6. Debate on the Equality and Social Justice Committee Report: 'Annual scrutiny of the Future Generations Commissioner: An update'

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:48 pm on 15 June 2022.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 4:48, 15 June 2022

I'd also like to put on record my thanks to the Chair, to colleagues on the committee, to the clerking team and to the researchers for the piece of work that's been undertaken. And I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the future generations commissioner for groundbreaking work, for consistent and constructive challenge that has been offered to policy makers, and for being fiercely independent.

I'd like to just speak briefly to recommendation 1, if I may. As you can see in the report from the committee, £13 million of taxpayers' money is invested in the offices of commissioners and the public services ombudsman. And I think it would be hugely, hugely beneficial to examine what functions could be collaborated and combined in order to drive savings to the front line, in order to make sure that excellence is shared across each of the offices, because they do excel in many different ways. For example, the future generations office I think excels in terms of communications and research excellence; other offices excel in terms of advocacy work. And I think it would be very valuable for each of the commissioner's offices to be able to examine what excellence, what particular strengths can be shared and combined. But such a review shouldn't be undertaken in isolation; it shouldn't be viewed as a stand-alone piece of work. So, I'd urge the Welsh Government itself to look at what functions of other bodies and organisations could be shared in the spirit of collaboration, in the spirit of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, in order to drive excellence, to share excellence and to get as much investment to the front line as possible. Diolch.