Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 3 - Senedd. View directions

Contact: Fay Bowen 

Media

Senedd.TV: View the webcast

Transcript: Transcript for 06/01/2020 - Public Accounts Committee - Fifth Senedd

Items
Expected timing No. Item

(13.00)

1.

Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

Minutes:

1.1        Apologies had been received from Nick Ramsay AM, Committee Chair. Darren Millar AM substituted.

1.2        The Clerk asked for nominations for a temporary Chair under SO 17.22. Jenny Rathbone AM nominated Darren Millar AM, which was endorsed by the Committee.

1.3        The Chair welcomed the Members to the Committee.

(13.00 - 13.30)

2.

Paper(s) to note

Minutes:

2.1 The papers were noted.

2.2 The following actions were agreed:

·         NHS Wales Informatics Services: The Committee agreed that the Chair would respond to the Government seeking a situation report on the appointment process for the Chief Digital Officer together with clear definitions of the various Digital Officer roles and a timetable for these appointments.

·         Public Procurement: The Chair agreed to ask the Welsh Government about what considerations, if any, have been given to the potential impact any future tariffs may have for procurement.

·         Scrutiny Of Accounts 2018-19: The Chair agreed to advise the Welsh Government that the Committee will return to the issue of the internal use of Welsh Language in the Welsh Government during the annual scrutiny of accounts in autumn 2020.

·         Waste Management: The Committee agreed to feed their views into the Welsh Government’s current consultation.

·         Medicines Management: The Chair agreed to write to the Welsh Government seeking a progress report on the initiatives to improve repeat prescribing and reducing waste and on improving medicines storage, noting that the updated guidance that was promised has not yet been issued.

·         Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill: The Committee agreed that the Chair would write to the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee with their views.

·         Financial Management and Governance in Community Councils: The Committee asked that the letter from the Welsh Government be forwarded to the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee.

·         Welsh Government’s relationship with Pinewood: The Chair agreed to write to the Welsh Government seeking further explanation on the  information contained in the letter.

 

2.1

NHS Wales Informatics Services: Letter from the Welsh Government (22 November 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.2

Inquiry into Regulatory oversight of Housing Associations: Letter from the Welsh Government (25 November 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.3

Public Procurement: Letter from the Welsh Government (4 December 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.4

Local Government and Elections (Wales) Bill: Correspondence from the Auditor General for Wales (5 December 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.5

Waste Management: Additional information from Natural Resources Wales (December 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.6

Scrutiny of Accounts 2018-19: Letter from the Permanent Secretary, Welsh Government (9 December 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.7

Scrutiny of Accounts 2018-19: Letter from the Permanent Secretary, Welsh Government (10 December 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.8

Waste Management: Letter from the Welsh Government (10 December 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.9

Medicines Management: Letter from the Welsh Government (10 December 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.10

Financial Management and Governance in Community Councils: Letter from the Welsh Government (11 December 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.11

Committee Correspondence: Assembly Electoral Reform (16 December 2019)

Supporting documents:

2.12

The Welsh Government’s relationship with Pinewood: Letter from the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport & Tourism (23 December 2019)

Supporting documents:

(13.30)

3.

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

Items, 4, 5, 6 & 7

Minutes:

3.1 The motion was agreed.

(13.30 - 13.45)

4.

Primary Care Services in Wales: Briefing from the Wales Audit Office

Auditor General for Wales Report – Primary care services in Wales (October 2019)

PAC(5)-01-20 Paper 1 – Welsh Government response to the Report

Research Briefing

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

4.1 The Committee received a briefing from the Wales Audit Office on their Report and agreed that the Chair would write to the Welsh Government asking that the update on Out-of-Hours Services scheduled for July 2020 also covers the action taken on the 10 recommendations contained in the Auditor General’s Report.

(13.45 - 14.00)

5.

Cardiff Airport: Letter from the Welsh Government (13 December 2019)

PAC(5)-01-20 Paper 2 – Letter from the Welsh Government

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

5.1 The Members discussed the letter and also the headlines from Cardiff Airport’s Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19, which were published in late December 2019.

5.2 The Committee agreed that the Chair should write to the Government, seeking further clarification on a number of issues, ahead of their proposed scrutiny session later this term.

(14.00 - 14.30)

6.

Welsh Government Financial Support for Business: Consideration of draft letter

PAC(5)-01-20 Paper 3 – Draft letter

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

6.1 The draft letter was agreed.

(14.30 - 15.00)

7.

Ministerial Direction - NHS pension arrangements for 2019/20

PAC(5)-01-20 Paper 4 – Welsh Government correspondence

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

7.1 The Auditor General briefed the Committee on the recent Ministerial Direction.

7.2 Members agreed to hold a scrutiny session with the Permanent Secretary to discuss the procedure.

7.3 The Chair agreed to write to HMRC seeking their views on the recent Ministerial Direction.

7.4 The Chair also agreed to write to the Health, Social Care and Sport and Finance Committees advising them of the Committee’s decision and ask that they scrutinise relevant Ministers on the budgetary implications as part of the forthcoming budget scrutiny sessions.