The National Infrastructure Commission for Wales

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:40 pm on 3 December 2019.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:40, 3 December 2019

Well, I thank the Member for that. I'm glad that he was able to be present at the launch of the report. I don't accept what he says. When I last answered questions on the floor of this Assembly about the work of the commission, I was asked around the Chamber if it was going to be considering issues to do with water, to do with waste, to do with flood risk management, to do with housing, and the commission has, quite rightly, had to make choices in its first year about the issues on which it should concentrate, and that was a proper exercise of selection so that its priority areas in the next 12 months could be identified.

There is, indeed, an exercise that is currently ongoing for the public appointment process for a long-term chair of the infrastructure commission. I am glad, Llywydd, that in the discussions that I have had with your office that that post is on the list of significant public appointments that will be tested through a pre-appointment scrutiny process here in the Assembly, and Members who have strong views on the qualities that the person appointed to this post should have will be able to test that individual through that scrutiny process.