Russell George AM

Chair

Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee

By email

15 January 2020

Dear Russell,

Welsh Government Draft Budget 2020-21: research and innovation

In summer 2019 the CYPE Committee wrote to the Minister for Education requesting a written paper to inform our scrutiny of the Draft Budget 2020-21. In this letterwe indicated that we would work with other committees with shared interests and responsibilities – including the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills (EIS) Committee – to avoid any unnecessary duplication of effort for the Welsh Government and Assembly Committees.

As agreed with you, and to use the Minister for Education’s and Committees’ time as effectively as possible during the tight timetable associated with the budget round, questions about research and innovation were posed to the Minister for Education during our budget scrutiny session on 8 January 2020. As a member of both the CYPE and EIS Committees, Hefin David AM led on this aspect of our scrutiny. The relevant aspects of the discussion can be seen in paragraphs 158 – 181 of the Record of Proceedings.

In recognition of your Committee’s remit, and your responsibility for scrutinising the Welsh Government’s work in relation to research and innovation, I understand that the EIS Committee intends to consider this information and reflect it in your report. As such, I wanted to write to refer this evidence to you formally and to place on the record that, while the evidence was gathered in the CYPE Committee for efficiency purposes, issues relating to research and innovation in the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2020-21 will be considered and reported on by the EIS Committee.

Yours sincerely,

Lynne Neagle AC / AM
Cadeirydd / Chair