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Finance CommitteeY Pwyllgor Cyllid
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To consultees on the attached list
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Cardiff Bay Cardiff CF99 1NA
August 2012 |
Dear Colleagues,
A call for information – Welsh Government draft budget proposals for 2013-14
The Committees of the National Assembly are seeking information to inform their scrutiny of the Welsh Government’s 2013-14 Draft Budget Proposals. We are interested in exploring expectations of the budget allocations, particularly in light of progress against the Welsh Government’s ‘Programme for Government’ commitments, and whether you have concerns regarding particular commitments/allocations and where you would like to see resources focused or specific areas prioritised.
We do not know as yet, what the draft budget proposals will look like, as they will not be published until October 2012. However, the Programme for Government Annual Report was published in May 2012, and shows progress against the Government’s commitments. In addition to this, indicative allocations for the 2013-14 financial year were published in the Final Budget 2013-14.
In this paper we have detailed four specific questions. You can answer any/all of these, or just let us know in general terms about your concerns and expectations of the draft budget.
The Finance Committee looks at the Welsh Government’s budget from a strategic, overarching perspective. We also work with the other Assembly Committees to ensure that proposals for specific Ministerial portfolios are considered in detail. Committees will each undertake their own focussed evidence sessions with the relevant Ministers in order to examine the areas of the budget that fall within their respective remits, and then report to Finance Committee, detailing any concerns they have.
Some Committees are also making progress on more subject-specific stakeholder engagement exercises, including speed-dating sessions, stakeholder discussions, and engagement with young people.
This consultation is being undertaken to inform both the Finance Committee and the other Assembly committees. If the information you provide is specific to a particular area, we will pass that information on to the appropriate committee(s) to inform their scrutiny of individual Ministers.
You can find out more information about these committees, along with background information about the Finance Committee, what the Welsh Government draft budget is, and how you can access the Welsh Government’s indicative figures for 2013-14 in annex 1.
Providing information to the Committee
Interested parties are invited to submit written evidence to the Clerk of the Finance Committee at the above address, to arrive by Friday 14 September 2012. If you wish to contribute but are concerned that you won’t be able to meet this deadline, please speak with the Clerk of the Committee on 029 2089 8597.
If possible, please supply an electronic version in MS Word or Rich Text format, by e mail to finance.comm@wales.gov.uk by Friday 14 September 2012.
Please begin your submission by providing some information about yourself, or your organisation, before setting out your views and experiences in relation to some or all of the following areas.
What we'd like from you: consultation questions
- Looking at the indicative budget allocations for 2013-14, do you have any concerns from a strategic, overarching perspective?
- Looking at the indicative budget allocations for 2013-14, do you have any concerns about any specific areas?
- What expectations do you have of the 2013-14 draft budget proposals? What spending commitments and priorities would you like to see reflected in the 2013-14 draft budget proposals?
- The new Welsh Government has published its Programme for Government. We will be using this document to guide our scrutiny of the 2013-14 draft budget. What changes would you propose to ensure that the budget delivers the objectives set out in the Programme for Government?
The Committee has invited submissions from those on the attached distribution list (Annex 2). However, we would be grateful if you could forward a copy of the letter to any individuals or organisations that are not included but who you think might wish to contribute. A copy of this letter has been placed on the National Assembly’s website with an open invitation to submit views.
Disclosure of Information
Witnesses should be aware that once written evidence has been submitted to the Committee it is treated as the property of the Committee. It is the Committee’s intention to place written papers on its website, and may subsequently be printed with the report. The National Assembly will not publish information which it considers to be personal data.
However, in the event of a request for information submitted under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, it may be necessary to disclose the information that you provide. This may include information which has previously been removed by the National Assembly for publication purposes.
If you are providing any information, other than personal data, which you feel is not suitable for public disclosure, or if you do not wish your identity, as author of the evidence, to be disclosed, this must be clearly identified and it is up to you to stipulate which parts should not be published, and to provide a reasoned argument to support this. The National Assembly will take this into account when publishing information or responding to requests for information.
Further information about the Finance Committee and its call for information can be found at: www.assemblywales.org
Yours sincerely
Jocelyn Davies
Chair, Finance Committee
Annex 1- Background information
Who are we?
The Finance Committee is a cross party committee of the National Assembly for Wales, made up of Members from all four political parties represented at the Assembly.
The Committee is not part of the Welsh Government. Rather, the Committee is responsible for reporting on proposals laid before the Assembly by Welsh Ministers relating to the use of resources.
Who are the other Committees involved in scrutinising the budget?
The other Committees involved in scrutinising the budget are:
- Children and Young People Committee
- Communities, Equalities and Local Government Committee
- Enterprise and Business Committee
- Environment and Sustainability Committee
- Health and Social Care Committee
What is the Welsh Government’s draft budget?
The draft budget proposals must contain details of the amount of resources the Welsh Government proposes to use in the following financial year and indicative figures for the subsequent two financial years. More specifically it should set out:
· The use of resources by the Welsh Government, Assembly Commission, Auditor General and Public Services Ombudsman.
