5. How is the Welsh Government maximising the use of preventative services to help vulnerable groups in Wales? OAQ51316

'Prosperity for All' sets out our commitment to strong and safe communities that protect and support the vulnerable. What we look to do, of course, is to tackle inequality and support vulnerable people, and our draft budget, I believe, demonstrates that very commitment.

Well, thank you. Housing-related support funded through the Supporting People programme and delivered through housing associations and third sector bodies has been improving lives and saving significant sums for statutory sector providers—health boards, local authorities—for many years. In your deal on the draft budget with Plaid Cymru, you agreed that you would ring-fence Supporting People funding for two years—the £124 million. But a letter to local authority chief executives on 24 October revealed that seven local authorities would be given 100 per cent spending flexibility, and the other 15, 15 per cent spending flexibility, across Supporting People and four other non-housing related grants. How do you respond, therefore, to concern that this effectively removes the ring fence in 2018-19, meaning that Supporting People funding is not guaranteed to be protected at 2017-18 levels, and that the lack of a distinct budget line for Supporting People gives no assurances that the funding will be protected to £124 million in 2019-20?

Well, we expect local authorities, of course, to comply with the law, and in the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, it is clear that local authorities have a duty to prevent homelessness. By and large, they have performed well in implementing that legislation. Progress has not been as consistent as we would like, and of course we will continue to monitor progress to make sure that the good progress that has been made across Wales continues in the future, due to the fact that Supporting People, of course, has received the funding through the budget agreement that is necessary.

Can I also support the importance of preventative services, but across all of our public services? For example, in Cwm Taf Local Health Board, they've been piloting free health checks funded by Welsh Government for the over-50s and, as a result, are picking up early signals of health problems that allows for cost-effective, preventative actions. Would the First Minister agree that this type of early prevention work is vital to reforming our health and wider public services, as well as ensuring the most effective use of public funds?

Yes, I do. I think it's hugely important that we are able to do that. I hear from the Conservative benches that's not sufficient. Well, I've got to remind them they've had seven years of austerity; they're in no position to criticise when it comes to health, education or housing, or anything else for that matter. If they are so concerned about increasing funding in every single area, which they claim to be every year, then perhaps they could prevail on their colleagues in the UK Government to provide more money, or, indeed, to provide the £1.67 billion equivalent that Northern Ireland have had. They are in no position to complain, given the fact that they've proven so ineffective at lobbying their own colleagues in Westminster.