Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:57 pm on 6 July 2021.
I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for those comments, and I repeat, really, that the words of co-production and partnership are the absolute key words in most of the statements that we make, and working co-productively and working in partnership is not easy to do, it takes some time, and we are committed to taking this forward in a co-productive way. So, we will continue to build on what these responses are, we will continue to consult with the sector, and we will come forward with proposals as a result of that consultation.
He mentioned about Westminster and what's going to happen in terms of Westminster. Well, we've been assured that there will be a statement from the UK Government before the end of this calendar year, saying what is going to be their direction of travel for social care. I know we've been waiting for this for a long time, and if we don't get something within the timescale that we've been given, we would seriously then have to consider whether we come forward with the wider proposals after that period of time. We think it's very important, if it is at all possible, to get an England-and-Wales solution because of the interface between taxation and benefits, and we wouldn't want the situation to arise, such as arose in Scotland, when they brought in the free personal care and people lost attendance allowance, and the complications of that. So, we think it would be very desirable if we could get a solution for England and Wales, but we can't wait forever, and, obviously, we will have to consider our own way of raising money if we don't get anywhere soon with Westminster.