Concise Minutes - Finance Committee

Meeting Venue: Hybrid - Committee

room 4 Tŷ Hywel and video conference

via Zoom

Meeting date: Thursday, 16 October 2025

Meeting time: 09.30 - 12.53
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/15384

Hybrid

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Peredur Owen Griffiths MS (Chair) Mike Hedges MS Peter Fox MS (In place of Sam Rowlands MS) Julie Morgan MS (In place of Rhianon Passmore MS)
Witnesses:	Mark Drakeford MS, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language Andrew Jeffreys, Director Treasury, Welsh Government Jodye Kershaw, Head of Budget Policy & Delivery, Welsh Government Michelle Morris, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Katrin Shaw, Executive Director, Casework and Legal, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Heather Beynon, Executive Director, Corporate Resources, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
Committee Staff:	Owain Roberts (Clerk) Sian Giddins (Second Clerk) Božo Lugonja (Researcher) Mike Lewis (Deputy Clerk)

<AI1>

Registration

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<AI2>

Private Pre-meeting

</AI2>

<AI3>

1 Introduction, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting of the Finance Committee.

1.2 Apologies were received from Rhianon Passmore MS. Julie Morgan MS substituted for Rhianon Passmore MS.

1.3 Apologies were received from Sam Rowlands MS. Peter Fox MS substituted for Sam Rowlands MS.

</AI3>

<AI4>

2 Paper(s) to note

2.1 The papers were noted.

</AI4>

<AI5>

2.1 PTN 1 - Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language: Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC) - 8 July 2025

</AI5>

<AI6>

2.2 PTN 2 - Letter from the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union: Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2026-27 - 30 September 2025

</AI6>

<AI7>

2.3 PTN 3 - Letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Wales) Bill - Statement of Policy Intent - 29 September 2025

</AI7>

<AI8>

2.4 PTN 4 - Letter from the Counsel General and Minister for Delivery: Financial implications of the Planning consolidation Bills - 10 October 2025

</AI8>

<AI9>

3 Welsh Government Draft Budget 2026-27: Evidence session 1

3.1 The Committee took evidence on the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2026-27 from Mark Drakeford MS, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language, Welsh Government; Andrew Jeffreys, Director Treasury, Welsh Government; and Jodye Kershaw, Head of Budget Policy and Delivery, Welsh Government.

</AI9>

<AI10>

4 Motion under Standing Order 17.42 (ix) to resolve to exclude the public from items 5, 6, 8 and 9.

4.1 The motion was agreed.

</AI10>

<AI11>

5 Welsh Government Draft Budget 2026-27: Consideration of evidence with Welsh Youth Parliament Members

5.1 The Committee invited Members of the Welsh Youth Parliament to consider the Cabinet Secretary’s evidence on the Draft Budget 2026-27.

5.2 The Cabinet Secretary responded to questions from Members of the Welsh Youth Parliament.

</AI11>

<AI12>

6 Welsh Government Draft Budget 2026-27: Consideration of evidence

6.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

</AI12>

<AI13>

7 Public Services Ombudsman for Wales - Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, and Estimate 2026-27: Evidence session

7.1 The Committee took evidence on the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales’s Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, and Estimate 2026-27 from Michelle Morris, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales; Katrin Shaw, Executive Director, Casework and Legal; and Heather Beynon, Executive Director, Corporate Resources.

</AI13>

<AI14>

8 Public Services Ombudsman for Wales - Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, and Estimate 2026-27: Consideration of evidence

8.1 The Committee considered the evidence received.

</AI14>

<AI15>

9 Scrutiny of the Senedd Commission Draft Budget 2026-27: Consideration of draft report

9.1 The Committee considered its draft report and agreed it with minor changes.

</AI15>

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