Rebecca Evans: Well, as I say, I've already started these discussions in terms of our borrowing limit. But I'll be issuing a written statement later this week, which talks about the statement of funding policy, and that's a discussion that I started in my first quadrilateral with other finance Ministers, and with the support of the Scottish and Northern Irish administrations, which looks at a much more fair...
Rebecca Evans: Well, what I did do was write to the Treasury last year seeking an increase in our borrowing limit, which, as I said, is currently £150 million a year, sequentially up to £1 billion, to help deliver our investment priorities. And when we talk about borrowing, when we talk about our capital fund, we talk about it in the round. So, we don't borrow against a specific project or a specific...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much for the question. You'll recall that the funding that would have been earmarked for the M4, should the decision have been made to make the Orders, was up to £1 billion. But we have to remember that actually that £1 billion related to £150 million of borrowing that we're able to draw down on an annual basis up to a maximum of £1 billion. You'll have heard the Minister...
Rebecca Evans: I was the Minister in charge of that portfolio when those legal proceedings were taken forward. Unfortunately, they are still ongoing. So, as such, I am unable to update now, but I know the Minister for housing, who now has this within her portfolio, will obviously be keen to update Members as soon as there is something that we are able to say.
Rebecca Evans: The current key criteria for consideration when considering how to manage assets or dispose of assets include creating economic growth, delivering more integrated and customer-focused services, generating capital receipts, reducing running costs and decarbonisation of the public estate. But Julie James, Ken Skates and I have been doing a piece of work that looks across the Welsh public...
Rebecca Evans: There is a financial limit at which health boards can retain the funds for any assets they dispose of, but above that limit then, the funds do come back to Welsh Government. And I think that's only right in the sense that the Welsh Government will have the overview across the whole of the Welsh public sector, and the Welsh NHS, in order to understand the pressures that are arising at that...
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Government supports the principles of good asset management, including surplus asset disposal processes. Through published guidance such as 'Managing Welsh Public Money' and the continued work on asset collaboration led by Ystadau Cymru, we seek to embed best practice across the Welsh public sector.
Rebecca Evans: Well, as you say, there was some research—an independent study, in fact—in 2014, which concluded that, on average, the fund generates a benefit of £3 for every £1 spent on that scheme. A frequent question, as Nick Ramsay says, is why good practice just doesn't seem to spread very easily, and this is something that we're working on with Cardiff University. We're researching the barriers,...
Rebecca Evans: I thank Mike Hedges for raising that; he's long been a champion of both invest-to-save and innovate-to-save. The innovate-to-save initiative between the Welsh Government, Nesta, Cardiff University and the Wales Council for Voluntary Action launched in February 2017 with a budget of £5.8 million. In March of this year, we added an additional £0.5 million to the budget, to take it up to £6.3...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for asking that question. The portfolio of invest-to-save projects has a really wide range of repayment profiles. For general projects, the longest repayment profile is six years, and there are several being more than that. However, energy efficiency projects, for example, can be repaid within eight to 10 years. But, as I say, it depends on the project. But I can reassure you that...
Rebecca Evans: Since 2009, the invest-to-save scheme has invested £180 million in over 190 projects across the whole of Wales. It continues to provide financial assistance to Welsh public services and third sector organisations to help them improve their services and provide better outcomes for the people they serve.
Rebecca Evans: We continue to provide financial support, where needed, to help businesses invest, grow and remain competitive. As part of a capital stimulus package, I recently announced an additional £10 million for the economy futures fund.
Rebecca Evans: We are committed to effectively investing every pound available to us to boost economic growth and support public services in Wales. This includes creating new innovative schemes to utilise our financial transitions capital, investing in the economy across Wales.
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Government’s decision to declare a climate emergency was informed by detailed analysis of the Committee on Climate Change. Specific budgetary implications will form part of the usual budget-making process.
Rebecca Evans: The 2021 census White Paper was laid before the National Assembly for Wales in December 2018. There will be a census rehearsal in October this year, including in Ceredigion. Welsh Government officials continue to work with the Office for National Statistics on preparations for the census.
Rebecca Evans: On the first issue, which was seeking a statement on the financial stability of the education sector, as you say, universities are independent and autonomous bodies, and Welsh Government doesn't get involved in their administrative affairs. However, I can confirm that the education Minister did have a meeting with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales in the last week, where I'm sure...
Rebecca Evans: As Huw Irranca-Davies said, those employees did accept the package in good faith at a time when they were reassured that there were no imminent plans for closure of the plant. Thank you for raising that matter directly with the economy Minister. As a result, he is writing today to ask Ford to consider its position on this matter and to investigate the possibility of enhancing the separation...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for raising those two issues. I think the Minister for the environment did provide some of the information that you're requesting in a statement on clean air last week. So, I would refer you to that, but if the answers that you're seeking aren't in that, then I'm sure that she would be able to liaise with Ken Skates to provide that information to you. And on the matter of Jistcourt,...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for raising both of those issues. In terms of the Jistcourt job losses, obviously this is going to be devastating news for the 66 employees and their families, and our focus now will be on supporting those employees to find alternative local employment. The workforce there is particularly talented, and our ReAct programme has a strong record of supporting individuals who have been...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you for those questions. On the issue of Virgin Media, which, as you say, is due to finally close in Swansea, I was able to provide, a couple of weeks ago, an update on the number of staff who, at that point, had found further employment, but I'll certainly ensure that you get that final figure. And also, I know that Virgin Media was due to appoint an agent in terms of future use of the...
