsibilities, and I think that that is one of the things that the Minister has been seeking to address in terms of having a more coherent look at building safety, and of course we'll...
Rebecca Evans: Well, consultation on the new home education statutory guidance commenced at the end of July and closed yesterday, but I'm sure that if you write to the Minister with the specific concerns that you've raised in the Chamber this afternoon she'd be pleased to look at them as part of the consideration of the responses to the consultation.
Rebecca Evans: As Dai Lloyd says, I'm familiar with the particular case in hand through my constituency role, and I understand that the gas-powered energy facility is a facility that will deal with energy surges, rather than being a full-time energy plant, as it were. I'll certainly ask the Minister with responsibility for energy to give some consideration to this particular case, and explore what...
Rebecca Evans: Well, I note, of course, that you began by associating yourself with the comments that Jenny Rathbone made on Tomlinsons, and the Minister for environment and rural affairs has confirmed that her officials are doing a huge amount of work to try and support the workforce there, and to ensure that—. I think it's around 40 farmers in the supply chain who are on aligned contracts and are yet...
Rebecca Evans: I thank Jenny Rathbone for raising the issues this afternoon. We do welcome the report on primary care services, which has been produced by the Wales office, and that will certainly help inform the wider work that is being undertaken to achieve the vision that we set out in 'A Healthier Wales', where people have access to the care and support that they need, and remain independent for as long...
Rebecca Evans: Presiding Officer, I think that the First Minister did answer some of these questions during his exchange with the leader of Plaid Cymru this afternoon. But, just to repeat, the stock to which Leanne Wood refers will be phased out early in the new year. They're being kept on the lines at the moment to maintain capacity. And, of course, there are rolling stock across the whole of the UK; this...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising the issue of the new eye care measures in the Chamber this afternoon. I know that when those eye care standards were introduced, they were warmly welcomed by RNIB and others who saw the potential that they could have in terms of preventing eyesight loss for people in Wales. I'll be happy to ask the Minister to write to you with an update as to how those new...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. There are four changes to this week's business. I will shortly move a motion to suspend the relevant Standing Order to allow a debate on Brexit to be held as the last item of business today. As a result, the oral statement—update on Brexit—has been withdrawn. Additionally, the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism will make a statement on priorities for the...
Rebecca Evans: Well, these are issues that we're exploring, in terms of the work that we are doing with local authorities to explore how they have been using premiums and what their experience is of houses moving onto the rating list for access to small business rates relief and so on. Part of that work is involving asking local authorities for the individual experiences that they've had. Potentially, a...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch. I really do welcome this debate this afternoon, and I thank all Members for their comments. And I think that the contributions that we've had really speak to the complexity of the issue that we're trying to grapple with this afternoon. Welsh Government does support the motion, which recognises the vital role that council tax plays in contributing to the funding of local services here...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for raising the importance of holding the best needs of young people very much at the front of our minds during all of our budget discussions, and that was certainly a message that the children's commissioner was keen to reinforce with me when we had that opportunity to meet very recently. Education maintenance allowance is certainly one of those areas where we have been...
Rebecca Evans: We continually assess the impact of a range of factors on the Welsh Government’s spending plans, including the latest demographic projections. I met with the Children's Commissioner for Wales on 23 September as part of my engagement with relevant stakeholders ahead of the forthcoming budget.
Rebecca Evans: Yes. I can confirm that the Counsel General and Brexit Minister reinforced our position as a Welsh Government—and one which I know is shared across parties in this Chamber—with Ministers at a meeting of the JMC last week on 10 October. And, of course, we've been very active raising these points consistently, reflecting the views of Welsh Government, but, as I say, the shared views that we...
Rebecca Evans: I continue to raise the importance of replacement EU funding in full and for the Welsh Government to retain the autonomy to deliver it. I pressed the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on this matter when I met with him at the most recent meeting of the finance Ministers.
Rebecca Evans: In terms of land transaction tax and the outturn for 2018-19, well that is £12 million lower than Welsh Government's final budget forecast in December of last year. That was £239 million. And a more recent forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility, published alongside the spring statement in March, had revenues for 2018-19 to be £234 million. The next revenue forecast will be...
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Revenue Authority regularly publishes outturn information about the revenue collected from land transaction tax and landfill disposals tax. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is due to publish the first full year of outturn data on the Welsh rates of income tax revenue for this financial year in summer 2021.
