Furniture and Fittings

Part of 4. Questions to the Senedd Commission – in the Senedd at 4:21 pm on 23 September 2020.

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Photo of Janet Finch-Saunders Janet Finch-Saunders Conservative 4:21, 23 September 2020

Thank you. As you rightly pointed out, the budget for accommodation and facilities includes an allocation of £60,000 for expenditure on just furniture and fittings over the past four years. That's a total of £240,000 over four years, and we are all aware of major refurbishments to this place, over this term, that have cost millions. Now, this, into our local economy, the difference, if materials and items were procured from Wales, would go a long way.

In the budget published for 2019-20, it is stated that the Commission is developing a strategy for increasing contract opportunities for Welsh based suppliers and that progress will be monitored regularly through key performance indicators, which is set at 43 per cent of supplier spend to be with Welsh based companies. So, I suppose, really, I'm looking at whether that target has been hit and why we are only setting a target for 43 per cent. Why are we not setting a target for 100 per cent? So, next Assembly term, I would like to see that figure increased.

Also, too, you'll be aware of the campaign by the National Farmers Union and the Farmers Union of Wales, and, indeed, farmers across Wales, for us to actually implement the use, more use, of wool, Welsh wool, in certain things such as carpets in public buildings and other initiatives. So, may I have on record, to a degree, some commitment that the Assembly Commission, going forward, when spending money on refurbishments to this place, will actually look to perhaps start looking to provide a larger target of Welsh goods and procurement, and, indeed, as regards refurnishing with new carpets and things, that wool is given the first priority? Thank you.