The council tax reduction schemes are vital to the most vulnerable people in Wales and this is a scheme that allows many people to receive a reduction and it exists, to an extent, because the council tax is not progressive enough. So, I’d like to ask, first of all, whether the Government has an intention to look at a fairer taxation system so that we won’t need a council tax reduction scheme that’s as wide ranging as the one that we have at present in future.

You’ll remember that it’s Plaid Cymru that compelled the previous Government to take responsibility for this scheme, leading to the passing of the regulations in 2013, and following that the Welsh Government has been meeting the deficit, on an annual basis, for the scheme, by ensuring that £0.25 million is available for the scheme within the local government settlement every year since 2013-14. Truth be told, the fund that is available, if it continues at the same level, and I think you just said that it will be, that means that it’s less in real terms than it was four years ago. As far as I can see, the new figures mean an increase in what the residents are going to receive in support to meet inflation costs and an increase in the cost of living. So, how is that going to be paid for? Will there be a corresponding increase in the size of the fund? You’ve said now that there won’t be. Does it mean that there will be some residents who will receive more as a result of inflation and so on, while others will be left out entirely from the scheme, because of changes to the welfare system? Or, indeed, are you expecting the local authorities to find the funds from their budgets, which are getting scarcer?

So, I would like you to confirm how much funding is available, because if it’s the same figure that’s available, then there’s a danger that some of the most vulnerable people in Wales will suffer. I do understand that there is an impact assessment that has been undertaken to the likely costs of complying with these regulations. I haven’t had a chance to look at that, or to pursue that. Could you tell us what the result of the assessment was? I’m sure that you can understand that we need to have all of the information before we can support these regulations. Thank you.