Rebecca Evans: This is something of particular interest in ensuring that the money we spend through procurement in Wales has that social value, which is partly achieved through supporting the foundational economy and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises here in Wales. We have, over the course of this year, published a number of Wales procurement policy notes, which are there to support the...
Rebecca Evans: Diolch. I'm really pleased that this is an area that is within the co-operation agreement, exploring how we can keep this value here in Wales. I think it really does build on some good work that was undertaken over the summer, which was a discovery exercise creating a digital road map for e-procurement. It means that we will be looking at much more transparency throughout the supply chain, so...
Rebecca Evans: Every community council must have a clerk; they are essential to the good governance of community and town councils. The Welsh Government values their contribution and we work with external partners to provide support to encourage them to develop their professional skills.
Rebecca Evans: I thank Joel James for raising this this afternoon. This is something that I'll go away and give some further consideration to in the light of his comments this afternoon. But just while I have it, I'll take this chance to thank everybody who gives up their time to be town and community councillors, because through the course of the pandemic, we have really seen the value of those in terms of...
Rebecca Evans: In 2021-22, the HSS main expenditure group received an additional £1.1 billion of revenue COVID funding. Of this, over £820 million has been allocated to support the NHS and test and trace. To date, we've allocated over £38 million to the NHS and are currently forecasting a spend of around £58 million on PPE.
Rebecca Evans: Thank you. I have regular discussions with the Minister for Health and Social Services to ensure that NHS organisations do have the funding that they need to respond to the pandemic. My belief is, at the moment, that the NHS does have the funding it needs, both in terms of providing the correct kit, but also in terms of all the other work that it needs to do to respond to the pandemic and to...
Rebecca Evans: The Welsh Government is clear about its ambition to end violence against women and girls. The pandemic has created exceptional challenges for victims and survivors of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence and the services supporting them. Over £4 million of additional funding was subsequently made available to the sector to deal with the impact.
Rebecca Evans: I thank John Griffiths for raising this issue this afternoon and recognising, really, the important work that organisations such as Barnardo's do, and I'm very interested to hear about the project that you've described. We have provided additional funding through the course of the pandemic, recognising, as John Griffiths said, the fact that staying at home more makes it more difficult for...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you, and Altaf Hussain is correct that we have provided significant additional funding to this sector over the course of the pandemic, recognising the points that he and John Griffiths have described. We've provided over £1.2 million in dispersed community-based accommodation for those for whom refuge provision isn't suitable, and for move-on accommodation. I think this has been really...
Rebecca Evans: Local authorities, along with their other statutory partners, are seeing benefits from working through public services boards. Their annual reports provide evidence that local authorities are committed to working with their public services board partners to improve well-being in their area.
Rebecca Evans: Yes. I think we have some excellent examples of work taking place, so Cwm Taf PSB, for example, that undertook a live lab exercise with the office of the future generations commissioner, and it focused specifically on addressing adverse childhood experiences, to try and work out how those partners could best respond to children and young people experiencing adverse childhood experiences. And...
Rebecca Evans: The local government hardship fund provided authorities in South Wales East with £74.7 million for additional costs and £27.6 million for lost income in 2020-21. To date in 2021-22, £27.2 million has been provided for additional costs and £6.9 million for lost income.
Rebecca Evans: Our commitment to investing in town centres is highlighted through our 'town centre first' and Transforming Towns initiatives. Future investments will be aligned to these principles and we are already investing £136 million across Wales through the Transforming Towns programme to assist the economic and social recovery of our town centres.
Rebecca Evans: Diolch, Llywydd. I am pleased to make a statement on the 2022-23 draft budget laid on 20 December—the first multi-year budget since 2017. As we stand at the start of a new year, I want to reflect on the circumstances that shaped our preparations, alongside looking forward to what this budget will deliver. The ongoing impacts of the UK leaving the EU, the pandemic, including the emergence of...
Rebecca Evans: We'll build a stronger, greener economy, including over £110 million in additional non-domestic rates relief to businesses in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors. We cannot and will not ignore the devastating and unequal impacts the pandemic has had on the people of Wales. We will continue to celebrate diversity and move to eliminate inequality in all of its forms, including by...
Rebecca Evans: Thank you very much. Thank you to all colleagues for what has been a really, really useful debate. There have been so many points raised. So, I will try and respond to at least some of the key themes, but I know that my colleagues will have been listening carefully, and I look forward to responding to some of the more detailed points in the committee scrutiny sessions that will be taking...
Rebecca Evans: The UK Government has also announced that £0.4 billion will be available UK-wide on the shared prosperity fund in 2022-23, £0.7 billion in 2023-24, and £1.5 billion in 2024-25. So, clearly, by anyone's reckoning, we are absolutely being short-changed of the £375 million that we would have had annually through the EU had we remained in it and had the UK Government kept its promise that we...
Rebecca Evans: Mental health has been referred to, and, again, this is a really important pillar of our budget, and I know that there was particular concern expressed during the debate about children and young people's mental health, and we absolutely recognise the impact that the pandemic has had in this area. So, as part of our overall £100 million investment, we're allocating an additional £10.5...
Rebecca Evans: Finally, on local government, I'm really pleased that we were able to provide local government with a positive settlement. As Sam Rowlands says, like-for-like, it will increase by 9.4 per cent compared to the current year and no authority will receive less than an 8.4 per cent increase. I think this does reflect the importance that Welsh Government puts on local government as absolute key...
Rebecca Evans: I welcome the opportunity to bring forward these amending regulations today. The Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements and Default Scheme) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 amend the 2013 council tax reduction scheme regulations. The scheme provides direct help to households across Wales by reducing their council tax bills, and these amendments ensure entitlements are...
