Tackling Poverty

Part of 2. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:55 pm on 15 January 2019.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 2:55, 15 January 2019

I thank John Griffiths for that, and of course he points very vividly to the history of universal credit implementation to date. I'm aware, of course, of the work that his committee has done and the reports that have been produced suggesting that we should explore the devolution of administration of benefits here in Wales. I've heard as well, in this Chamber, other Members point quite rightly to the difficulties that might lie in its path, and there is a history, isn't there, that we're all familiar with—for example, in the forced devolution of council tax benefit, where we took on the administration, but the UK Government badly short-changed us in terms of the amount of money required for the benefit itself, and nothing at all to pay for administration. But, having pointed to those warnings, then my view is that we ought to explore the devolution of administration. We want to do it carefully, but I think the case is made for exploration, and I'm happy to give him that assurance this afternoon.