2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:01 pm on 16 July 2019.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 3:01, 16 July 2019

Thank you, Mike, for raising the issue of financial transactions capital, which I know he also touched on in our supplementary budget debate last week. The Welsh Government doesn't welcome the restrictions that the UK Government has placed on our capital budget through the use of FTs. We are committee, however, to using the funding to invest in infrastructure and to boost economic growth in the long term.

As part of the budget documentation, we are committed to providing full details in relation to how FTs are used. Building on the information provided to you previously by my predecessor, I will certainly provide an update. But I can confirm that we are using it in innovative ways—so, funding, for example, for our land for housing scheme; funding for town-centre loan schemes and property funds; Green Growth Wales and green infrastructure. Projects that have benefited from it over time include the Barry Island strategic regeneration area link road, Cardiff Airport and aviation. We have also recently launched our stalled sites fund as well. So, we're looking for innovative ways to use the funding, and I look forward to further discussion in Finance Committee tomorrow, where we will be exploring capital funding.

I will ask the Minister to provide an update on incineration. I know that incineration plants are subject to stringent protective requirements of the industrial emissions directive, but I'm sure that she will provide further information in respect of the specific questions raised.