Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement today and for his phone call earlier, giving me advance notice of the headline figures in today’s draft budget? I understand his logic in laying a one-year revenue budget and a four-year capital budget, but I’m sure it won’t surprise the Cabinet Secretary that we on this side of the Chamber cannot support this draft budget in its current form. Once again, Plaid Cymru have fallen over themselves to do a deal with the Welsh Government and prop them up regardless. Whilst there are some announcements that are to be welcomed in this statement, communities across Wales have still been left behind.

Of course, it is my earnest wish that this draft budget will deliver for Welsh communities where so many others before it have failed, but you will forgive me if I reserve some scepticism, given that outcomes in so many areas of public life are still badly wanting. As we enter into the next phase of the fifth Assembly, our nation remains in the chokehold of an underperforming economy, which sees families in Wales take home the lowest wages in Britain—this according to the Welsh Government’s own statistical analysis. Last week, an EU regional social progress index study placed Wales’s education system at the bottom of the UK league table—not the first study to do so. Public health, too, remains a major concern. The Welsh health survey highlighted that obesity levels are rising and diabetes prevalence has more than doubled since 1996. These issues stubbornly endure.

Going forward, it’s crucial that every pound spent by the Welsh Government is spent effectively, ensuring value for money for the Welsh taxpayer and a renewed focus on outcomes. No-one denies that we have been through tough economic times and the UK Government has had to take tough economic decisions to get the economy back on track. Of course, at the same time, the referendum vote to leave the EU raises a whole series of questions over future budget planning. Therefore, can the Cabinet Secretary tell us what impact the EU referendum result has had on the Welsh Government’s budget planning processes for the fifth Assembly and what work the Welsh Government has done since the referendum result in terms of its budget processes and economic forecasting ahead of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union?

Now, turning to some of the headline figures from today’s announcement, of course, I welcome the additional money that has been allocated to the health budget, and I sincerely hope that this will go some way to addressing the real issues that our NHS faces. The Cabinet Secretary will remember from his time as health Minister the struggle of delivering health services in rural parts of Wales, and so perhaps the Cabinet Secretary will tell us how today’s budget will roll back the centralisation of services that we’ve seen in recent years and fill in the gaps in provision that there are in parts of west, mid and, indeed, north Wales. Indeed, can the Cabinet Secretary confirm for the record this afternoon that, in light of the numerous reports criticising Welsh NHS finances, he is now fully confident that this draft budget is affordable and that it will sufficiently support the NHS in Wales?

As we know, there are higher costs to delivering public services in rural areas, and so it’s important that these areas are adequately prioritised in any Welsh Government budget. I understand local government will receive a cash-flat settlement in this draft budget, however, can the Minister indicate to us today how this money will be allocated to local authorities and whether rural authorities will be prioritised, given that they have suffered some substantial cuts in the past? An acknowledgement of the challenges that rural authorities face must be made in this budget, and I hope the Cabinet Secretary will provide more detail on how this budget will specifically address the challenges that rural local authorities face.

Today’s statement includes an extra £30 million for higher and further education, which is certainly welcome. I’m sure all Members in this Chamber want to see a strong Welsh education system that is sustainable for the future. Now, I appreciate that £30 million cannot possibly be the answer to all of Wales’s problems when it comes to higher education and further education, but this funding could actually make a difference. Therefore, can the Cabinet Secretary confirm what new proposals will be implemented with this additional funding and how this funding will be used to close the funding gap between Welsh and English higher education? In relation to further education colleges, can the Cabinet Secretary confirm how this additional funding will be allocated to colleges and what criteria the colleges will have to meet to receive any additional funding?

Llywydd, the Welsh Government must ensure that any spending through this Assembly is effective and delivers real improvements to key front-line services to the people of Wales. I was extremely disappointed, like many in this Chamber, in the Welsh Government’s programme for government, which does not provide the confidence or detail required to improve the life chances of people in communities across Wales. Therefore, can the Cabinet Secretary tell us how the Government will truly test the outcomes of any budget in this Assembly if there are no targets by which to measure them? Crucially, how can the Welsh Government ensure value for money across portfolio areas when there is very little detail in the programme for government to measure the progress of its budget? So, in closing, therefore, Llywydd, can I once again thank the Cabinet Secretary for today’s statement? My colleagues and I look forward to scrutinising the draft budget further over the next few weeks. Diolch.