4. 3. Statement: The Draft Budget 2017-18

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:26 pm on 18 October 2016.

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Photo of Mr Simon Thomas Mr Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru 3:26, 18 October 2016

(Translated)

May I thank the Minister for his statement and for the mature and constructive way in which he’s discussed the draft budget with my colleague Adam Price? The budget will now be out for consultation. You will first of all appear before the Finance Committee tomorrow morning to kick off this process. May I ask you, in terms of all of the committees that will look at the budget over the next few weeks, can you explain what role preventative spending will have and what influence important pieces of legislation brought forward by the previous Government, such as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 will have, and have they influenced the way in which you have allocated expenditure in this draft budget?

Two very specific questions, too, if I may, on what’s included in the budget as we currently find it: can you confirm, as the Assembly has desired, that there should be no cut in the Supporting People programme budget, and that that should remain without any cuts to its budget, as I understand it? Can you also tell us what has happened to the increase of 1 per cent that the previous Government had put in place in terms of expenditure on schools and education for those of five to 16 years of age? As I see it, that guidance has been removed from this budget. If so, is there another target for expenditure in schools that has coloured the decision in the current draft budget?

The final question: am I right to interpret your answer on the M4 as meaning that there will be no capital expenditure in this particular budget on the M4, apart from, of course, paying for the public inquiry and so on?