4. 3. Statement: The Draft Budget 2018-19

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:24 pm on 3 October 2017.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 4:24, 3 October 2017

Dirprwy Lywydd, Rhun ap Iorwerth highlighted a number of important aspects in the deal that we have been able to strike between Labour and Plaid Cymru. I have to disagree with him on only one point, but it’s an important point, and it’s the only point, I think, in this debate where I feel I must make sure that the record is properly understood. Rhun said that it was inevitable that without a budget agreement there would have been cuts in Supporting People. I want to be absolutely clear to the Chamber that there was no such inevitability. Supporting People is a programme, like all the others, that comes under pressure when we are having to create a budget in the difficult circumstances that we are. I was very glad that we were able to come to the agreement that we did. I thought Bethan Jenkins put it in exactly the right way, as far as Supporting People is concerned. It’s been a shared priority across this Chamber for many, many years. It’s appeared in three budget deals altogether. It was a matter of absolute concern to me. I’m really pleased that together we’ve been able to support it, and that’s the position that we have reached. I just want to make sure we’ve got that clearly set out.