· Income to be retained by those organisations (rather than being surrendered to the Welsh Consolidated Fund).
· Cash to be withdrawn from the Welsh Consolidated Fund by those organisations.
In recent years, the Welsh Government has also provided a narrative document which further explains detailed allocations to government departments, as well as reserves and other overall allocations.
Why aren’t we doing this consultation after the Welsh Government’s draft budget proposals have been published?
Responding to this consultation will not preclude stakeholders from also providing information, evidence, concerns and suggested areas for scrutiny to National Assembly for Wales Committees after the publication of the Welsh Government’s draft budget proposals (on 2 October 2012).
However, Committees will usually begin scrutinising Government Ministers on the content on the draft budget 1-2 weeks after it has been published, with a view to passing on their findings to the Finance Committee in late October. The Finance Committee is itself required to report on the draft budget by 8 November.
This means that there is usually very limited time (1-2 weeks) for stakeholders to suggest areas of concern to Committees. By doing this consultation now, we hope stakeholders will have more time to consider the potential impact of the budget.
What are the indicative allocations for 2013-14?
The Welsh Government’s Final Budget 2012-13 – including indicative allocations for 2013-14 – and explanatory documents can be downloaded here:
The Welsh Government’s most recent progress report on the Programme for Government can be seen here:
Annex 2
List of consultees
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Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board |
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Action for Children |
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ADEW |
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Age Cymru |
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All Wales Ethnic Minority Association |
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Aneurin Bevan Health Board |
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Anti Poverty Network Cyrmu |
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Arts Council of Wales |
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Asian Women's Group |
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Association of Directors for Social Services Cymru |
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ATL Cymru |
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Bangladeshi Welfare Association |
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Barnardos Cymru |
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Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board |
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Bevan Foundation |
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Big Lottery Fund - Wales |
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Black Association of Women Stepping Out |
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Black Environment Network |
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Black Voluntary Sector Network Wales |
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Board of Community Health Councils in Wales |
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British Association of Social Workers Cymru |
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British Dental Association |
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British Medical Association |
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British Orthodontic Society |
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British Red Cross |
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Business in Focus |
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CAFCASS Cymru |
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Capital Region Tourism |
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Carbon Trust Wales |
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Cardiff & Vale University Health Board |
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Care Forum Wales |
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Careers Wales |
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Carers Wales |
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CBI Wales |
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Chartered Institute of Management Accountants |
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Chartered Society of Physiotherapists |
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Children in Wales |
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Children’s Commissioner for Wales |
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Chwarae Teg |
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Citizens Advice Bureau - Cymru |
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Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Clubs |
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College of Occupational Therapists |
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Community Pharmacy Wales |
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Confederation of Passenger Transport |
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Construction Skills |
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Consumer Focus Wales |
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Contact a Family Wales |
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Country Land and Business Association (CLA) |
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Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) |
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Crossroads Care Wales |
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Cskills |
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CSSIW |
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Cwm Taf Health Board |
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Cymorth Cymru |
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Cymru Yfory |
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Deaf Association Wales |
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Disability Wales |
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Disabled Children Matter |
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DTA Wales |
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Energy Saving Trust Wales |
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Environment Agency Wales |
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Equality & Human Rights Commission in Wales |
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Estyn |
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European Commission |
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Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) |
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Forestry Commission Wales |
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Freight Transport Association |
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FSB Cymru |
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Funky Dragon |
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General Dental Council |
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General Medical Council |
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GMB Union |
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Governors Wales |
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Grayling |
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Hafal |
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HEFCW |
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Higher Education Wales |
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Hywel Dda Health Board |
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Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants |
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MEWN Cymru |
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Money Advice Service |
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Mother's Union in Wales |
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NAHT |
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NASUWT |
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National Farmers’ Union Cymru (NFU) |
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National Offender Management Service |
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National Parks |
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Neonatal Nurses Association |
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Network Rail |
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North Wales Race Equality Network |
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NSPCC Cymru |
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NUS Wales |
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NUT Cymru |
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Older People’s Commissioner for Wales |
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Pakistan Association of Newport & Gwent Welsh Asian Council |
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Passenger Focus Wales |
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Play Wales |
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Powys Teaching Health Board |
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Public Health Wales NHS Trust |
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Race Equality First |
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Refugee Voice Wales |
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RICS |
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Royal British Legion |
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Royal College of General Practitioners |
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Royal College of Midwives |
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Royal College of Nursing |
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Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh |
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Royal College of Physicians London |
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Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow |
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Royal Pharmaceutical Society |
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RSC |
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Samaritans |
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Save the Children Cymru |
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Sustrans |
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Talking2Minds |
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The National Autism Society Cymru |
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The Prince's Trust - Cymru |
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Tros Gynnal |
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TUC |
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UCAC |
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UCU |
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UNISON Wales |
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Unite Union |
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Velindre NHS Trust |
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Voice Cymru |
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Voices from Care |
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Wales Environment Link |
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WCVA |
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Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust |
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The Welsh NHS Confederation |
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Welsh Women’s Aid |
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WLGA |