Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 2:45 pm on 23 September 2020.
Unfortunately Minister, this isn't a one-off, is it, because the Wales audit office has repeatedly highlighted areas of public expenditure where the money either was being wasted or failed to deliver a notable outcome? So, we can refer to, for example, the rural development grant or Communities First—those are two that immediately spring to mind. Now, I understand and appreciate that it's down to individual Ministers to decide on their spending portfolios, but as far as you are concerned, as the finance Minister, is it not your role to ensure that value for money is achieved and public money is not wasted? So, please, could you outline the role that you play in ensuring that portfolio holders spend their budgets appropriately and accountably, and how do you and your department help to steer that ship back onto the right course if you see that they are not doing so?