Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services — Postponed from 8 November – in the Senedd at 2:45 pm on 15 November 2017.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:45, 15 November 2017

Indeed. On pooled budgets, I indicated in health committee today that we need to take a pragmatic view about Bridgend's place in pooled budget arrangements. It would not be sensible for us to require Bridgend to become involved in a pooled budget relationship with Neath Port Talbot and Swansea councils and the ABMU health board. At the same time, we are consulting on moving them into the broader Cwm Taf footprint. That is the one area where I will need to take that decision, given the constituency interest of the Minister, but it will affect the way in which we now expect Bridgend to be an eastward-facing authority.

There will be a formal consultation process that will start next month. That was agreed with the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, and my colleague the new local government Secretary and I still expect that consultation to go ahead next month, as we continue to take practical steps for the move to be made in the Bridgend area.

We'll need to think about what stays exactly the same, and patient flows, and we'll need to think what needs to change in the way that Bridgend will become more part of a partnership with Cwm Taf authority when it comes to social care. So, there are changes to be made. We think this is the right thing to do, and that's why we've said we're minded to do it, and I look forward to the 12-week consultation and hearing more broadly from the public and of course staff in all of the organisations affected.