2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:22 pm on 14 February 2023.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 2:22, 14 February 2023

I agree with you and I will ask the Minister for Health and Social Services to issue a written statement. We do have Rare Disease Day coming up at the end of this month, so I will ask the Minister for Health and Social Services to issue a written statement to highlight our support for rare disease, and also the progress that we are making here in Wales. 

In response to your first request, aggregates are a valuable Welsh natural resource, and we recognise that devolution of the aggregates levy could be beneficial to our fiscal and environmental aims. We do continue to be open to further conversations with the UK Government on the possible devolution of the levy, recognising that there are a number of key issues to consider, in particular, potential cross-border issues and block grant impacts that could arise. We're also really interested to learn from the Scottish Government's experience as they move forward in developing their approach to a Scottish aggregates levy. It would be good perhaps to apply the learning that they have had to further considerations, but any further engagement with the UK Government on a levy needs to really be set in the context of the wider devolution on tax devolution. That includes addressing our request to gain the power to introduce a vacant land tax in Wales.