<p>Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople</p>

Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children – in the Senedd at 2:26 pm on 14 September 2016.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 2:26, 14 September 2016

My question was, rather, what representations you would be making. Clearly, I appreciate how the budget round works and was not seeking to score party-political points. I fully supported the protection of that budget last year and I will continue to do so into the future, not just because of homelessness, but because of the related impact of early intervention on substance misuse, on domestic abuse and so many other things that lead to costly pressure on statutory services. I hope you will recognise that this is a way to save money and a way to cut budgets by holistic thinking within Welsh Government.

The final leg on the stool for this, alongside those two programmes, is the housing transition fund—supporting people on the edge of society, reducing demand on accident and emergency, encouraging people into employment, helping people reunite with their children and much more. Cymorth Cymru have made the point that—falling to £3 million, I believe, this year, from £5 million last year—that is due to end at the end of this year. But if this could be incorporated into Supporting People, the £130 million, which would be the combined amount, would enable us even further to tackle and prevent and intervene and reduce the costs of the statutory sector as part of a tight budget settlement. How do you respond to that?