Thank you. Well, in the context of both the budget process and the Bevan Foundation latest ‘state of Wales’ briefing, published at the end of July, which said Wales has the third highest poverty rate in the UK, behind only London and the west midlands, with ‘little change in the headline rate’, how do you respond to the Public Policy Institute for Wales August report, ‘Participatory Budgeting: An Evidence Review’? They highlighted Porto Alegre in Brazil as the birthplace of participatory budgeting, saying the process there

‘has fundamentally changed the relationship between citizen and state, improved the functioning of government and led to improved public services and infrastructure.’

But, in Wales to date, the use of participatory budgeting

‘has been more modest, and the impact has, as a result, been smaller.’

And they recommend that, in Wales,

‘the focus in the short term might usefully be on laying the foundations’ of participatory budgeting in future budgets, alongside the use of other forms of engagement or consultation that signal an intention to promote greater public awareness of, and involvement in, the Welsh Government’s spending decisions. What consideration will you be giving to their findings?