Part of 3. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 3:04 pm on 1 March 2017.
Well, you’ll know from the budget that this place passed that we’ve seen a significant additional resource go into mental health. It’s the largest area of spend within the health service budget, and that came from the sensible and mature conversation that took place between this Government and Plaid Cymru and others. Now, that’s meant that we are continuing to prioritise mental health as an area of action, and that is not the position that the third sector recognises takes place across our borders. I don’t complain about the third sector in this, or any other area, calling for more resources. It’s their job to campaign; it’s their job to champion issues. It’s our job, though, to manage a finite group of resources. So, I don’t think it’s good enough for the Government simply to say, ‘Someone has called for more, therefore we’ll provide it’. We have to balance that against other priorities. I’m clear that this is a priority area of action, and we’re seeing that in deed and not simply in words with the extra investment we are making in mental health services.