It's a pleasure to take part in the debate this evening. Can I declare an interest as I'm a Denbighshire councillor? I'm going to mention local government.

The coronavirus pandemic and the impact that COVID-19 has had on these shores during the past year and a half has highlighted the structural problems within the Welsh Government's budget. As the nation as a whole struggles to cope with the virus, it was those who relied upon our social care sector who struggled the most. It was those who worked in our care sector who had to shoulder the largest burden. Some of our lowest paid workers had to work day in, day out, with very little protection, and having to deal with the constant heartache of having their charges die from a terrible disease that stole the lives of so many. More than 1,600 people living in care homes died as a result of the pandemic, but more than that, they died because our social care sector is underfunded and overstretched. This debate by the Welsh Government asks us to consider the priorities for the next financial year. I say the priorities are simple: we need to address the chronic underfunding of our care system. The Welsh Government have committed to completing the integration of health and social care. They are widening the roles of regional partnership boards, but not following through with more money. So, it's more of the same. They expect local government social services departments to do more, but provide them with less and less each year. Before any of us had even heard of COVID, colleagues in local government were warning of a shortfall of hundreds of millions of pounds in social care. The situation has gone from bad to worse. 

In evidence to the previous Senedd's Finance Committee, the Welsh Local Government Association identified over £279 million-worth of underlying budgetary pressures for the current financial year alone. In their evidence to the health committee, the WLGA highlighted that the funding problems had created particular issues in respect of the impact on demand-led social care services, and the potential fragility of smaller, council-commissioned private care providers. These pressures are rising and will continue to rise. We need around 20,000 extra social care staff by the end of the decade, and we have to ensure that they are paid a fair wage. We have an abject lack of disability adaptable housing. We have seen the number of children in care increase by over a quarter in the last five years. Yet, the Welsh Government failed to give social care the priority it deserves. The supplementary budget failed to set aside any significant funds for social care. More funding was allocated to the creation of international exchange programmes than what was allocated to additional support for early years learners. It's time to stop funding pet projects and ensure our social care sector, and by extension local government, is adequately funded. Diolch yn fawr iawn.