5. Will the Minister make a statement on Welsh Government plans for local government funding in this financial year? OAQ(5)0044(FLG)

I thank Lynne Neagle for the question. The majority of the funding provided to local government by the Welsh Government is delivered through the annual settlement. In this financial year, 2016-17, the settlement provided £4.1 billion in unhypothecated revenue funding.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I was pleased to welcome the announcement yesterday that you would be protecting local government funding in next year’s budget, and I look forward to hearing more detail from you on how you will prioritise targeting our most needy local authorities. The announcement last week that the Welsh Government is minded to phase out Communities First, and the apparent quiet ending of Schools Challenge Cymru in yesterday’s budget, does, however, make me worry that the Welsh Government is beginning to dilute its commitment to target resources at those communities most in need in Wales. What assurances can you offer me today that that is not the case?

Well, as I said during the statement on the budget yesterday, the Cabinet Secretary’s decision on Communities First is not driven by budget considerations. It is driven by making better use of the funding that has been put to those purposes in the past, bringing it together with budgets for Families First and Flying Start and trying to make sure that we have more of an impact in those communities that she so regularly represents on the floor of the National Assembly. As far as education programmes are concerned, there were two programmes, time-limited in nature, for which no funding provision would normally have been made next year. In the circumstances we find ourselves, it is impossible to carry on everything, particularly when schemes have been specifically identified as having a limited life. We were unable to take forward Schools Challenge Cymru, but we were able to take forward the pupil deprivation grant, which has a far higher budgetary implication, and to double the pupil deprivation grant for children in their most early and formative years. Together, I think they demonstrate the ongoing commitment of this Government to the agendas that she has so ably championed.

Each year for the past 10 years, either Powys or Ceredigion county councils have received the worst or joint worst funding from Welsh Government. I’ve heard your answers to earlier questions today, but what I would ask you, Cabinet Secretary, is: do you accept that you need to take into account the minority view that’s often posed by rural local authorities that isn’t heard when that recommendation is made to you, and is that something that you would be prepared to take into account when that recommendation comes to you?

I listen very carefully to what rural authorities say to me, and the changes to the social services strand in the formula this year very much do respond to the argument that those authorities have put. I’m afraid the Member will have to wait with everybody else to see the specific impacts of those changes on particular authorities for next year.

I just wanted to raise a technical issue with the Minister. Now, when you made your statement on local government reform recently, you kindly briefed me some days before, and I was grateful for it, and, of course, I respected the embargo. With your local government settlement, to my disappointment, I only received the briefing at 1.30 p.m. today. Could we have an early briefing wherever possible, as I feel this would benefit the work of the Assembly, and perhaps could you enlighten me as to the reason why we have these embargoes, as I feel they do impede somewhat the work of the Assembly?

Well, all opposition party spokespeople, Dirprwy Lywydd, were offered a technical briefing on the announcement that will be made later this afternoon, and all opposition party spokespeople were offered that briefing at more or less the same time. It’s a courtesy that we are keen to continue to afford opposition party spokespeople, because we would like to see people well-informed so that, when you are asked to comment, as I’m sure you will be, you will have had a chance to consider what it is the Government intends, having had some time in advance to digest the impact of that. It’s a tradition that I think has served us well so far. I’m keen to continue it. I’m very happy to have a discussion with the Member to make sure that he’s properly able to take advantage of the facilities that we try to provide.