Thank you very much. I would begin by saying that, in those letters to which I referred in my statement, where all chairs of regional partnership boards wrote to me by the end of last month, providing an update on the progress—each of those letters included an update on the progress towards those six different steps towards pooled budgets, which I spoke about in my response to Angela Burns, and it is fair to say that various regions are at different stages on that journey, but we’ve been absolutely clear that Welsh Government will provide whatever support is necessary to get them to the point where they are able to pool those budgets. But there is absolutely no question that all of those regions are fully committed to pooled budgets. I’ve spoken to the chairs of regional partnership boards, I’ve had meetings with the chairs of the health boards, for example, just yesterday, I met with all of the leads in local government who have responsibility for social care, all of whom are completely behind pooled budgets and recognising the importance of it. So, there’s no question, I don’t think, in terms of the commitment to it. In terms of the actual practicality of it, it is a tremendously complex thing to do, but, as I said in my statement, Welsh Government will provide whatever additional support is needed to get to that point.

In terms of partnership working, it’s not really about managers talking; the actual real partnership working is what happens in terms of, on the ground, how the individual receiving care and support has that care and support need met. You’ll probably be aware of examples in your own area in north Wales where the regional partnership board has allocated £1 million this year to improve their step up, step down services. So, that’s supporting people who are coming out of hospital who are medically fit but still require some degree of care and support. Over 800 people have already benefitted from this service and more than 2,000 bed days saved as well.

Additionally, in the north Wales region, over £1 million of the integrated care fund has been used to establish multidisciplinary, single point of access services, providing information, advice and assistance to individuals in a timely, effective and efficient way. Actually, many of the regional partnership boards have taken that approach in terms of that single point of access, just having seen how effective it is.

You referred to Bridgend, and, of course, in the statement to the National Assembly on 18 June, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government said that we proposed that the Cwm Taf local health board boundary should be adjusted to include the Bridgend local authority area. Working with our partners in local government and health boards, the Government will discuss that proposition and develop a formal consultation document and a further statement will be issued on this this autumn. But I can confirm Welsh Government has already begun to engage very closely with the partners in Cwm Taf and the Western Bay regional partnership board about potential transitional arrangements if the boundary of Cwm Taf were to be extended to incorporate Bridgend as well. I think that it’s important that we take all of our regional partnership boards and all of our local authorities and health boards and treat them in the same way, rather than having bespoke arrangements for individual health boards and so on as well.

In terms of the specific budget, you’re right, there is more than one way to pool a budget; that’s certainly true. However, the preference has always been to encourage and give the freedom to local authorities and health boards, through the regional partnership boards, to take ownership of it and to take the leadership of the pooling of budgets themselves. I think that’s a more effective way and a more desirable way, certainly, than having Welsh Government impose that pooling on them. However, I’ve made it clear in my statement as well today that, if I’m not satisfied by the progress that has been made, I will consider other ways to pool budgets as well.

If I may, just on one more point, you did mention the difficult settlement that local authorities are having to deal with. It’s the result of seven years of austerity and diminishing funds to Welsh Government, and of course you will have read the Minister’s statement, outlining the settlement that has been made. However, I do think that collaboration and partnership working does provide local authorities with opportunities in the sense that, when pooled budgets do come into place and we commission jointly those adult care home places, there’s great opportunity actually to be doing things seven times rather than 22 times, sharing expertise and sharing the benefits of those wider commissioning arrangements as well. So, there are opportunities, certainly, with this approach.