While we would accept that the concerns the Member is raising are genuine, we are at a loss to see where the evidence is that public bodies are likely to face really substantial extra financial pressures as a result of this legislation. I would again refer Members opposite to the example of the Republic of Ireland, where there was no additional pressure on public services. 

Now, of course, we have just agreed to amendments that, if the legislation is eventually passed, will ensure that there is a reporting process on the impact of the legislation. I am absolutely sure that, should that reporting process bring forward evidence that shows that there is a substantial pressure on our public services, our public services will not be backward in coming forward in putting pressure on whoever is the Welsh Government then to make the necessary extra resources available. We know that the Welsh Local Government Association, do we not, are very, very effective in ensuring that they raise concerns if there are additional pressures.

So, we're not prepared to support these amendments, both because we believe that the predicted additional pressures are very unlikely to come forward, and because we don't believe in any case that these kinds of budgetary decisions are best made on the face of a piece of legislation. If a Welsh Government has got its priorities wrong, it is the responsibility of this Chamber to hold them to account for that and to try to convince them to change their minds. If we place specific budgetary requirements into specific bits of legislation, then there will be other budgetary requirements that future Welsh Governments may not be able to meet.

So, while I accept that Janet Finch-Saunders' concerns may be genuine, I don't think that those concerns are well evidenced and, on that basis, we will not be supporting these amendments.