I'm pleased to be able to support this final budget today, a budget that rightly prioritises our NHS and also offers a sustained programme of funding to ensure the future of our country. In setting out the budget today, Ministers have met their promises to the people of Wales and ensured the alignment of governmental priorities with those of our citizens. Services are protected and enhanced, despite having to deal with the impact of a wasted decade of unnecessary, ideologically driven austerity. 

For my contribution, I want to focus on just two main policy areas, both of which are, I feel, intrinsically linked to the future of our communities. The first is the interventions that the Welsh Government includes in the budget around tackling child poverty. According to recent data, Penrhiwceiber in my constituency has the highest child poverty levels in Wales. Now, Penrhiwceiber is a fantastic community, and I was really pleased that the Minister for Housing and Local Government was able to join me there last year for a round-table, and I'm very thankful for the work that has come out of that on child poverty, both at a local government and a Welsh Government level. 

The causes of child poverty are complex and most are not devolved, but I am pleased that addressing child poverty has always been a priority for successive Welsh Labour Governments in the areas that they can influence. Indeed, across portfolios, the Welsh Government already invest nearly £1 billion in a variety of interventions to tackle poverty, and the budget before us today will enhance that provision. For example, it contains an additional investment of £6.6 million in the early years pupil deprivation grant. This means that, over the course of this Assembly term, despite the real-terms cut in funding, Wales will have more than doubled the early years PDG. A significant intervention to support household budgets is provided by the PDG access grant, and I welcome the fact that, this year, the Welsh Government is allocating an additional £3.2 million for the 2020-21 academic year to extend the scheme to more year groups. Also to be welcomed is the £2.7 million funding boost for the school holiday enrichment programme. Extra children can now be supported through this excellent scheme. I was able to visit a primary school in Penywaun some time ago to see the impact that this has. Similarly, it is positive to note the £450,000 being marked to launch a free breakfast club pilot for secondary school pupils.

My second policy area that I'd like to speak to today relates to dealing with the impact of the flooding that's affected Wales, including much of Rhondda Cynon Taf, over the past few weeks. I said that it's linked to the future of our communities, and that's a fact. The statistic that we've all been talking about in the Chamber today from the Royal Meteorological Society—that over the next decade, the Valleys will see 50 per cent more rain—shows that we really do need more investment in ensuring that we can minimise the impact of this on our communities. We also need funding to be made readily available for putting things right when they go wrong. Assembly Members will know about the letter, of which I was just one signatory, that was sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer last week asking for a one-off injection of £30 million to help to repair and for restoration work in RCT. Across Cynon valley and across Wales, the community response and generosity to the flooding has been phenomenal, but it can only go so far, and Government at all levels will need to be mindful of their obligations. During Prime Minister's questions last week, the Prime Minister said,

'the Government are committed to working flat out with the Welsh Administration to ensure that everybody gets the flood relief that they need. Yes, of course, that cash certainly will be passported through.'

Now, we're nearly a week on in a time of crisis, and nothing has happened. The UK Government has recognised its responsibility for providing further funding, given the intense and disproportionate impact of flooding on Wales, so it needs to meet that responsibility urgently. Otherwise, it's just another example of empty words from the Prime Minister, and it's unfair that my constituents and others will have to suffer in consequence. Thank you.