Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I give a very warm welcome to this budget statement today, set as it is against the backdrop of very, very challenging economic circumstances?

I’m delighted to see so many of our programme for government commitments funded in the statement. I particularly welcome the additional money for the health service. As you know, Minister, we have not gone down the road that they have in England, where we have seen extremely harsh reductions in funding, particularly for adult social care. We’ve always taken the view in Wales that the health service and social services go hand in hand. Are you able to outline what additional funding there is in this budget for social care?

I’m also very pleased with the announcement about protecting local government funding. My own authority works extremely hard to deliver public services in very challenging circumstances. Unlike Paul Davies though, I would like a slightly different assurance on the allocation of the funding. In my experience, it is deprived authorities that often lose out under the local government formula. So, I would like to ask what steps you are going to take, and obviously we await more detail tomorrow to ensure that it is our neediest communities that receive the most protection.