Concise Minutes - Public Accounts Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee Room 3 - Senedd

Meeting date: Monday, 21 October 2019

Meeting time: 13.18 - 15.27
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/5627

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Attendance

Category	Names
Assembly Members:	Nick Ramsay AM (Chair) Mohammad Asghar (Oscar) AM Gareth Bennett AM Rhianon Passmore AM Adam Price AM Jenny Rathbone AM
Witnesses:	Gawain Evans, Welsh Government Shan Morgan, Welsh Government David Richards, Welsh Government Peter Ryland, WEFO Andrew Slade, Welsh Government
Wales Audit Office:	Adrian Crompton – Auditor General for Wales Richard Harries
Committee Staff:	Fay Bowen (Clerk) Lowri Barrance (Deputy Clerk) Joanne McCarthy (Researcher)

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

1.1 The Chair welcomed the Members to the meeting.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Paper(s) to note

2.1 The papers were noted.

2.2 The Committee agreed that the Chair write to the Welsh Government seeking clarification on a number of issues contained in the letter on the Regulatory oversight of Housing Associations.

2.3 The Committee agreed that the Chair would write to the Chair of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee advising of the publication of the Fuel Poverty Report and to the Chair of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee regarding the ‘front door’ to adult social care Report.

2.4 The Committee requested a detailed briefing on the Public Spending Trends.

</AI2>

<AI3>

2.1 Inquiry into Regulatory oversight of Housing Associations: Letter from the Welsh Government (3 October 2019)

</AI3>

<AI4>

2.2 Auditor General for Wales Report: The ‘front door’ to adult social care

</AI4>

<AI5>

2.3 Auditor General for Wales Report: Fuel Poverty

</AI5>

<AI6>

2.4 Auditor General for Wales Report: Review of Public Service Boards

</AI6>

<AI7>

2.5 Auditor General for Wales Report: Public Spending Trends in Wales 1999-00 to 2017-18

</AI7>

<AI8>

3 Scrutiny of Accounts 2018-19: Welsh Government

3.1 The Committee undertook the second scrutiny session with the Permanent Secretary on the Welsh Government’s Consolidated Accounts 2018-19.

3.2 The Chair asked for clarification on what the £21.2M loan will be spent on at Cardiff Airport together with a repayment schedule, following publication of the Welsh Government’s written statement earlier today. Andrew Slade agreed to write with further details.

3.3 The Permanent Secretary agreed to:

· Update the committee on the bilateral discussions scheduled for November regarding the European Agricultural Funds Rural Development Accounts;

· Provide further information regarding the scale of loss in 2018-19 regarding expired drug stocks and explore if the drugs could have been utilised elsewhere prior to their expiry date, including why the figures for drugs written off were higher than for previous years;

· Send further details regarding the Welsh Government’s free swimming grant for over 60 year olds;

· Send further information once the report of the evaluation of the flexible funding pilot is produced; and

· Clarify why only 41 % of the allocated funding of the Rural Development Plan had been spent as at August 2019.

</AI8>

<AI9>

4 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business:

4.1 The motion was agreed.

</AI9>

<AI10>

5 Scrutiny of Accounts 2018-19: Consideration of evidence received

5.1 Members considered the evidence received.

</AI10>

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